Albatross Overdrive (US) - band artwork

raven bandalbum albumartwork stonerrock ILLUSTRATION ink symbolism tree of life mihai manescu poster artwork

I was excited about this new collaboration with the Albatross Overdrive band from US, considering that about a year ago, while listening to their album, I was thinking to myself that it would be cool to do something for these guys. They contacted me and this artwork is the result of my collaboration with them, being inspired by one of their last songs recently released, called "Earth Mother".

The idea and symbolism behind the artwork has a connection with northwest Native American legends and tales, and the way they perceive the raven as the bringer of light. In fact, southwestern tribes (Hopi, Navajo, Zuni) felt the raven has flown out from the dark womb of the Cosmos and with it brought the light of the sun (dawning of understanding). Consequently, the raven is considered a venerated bird of creation, for without the raven, humans would forever live in darkness.

Foremost, the Raven is the Native American bearer of magic, and a harbinger of messages from the Cosmos. Messages that are beyond space and time are nestled in the midnight wings of the Raven and come to only those within the tribe who are worthy of the knowledge.

Therefore I thought of using the raven and placing it as a main symbol in this artwork, and behind it the tree of life, with it's Kabbalistic symbol that holds the Cosmos, willing to give the message of perpetual transformation, life and death, and the light bringer.

"A long time ago, Raven was pure white, like fresh snow in winter. This was so long ago that the only light came from campfires, because a greedy chief kept the stars, moon, and sun locked up in elaborately carved boxes. Determined to free them, the shape-shifting Raven resourcefully transformed himself into the chief's baby grandson and cleverly tricked him into opening the boxes and releasing the starlight and moonlight. Though tired of being stuck in human form, Raven maintained his disguise until he got the chief to open the box with the sun and flood the world with daylight, at which point he gleefully transformed himself back into a raven. When the furious chief locked him in the house, Raven was forced to escape through the small smoke hole at the top — and that's why ravens are now black as smoke instead of white as snow."

Albatross Overdrive - artwork typography