Behind The Artworks: Stoner Kings - Alpha Male (2020)

"I painted the Alpha Male cover art over the course of a week, up north in Kemi, Finland back in December 2006, right after I had won my first European heavyweight championship title in pro wrestling at the beginning of the month. I was up in Kemi coaching Sonata Arctica vocalist Tony Kakko in cleaner English enunciation for his band's Unia album (2007 Nuclear Blast), which was a service that I served many artists with, helping them become more international in presentation." tells Stoner Kings songwriter and vocalist Michael Majalahti.

"The cover art is primal and prehistoric. I've always loved the caveman theme and dinosaurs and such. I am also a big believer in the old-school philosophy that men should be men and that means all the lessons for the established masculine prototype ideal have been established in the past. Since the beginning of time, men have fought for their lives, been warriors, icons of strength and in pursuit of adventure. I wanted to embody the true spirit of man with the volume turned all the way up, and so was born the cover art for the album that would eventually become our Alpha Male album. This cover art literally sat in my drawer for 12 years, waiting to be released"

"The cover was painted in guache colors by hand. No computer graphics. This is old-school all the way, much like our music's core vibe."