Behind The Artworks: Buckshot Facelift - Ulcer Island (2018)


Buckshot Facelift “Ulcer Island” cover art breakdown by singer William Smith:

The cover artwork for “Ulcer Island” was created by Travis Smith, an American artist better known for his work with bands such as Death, Avenged Sevenfold and Opeth. Members of BSFL have had a long standing creative relationship with Travis through his work for their other band, Grey Skies Fallen. He first worked with us in 2014 for the art featured in our “Living Ghosts of the North Shore” EP and we were so happy with his work on that project that naturally we wanted him back for “Ulcer Island”.

The image of the beached whale in front of the lighthouse is meant to be a metaphor for many of the financial, sexual and spiritual predators found in the lyrics for this album – all washed up in the end. The choice of a Killer Whale is deliberate to represent the themes of duality and masks which also run through the albums lyrics. Even the skyline in contrast to the beach represents the two parts of the album and the underlying hidden themes to be found. The lighthouse in the distance is the symbolic beacon of hope. To truly understand the sequence of the lighthouse, one must also view Travis’ related cd tray art for this album as well as his cover art for our “Buck at the Moon” ep, available for free on Bandcamp.

Buckshot Facelift has always been a band that wears our Long Island roots on our sleeve, but to deny the influence of New York City and New Jersey on our band and its members these last 14 years would be dishonest and unfair to the 2 members who call other parts of New York home. It is with this sentiment that we titled the album “Ulcer Island” – a fictional geographic location meant to represent Long Island, Staten Island, Manhattan or any other town you can have a headache in – landlocked or not. We think Travis Smith did an excellent job of taking us all there.

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