Enter Shikari CD Cover Analysis

By Andrew Ward-Salt

Enter Shikari – Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour...

Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour - Analysis.

This is one of the first ever covers to an E.S single. It was released in 2007, and was the third single to be released overall. The album Anything Can Happen was the first single to be released from their debut album – The previous singles ended up being re-recorded. This Single was released before the album “Take to the Skies” which features title track.

This cover spawned the new wave of Enter Shikari artwork, all focusing around the greys and greens and strange, if not abstract, artwork with the bands trademark title at the top. Beforehand they were mostly a title and the band’s name with a single colour background. This is a good example of how Enter Shikari establishes itself in a unique way, trying to solidify their status as artists by also releasing unique and interesting picture art along with their musical art. This album’s picture is of two strange faces with differing expressions like in a theatre with the happy and sad facial expression masks. This is a contrast which shows the nature of the title song – a person interested in a girl who doesn't feel the same.

Enter Shikari – Jonny Sniper

Jonny Sniper - Analysis

This is another one of the first ever covers to an E.S single. It was released in 2007, and succeeded ACHITNHH. However, this single came after the album which contains the title track, though it doesn’t make a difference, as the art is what holds importance. The cover is significant in the fact that it represents the title track, the chorus of which features the lyrics “Now this is a quest to save the world”. This cover is also important in the fact it continues the line of Enter Shikari album art, whilst still preceding the album which made breakthrough success. This shows that when thinking of designing the art, they thought about keeping it in theme with the band, and not changing to get someone thing will be popular. This is a good idea because it keeps identity going and synergy between products remains evident. This means when you think of the art or the posters, you always think of the band because all the products tie together.

Enter Shikari – Take to the Skies

Take to the Skies - Analysis Take to the Skies is the debut album from Enter Shikari, it

follows the previous artwork from the earlier singles, and continues to push the idea of synergy of artwork, with the recurring theme of the faded red and green strips branching out from a centrepiece, based upon the album title. This is also prominent in its release poster, featuring the same artwork, and strongly pointing to the band wanting to keep the image going. This cover features an amalgam of strange artwork, somewhat resembling that of the prior singles. This is significant because it references that all of the songs on the singles are on the album. Some passers by could see the album and say “I recognise that earth, looks a lot like the one from Jonny Sniper” and then will be drawn to it to find out that the songs from Jonny Sniper are indeed on TTTS.

Enter Shikari – The Zone

The Zone - Analysis

The cover of the album “The Zone” by Enter Shikari is a slight detour from the standard artwork of the band, but this is intentional because it features side work from Rou (the lead vocalist)’s solo project – Routron 5000 . This album, more a compilation CD than a new album, is filled with live tracks and Demos which were originally download only, as well as a remix. This could stick out, but the fact that it contains demos and a remix gives it some leeway from the original classic artwork. It still follows the theme though, being creepy and macabre, with the classic fonts for the band title. The cover could be classed as conventional as they are in a style of their own, and therefore may decide to proceed with artwork however they wish.

Enter Shikari - Juggernauts

Juggernauts - Analysis

Juggernauts is the first released single with a song from the new album - Common Dreads. To symbolise this new venture, they have used different artwork, using shades of blue instead of shades of brown, and images which represent lyrics from the song. The reason there is a museum on the front of this album is because the lyrics state “The idea of community, will be something displayed in a museum”. This gives the album a direct link to the title track, and serves as a visual link to the lyrics and song. This single was the trendsetter for the rest of the singles under the new album style, and they all feature a part of the map of Great Britain embedded behind the image. The change in style could be for various reasons, but the most likely is changing style or theme of the songs they have started writing from this point onwards.

Enter Shikari -No Sleep Tonight

No Sleep Tonight - Analysis No Sleep Tonight is the second single to be released from

the album “Common Dreads”, and the colour scheme, style and artwork shows this accordingly. The artwork is tailored to the name of the title track, with a picture of a sun being eclipsed by a moon, to symbolise darkness/night time coming. This symbolises sleep, which goes with the name “No Sleep Tonight”. It also features the same background – a part of a map of the UK, to further create an ongoing theme for the CD Covers of the second generation of Enter Shikari singles.

Enter Shikari – Common Dreads

Common Dreads - Analysis This is the album cover to Common Dreads, Enter Shikari’s

second studio album. It features the same style of artwork featured in the singles which have led up to it, showing consistency and an ongoing theme. Enter Shikari’s second generation of songs are often based around a political statement about the War which we have been pushed into, and how Great Britain was built as a monarchy with free trade in mind – which has been crumbled and corrupted by members of parliament. This is the significance of the Lion, a powerful symbol of England. The artwork once again features a piece of a map, and the same font and general style as in the rest of the latest singles. The Lion is red, making it stand out boldly, and perhaps serving as an important image to the audience.

Implications on my final products

The Enter Shikari album and single artwork always has a link in its series. This is an important factor which I must take into account when creating my final album cover and Poster – they must link together. As well as this, there must be a link between album artwork and my artist – The links will need to be clear when I create my final products and place them on show in my blog. Unfortunately, as of yet I have not made my decision on final songs, and therefore I cannot make any choices to do with synergy and ongoing themes yet.