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The Open Door
Album Redesign
"The Open Door" is an album performed by the well known alternative rock band Evanescence. With themes of hardships, trauma, and growth, The Open Door tells a personal storyline of the narrator; which in this case is the lead singer, Amy Lee.
Original album art, heavily inspired by a sketch Amy Lee (Vocal Lead) drew and gave to her band manager.
During sketching phase, there was a main focus in fantastical imagery and some horror elements (although the latter element was mainly reserved for "Fallen", another Evanescence album).
Going ahead with comps, two sketches with similar imagery but distinct illustration styles were chosen. Both album designs feature a massive black wolf, representing the hardships that have hurt us but can help us grow if dealt with.
However, the rough rendering style in the second album design better conveyed the overall alternative rock "sound" heard in the album. Other than the artwork being reworked for legibility, the band's name was also added for clarity.
For the back cover of the vinyl sleeve, we see a continuation of the scene presented on the front cover. In addition, the official song list is added and categorized by how the songs are divided between the vinyl record sides.
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The inner sleeve design continues the picture presented on the back cover, with the wolf carrying the rabbit back to the woods. Leaving an ambiguous ending for the viewer to decide.
To complete the album, labels for each record side were designed. Both color and animal used for each label have a distinct purpose. Halfway through the album, the aggressive sound heard throughout the first part of The Open Door is changed to a more solemn and soft sound.
