Bac·cha·nal –
Catharsis, delirium, frenzy.
However, you could listen to the Brisbane band by the same name, and reach that conclusion on your own.
The Bacchanales are a Brisbane band with an intensely energetic sound to mirror their namesake. They following in the tradition of The Drones and The Jezebels in bringing substance and passion to their music and performances.
I'd done a little work with Jeremy Hunter and some of the band members under a previous moniker, Jeremiah Hunter and The Preachermen.
The Bacchanales were looking to follow in this aesthetic; drawing from classical artwork in the public domain and integrating contemporary design to bring it forward. I put together a set of lettering options for the band's wordmark and a visual theme in line with this earlier work, resulting in EP artwork, launch poster design and social media assets for promotion.
In a historical context, bacchanales were celebrated in honour of the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. Religious and romantic artwork seemed the best fit to accompany the new wordmark.
For cover artwork and poster design, we pored through the work of romantic masters and illustrators, seeking work with compositional energy and dynamic light and colour to sit in line with the tumultuous sound of the band.
Gustave Doré did a large number of etchings to accompany Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy in the late 1800s, a story about a journey through Hell, Pergatory and Heaven. The lighting of his work was spectacularly stark and the contrasting quality of the metal plate etchings made for some sensational applications.
After going through the work of a lot of Romantic painters, we came across the work of John Martin. His depictions of biblical destruction are breathtaking. He painted landscapes in such a state of chaos as to make the panorama appear part of a gigantic crumbling interior. Like some Michael Bay of the Romantic world. Two paintings in particular, stood out.
Soddom and Gomorrah and The Great Day of His Wrath were chosen for the final execution of the CD Jacket and Promotional poster.