We are proud to finally unveil the striking cover artwork for our upcoming album The Horned God, masterfully created by the talented Sheila Franco. This piece represents a bold visual step into the core myth that inspired the record: the evolution of the Horned God figure through the centuries and its transformation within Christian symbolism.
The lyrics of the song, written by Danilo Bonuso, explore how Christianity gradually appropriated ancient pagan cultures, reshaping horned deities such as Moloch, Apis, Pan, Cernunnos, and many others into the archetype of the Devil. The artwork visually translates this historical and symbolic transition.
The overall concept of the cover was developed by Danilo Bonuso and Howling SSTAR, with the intention of capturing this very moment of transformation. At the center of the scene stands an imposing statue of a pagan deity, surrounded by dancing celebrants engaged in a ritualistic festivity — a direct reference to Bacchic rites and ancient celebrations devoted to nature gods. Yet in the shadows, the figure of the Devil emerges — embodied by the demon that has accompanied us since The Apocalypse Mark and has since become our mascot — ready to infiltrate that ancient cult, to corrupt it, and to cast upon it the shadow of what it would eventually become: feared, distorted, and demonized.
The idea of the dancers was inspired by Howling SSTAR’s visit to the Museum of Witchcraft in Triora, where a painting depicting a witches’ sabbath explained how such gatherings were, in reality, the reinterpretation and distortion of ancient pagan rituals. The dancers — once symbols of fertility and communion with nature — were transformed into “witches” within the dominant religious narrative.
We chose to work once again with Sheila Franco, following the outstanding work she delivered for Cryogenesis, confident in her ability to visually translate such a layered and symbolic concept. The result is an artwork that does not merely illustrate an idea, but captures its historical, spiritual, and visual tension.
The Horned God is not just a cover — it is the visual representation of a god turned into a demon.
Stay tuned.
