# Travis Smith (artist)

Travis Smith (born February 26, 1970) is an American graphic artist best known for designing heavy metal album art. He has been called "renowned" by Alternative Press and "unquestionably one of the most talented graphic artists in metal today" by Chronicles of Chaos. Smith has done work for many established rock and metal bands, including Death, Devin Townsend, Dead Industry, Katatonia, Nevermore, Anathema, CKY, Soilwork, King Diamond, Novembre, Avenged Sevenfold, Strapping Young Lad, Persefone, Riverside, Overkill, and Opeth.

## History

Travis Smith was born on February 26, 1970, just outside San Diego, California. Growing up, Smith had no formal art education aside from a semester in high school. He got his start designing album covers for his friend's band, progressive metal group Psychotic Waltz. As of 2005, Smith has worked with nearly 100 bands. He currently resides in San Diego. When asked what his favorite artwork is at the time, Smith has responded: "Devin Townsend's Terria, Opeth's Blackwater Park, and Katatonia's Last Fair Deal Gone Down."

## Art

Smith's work base primarily consists of album art for metal bands. Smith is known for a "dark and introspective" style that is largely photography-based, digitally composed with various other media. For example, in creating his art for Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare (2010), Smith "did a few actual painted textures with acrylics and watercolor, scanned them, and blended them with the whole picture." For some specific parts, like the skull and the girl, Smith "would digitally paint over photos and blend them into their originals."

## List of works

| Year | Album | Artist | Credit(s) |
| 1998 | Elements of Anger | Sadus | Artwork |
| 1998 | Eyesore | Skinlab | Artwork, cover typeset |
| 1998 | Firestarter (Century Black compilation) | Various artists | Artwork, design |
| 1998 | Identity Four (Century Media compilation) | Various artists | Artwork |
| 1998 | Something Wicked This Way Comes | Iced Earth | Artwork |
| 1998 | The Sound of Perseverance | Death | Artwork |
| 1999 | Adagio | Solitude Aeturnus | Artwork, design |
| 1999 | Alive in Athens | Iced Earth | Artwork |
| 1999 | Demons and Wizards | Demons and Wizards | Artwork, design, layout design, logo |
| 1999 | Disembody: The New Flesh | Skinlab | Artwork, design |
| 1999 | Dreaming Neon Black | Nevermore | Design, photography, illustrations |
| 1999 | The Fragile Art of Existence | Control Denied | Design |
| 1999 | Necroshine | Overkill | Artwork |
| 1999 | Still Life | Opeth | Photography, booklet design |
| 1999 | Tonight's Decision | Katatonia | Design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2000 | Black Emotions | Beseech | Cover art |
| 2000 | Bloodletting | Overkill | Design, illustrations, layout concept |
| 2000 | Dead Heart in a Dead World | Nevermore | Design, illustrations, layout coordinator |
| 2000 | Identity 6 (Century Media compilation) | Various artists | Artwork |
| 2000 | Kings of the World | CJSS | Cover art |
| 2000 | Lightbringer | Power Symphony | Illustrations |
| 2000 | Manifestation | Malevolent Creation | Design, illustrations |
| 2000 | Only Law Is Survival | Hate Plow | Cover art |
| 2000 | Thane to the Throne | Jag Panzer | Cover art |
| 2001 | Blackwater Park | Opeth | Design, cover design |
| 2001 | Dark Genesis | Iced Earth | Artwork, design, layout design |
| 2001 | Death's Design | Diabolical Masquerade | Art direction, design |
| 2001 | Horror Show | Iced Earth | Layout design, illustrations |
| 2001 | Identity 7: Deadly Sins (Century Media compilation) | Various artists | Artwork |
| 2001 | Into the Deepest Wounds | Withered Earth | Layout design |
| 2001 | Last Fair Deal Gone Down | Katatonia | Design, photography |
| 2001 | Mechanized Warfare | Jag Panzer | Artwork |
| 2001 | Novembrine Waltz | Novembre | Cover art, Art direction, Layout design, Illustrations |
| 2001 | Praying, Hoping, Nothing | December | Artwork, art direction, design, cover art concept, layout design |
| 2001 | Profoundemonium | Trail of Tears | Layout design, cover design |
| 2001 | Rapture | Dragonlord | Art direction, design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2001 | Resonance | Anathema | Sleeve art |
| 2001 | Tonight's Music | Katatonia | Photography and design |
| 2001 | Sweet Home Transylvania | The Bronx Casket Co. | Images, image design |
| 2001 | Terria | Devin Townsend | Design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2001 | The Towers of Avarice | Zero Hour | Arranger, producer, design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2001 | Winds Blow Higher | Sleepless | Design, cover art |
| 2002 | Abigail II: The Revenge | King Diamond | Artwork |
| 2002 | Conceived in Fire | Living Sacrifice | Artwork |
| 2002 | Deadsoul Tribe | Deadsoul Tribe | Design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2002 | Deliverance | Opeth | Design, photography, execution |
| 2002 | Despise the Sun | Suffocation | Artwork, cover art concept |
| 2002 | Envenomed II | Malevolent Creation | Cover art |
| 2002 | Forgiving Eden | A Triggering Myth | Design, illustrations |
| 2002 | Karma in Black | The Defaced | Cover art |
| 2002 | Natural Born Chaos | Soilwork | Artwork, layout design |
| 2002 | No Reply | Daylight Dies | Photography, layout design |
| 2002 | Reflections of the I | Winds | Design, layout design |
| 2002 | Resonance 2 | Anathema | Sleeve art |
| 2002 | Resurrection Through Carnage | Bloodbath | Digital editing, design |
| 2002 | Souls Highway | Beseech | Cover art |
| 2002 | This Is My Blood | Soul Embraced | Paintings |
| 2002 | To Welcome the Fade | Novembers Doom | Artwork |
| 2002 | Tribute to the Gods | Iced Earth | Artwork, design, layout design |
| 2002 | Trinity | Prototype | Artwork, package design, layout design |
| 2002 | The Will to Kill | Malevolent Creation | Artwork |
| 2002 | Words as Carriers | Matt Zane | Artwork, layout design |
| 2002 | Wrecking Everything | Overkill | Design |
| 2003 | Accelerated Evolution | The Devin Townsend Band | Graphic design, layout design |
| 2003 | Damnation | Opeth | Cover design, booklet design |
| 2003 | Emergent | Gordian Knot | Visuals |
| 2003 | Enemies of Reality | Nevermore | Artwork, layout design |
| 2003 | Exit Through Fear | Society 1 | Artwork |
| 2003 | Fall, I Will Follow | Lacrimas Profundere | Photography, layout design |
| 2003 | The Glorious Burden | Iced Earth | Layout design |
| 2003 | Identity Eight (Century Media compilation) | Various artists | Artwork |
| 2003 | Keepers of Jericho: A Tribute to Helloween, Pt. II | Various artists | Cover art |
| 2003 | Killbox 13 | Overkill | Design, layout design |
| 2003 | Labyrinth | Labyrinth | Artwork |
| 2003 | Metamorphosis | Zero Hour | Illustrations |
| 2003 | A Murder of Crows | Deadsoul Tribe | Design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2003 | The Puppet Master | King Diamond | Artwork |
| 2003 | Redemption | Redemption | Artwork, layout design |
| 2003 | Summoning | Twelfth Gate | Artwork, logo |
| 2003 | Strapping Young Lad | Strapping Young Lad | Visuals |
| 2003 | Viva Emptiness | Katatonia | Art direction, design |
| 2003 | Where Lovers Mourn | Draconian | Layout design, cover art |
| 2004 | Acceleration | Age of Silence | Artwork, graphic design, photography, layout design |
| 2004 | Delores Lesion | Lilitu | Art direction, design, photography, illustration concept |
| 2004 | Feel. Melt. Release. Escape. | Anti-Depressive Delivery | Illustrations |
| 2004 | Glow | Unjust | Logo |
| 2004 | Gone Forever | God Forbid | Concept, illustrations, logo |
| 2004 | The Imaginary Direction of Time | Winds | Graphic design, images |
| 2004 | In an Outrage | Chastain | Cover art |
| 2004 | diEversity | Entwine | Cover art and design |
| 2004 | Insect Song | Beyond the Embrace | Artwork |
| 2004 | The January Tree | Deadsoul Tribe | Layout design, cover photo |
| 2004 | A Natural Disaster | Anathema | Producer |
| 2004 | Of Malice and the Magnum Heart | Misery Signals | Illustrations |
| 2004 | Out of Myself | Riverside | Design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2004 | Temporary Psychotic State | Subterranean Masquerade | Layout design, illustrations |
| 2004 | Twice Second | Symphorce | Artwork |
| 2005 | Alien | Strapping Young Lad | Art consultant |
| 2005 | Arcane Rain Fell | Draconian | Layout design, cover art |
| 2005 | The Black Sessions | Katatonia | Design, layout design |
| 2005 | Ghost Reveries | Opeth | Art direction, layout design, illustrations |
| 2005 | Immersed | Sinai Beach | Artwork |
| 2005 | ReliXIV | Overkill | Layout design, cover art |
| 2005 | Torn Between Dimensions | At War with Self | Layout design, illustrations |
| 2006 | Eclipse | Amorphis | Artwork |
| 2006 | The Great Cold Distance | Katatonia | Art Direction, Design |
| 2006 | Materia | Novembre | Cover art, art direction, Layout design, Illustrations |
| 2006 | Opeth Collecter's Edition Slipcase | Opeth | Design, photography, cover design, images, booklet design, execution |
| 2006 | Alone | Solitude Aeturnus | Cover art |
| 2006 | The New Black | Strapping Young Lad | Artwork and photography |
| 2007 | The Blue | Novembre | Cover art, art direction, Layout design, Illustrations |
| 2007 | Live Consternation | Katatonia | Artwork |
| 2007 | Ziltoid the Omniscient | Devin Townsend | Artwork |
| 2007 | Viides Luku – Hävitetty | Moonsorrow | Artwork, Layout |
| 2007 | Silent Waters | Amorphis | Artwork |
| 2008 | Cynic Paradise | Pain | Cover art |
| 2008 | Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder | Cradle of Filth | Design producer |
| 2008 | The Wacken Carnage | Bloodbath | Artwork, art direction, design |
| 2008 | Watershed | Opeth | Cover design |
| 2009 | Addicted | Devin Townsend Project | Artwork |
| 2009 | Anno Domini High Definition | Riverside | Design, layout design, illustrations |
| 2009 | Bloodstained Endurance | Trail of Tears | Artwork |
| 2009 | Carver City | CKY | Artwork |
| 2009 | Skyforger | Amorphis | Artwork |
| 2009 | The Cold | Flotsam and Jetsam | Cover art |
| 2009 | Night Is the New Day | Katatonia | Artwork |
| 2009 | Snowfall on Judgment Day | Redemption | Artwork |
| 2010 | Monolith | In Mourning | Artwork |
| 2010 | Curse of the Red River | Barren Earth | Design, cover art |
| 2010 | Everything Remains as It Never Was | Eluveitie | Artwork, cover photo, back cover photo |
| 2010 | The Evolution of Chaos | Heathen | Artwork, package design, layout |
| 2010 | Ironbound | Overkill | Cover design, layout |
| 2010 | The Obsidian Conspiracy | Nevermore | Cover art |
| 2010 | Omen | Soulfly | Layout |
| 2010 | Monuments | Northern Oak | Cover design |
| 2010 | Nightmare | Avenged Sevenfold | Cover design, tray card art |
| 2010 | A Thin Shell | October Tide | Artwork and layout |
| 2011 | Heritage | Opeth | Cover illustration |
| 2011 | The Beginning of Times | Amorphis | Illustrations |
| 2011 | Bloodbath over Bloodstock | Bloodbath | Illustrations and layout |
| 2011 | The Sound of Perseverance (reissue) | Death | Illustration |
| 2011 | Night Is the New Day (reissue) | Katatonia | Illustration |
| 2011 | Last Fair Deal Gone Down (reissue) | Katatonia | Illustration |
| 2012 | Dead End Kings | Katatonia | Artwork and design |
| 2012 | Throes of Absoluton | 7 Horns 7 Eyes | Artwork |
| 2012 | The Electric Age | Overkill | Cover art and layout |
| 2013 | The Complete Works | Strapping Young Lad | Cover art and design |
| 2013 | Whole | SOiL | Cover art and design |
| 2013 | Shrine of New Generation Slaves | Riverside | Artwork |
| 2013 | Mythos | Soul Embraced | Artwork |
| 2013 | Ghost Thief | Living Sacrifice | Artwork |
| 2013 | Acoustified! | Deron Miller | Artwork |
| 2014 | Casualties of Cool | Casualties of Cool | Artwork |
| 2014 | Pale Communion | Opeth | Artwork and design |
| 2014 | White Devil Armory | Overkill | Cover art and layout |
| 2015 | Love, Fear and The Time Machine | Riverside | Artwork |
| 2015 | A Dream in Static | Earthside | Artwork |
| 2016 | Sorceress | Opeth | Artwork |
| 2016 | Selves We Cannot Forgive | Black Crown Initiate | Artwork |
| 2017 | Aathma | Persefone | Artwork |
| 2017 | The Grinding Wheel | Overkill | Cover art and layout |
| 2018 | Garden of the Titans: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater | Opeth | Artwork |
| 2018 | Shadow Work | Warrel Dane | Artwork |
| 2018 | Wasteland | Riverside | Artwork |
| 2019 | In Cauda Venenum | Opeth | Artwork |
| 2019 | The Wings of War | Overkill | Cover art and layout |
| 2021 | Paranoiattack | 96 Bitter Beings | Artwork |
| 2023 | Let The Truth Speak | Earthside | Artwork |
| 2024 | The Last Will and Testament | Opeth | Artwork |
| 2025 | Floodgate | Imminent Sonic Destruction | Artwork |
| 2025 | Frozen Heart ~ Burning World | Earthside | Artwork |