Last week, PESTILENCE unveiled their career retrospective album Levels Of Perception, stirring a wave of criticism primarily directed at the AI artwork. Despite the initial backlash, the band further fueled the debate by justifying their choice with somewhat flawed comparisons.
And now, PESTILENCE frontman Patrick Mameli took to Instagram to reveal the album’s new artwork, steering away from AI imagery. However, the band appears unyielding in their stance regarding the original AI artwork.
Mameli wrote: “First off, let me be absolutely clear about the fact that both band and record company still love [the AI] cover. Also, the artist that created this art, did not let the computer generate this picture. He used multiple methods to come to this result. So it’s not just A.I. in the real sense.
“But the point I’m getting at, is this: I will not risk all the work we have put into this release, just to push the cover. We care a lot about our fans and we do not want this product not to be a success just because we want to push our ideas regarding A.I. We have always stood at the forefront of game changing events within the d.m. scene, whether it’s music or in this case, a cover.
“Maybe the timing is not right just now, so we chose the middle way. This should make people more open to this monster of a release we have planned for y’all.”
Levels Of Perception is slated for April 26th release via Agonia Records.
