Behind The Artworks: Azell - Astralis (2025)

The cover was designed by me, David Napier. I’ve been a graphic designer for about 20 years. When Courtney and I started Azell, we wanted to maintain a consistent theme of gold, black, and white throughout all our work. Each release features our logo centered at the top of the cover, with a unique border for each one.

For Astralis, I designed the top corners of the border to represent the solar flares that destroyed Earth, radiating outward. In the center of the cover is Amanda depicted as a skeleton in her spacesuit, symbolizing the album’s conclusion. Along the inner gold circle’s rim, you’ll find Kurt on one side and the Astralis on the opposite side.

The lower left corner shows Earth being struck by a solar flare, illustrated by the gold rings emanating from the center. The other planets on the cover represent both the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, which start to look alike after you’ve seen so much of space, haha.

The album’s title, Astralis, was chosen because it is Latin for “celestial,” referring to anything related to the sky or outer space. It just felt like the perfect fit.

Courtney and I both share a deep passion for science fiction and horror. Personally, I have a particular love for the classic pulp science fiction novels and stories from the 1930s to the 1960s. They carry a unique sense of wonder and imagination that I feel is often missing from many modern interpretations.