The Ten Most Unreadable Metal Band Logos

Categories: Metal

35741_logo.jpg
Ten bucks if you can read this back to us
By Alee Karim

Once upon a time, extreme metal bands opted to contort their logos into the most stylized mutations possible as a way to visually represent their music, and as a proud testament to the obscurity of their appeal. But by now it's all become a bad joke, and you're likelier to find the sludgiest doom crust ensemble representing themselves in simple Helvetica than in the arcane designs of old.

See also: The 15 Most Ridiculous Band Photos

Still, as the fine fellows at Metal Sucks have already keenly observed, the illegible band logo marches on. So here's a look at ten of the most insanely unreadable black metal logos. What stories might they tell? (Hat tip to Metal-archives.com for hosting most of these.)

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10. Deathspell Omega
Granted, if you look at it a certain way, it looks like it says "Deathspew." But the irony is that our list's most legible logo belongs to its most inscrutable band. Deathspell Omega is a French occult black metal group that offers NO interviews, NO live engagements, NO self-portraits, and NO names to its rabidly devoted cult following. Go ahead: Attempt to find out anything about these guys' identities. Even the Internet has its limits.


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26 comments
reezle
reezle

@ChrisAart .@metalsucks runs a semi regular competition based around unreadable logos

QAndNotAndy
QAndNotAndy

@jenacom is it bad that the first logo, with the author’s caption of “$50 if you can read this back to us” is on a shirt I own? Haha.

WTPuckingPuck
WTPuckingPuck

@Hockey_is_God I can find more illegible as well.

Hockey_is_God
Hockey_is_God

@WTPuckingPuck I'm listening to this list right now...anyone you like? Or is this a different type of music? http://t.co/q9rT799h

WTPuckingPuck
WTPuckingPuck

@Hockey_is_God when I said better, I meant black metal is better.

WTPuckingPuck
WTPuckingPuck

@Hockey_is_God different....and way better. if you want I can compile a list when I get out of work. (cc: @picklestfc)

Hockey_is_God
Hockey_is_God

@WTPuckingPuck I might but I will never know until I listen..

WTPuckingPuck
WTPuckingPuck

@Hockey_is_God no not at all. just fair warning....you'll probably hate it

Hockey_is_God
Hockey_is_God

@WTPuckingPuck Cool...if it's not too much of a pain in the ass...

WTPuckingPuck
WTPuckingPuck

@Hockey_is_God already looked! only hard ones are the WITTR and Xasthur. but I know them anyway. #kvlt #grim

UrbAge
UrbAge

Really funny and never understood this! RT @albanianmonk @UrbAge The ten most unreadable metal logos

roycifer
roycifer

10 pages to click through? c'mon LA Weekly. you can do better than that.

LAWeeklyMusic
LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

 @roycifer But worth it, no?

roycifer
roycifer

 @LAWeeklyMusic i didnt get past "1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Next Page >>". ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

LAWeeklyMusic
LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

 @roycifer You sure can craft an emoticon, we'll give you that. 

LindaNBoughton
LindaNBoughton

@kirkdiedrich @LAWeekly Thanks for saying how I feel. Real artists can't just live with a single brand. We are always shift-shaping .

FLYson666
FLYson666

@timothycsimons HAHAHAH i read this earlier and thought of @GrahamNDouglas too!!!

pmontoro
pmontoro

@kleinstar Weak. I could read all ten of those. Counterpoint: http://t.co/RN2CxVSZ

kleinstar
kleinstar

@pmontoro am...rovm...oraura? Amrovmoraura! No? Oh...

pmontoro
pmontoro

@kleinstar In some cases it's less actually deciphering letters and more "I've seen that a million times and I know what band it's for."

kleinstar
kleinstar

@pmontoro So you're saying it's not Amrovmoraura?

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