10 Hilariously Terrible Album Covers And Why They Exist

7. Muse €“ Drones

When it comes to album covers, sometimes less is more. This was made incredibly obvious by rock band Muse on their 2015 album Drones. Over the years Muse have been becoming more and more overtly political, the band's lyrics being criticized for their clunkiness and simplification. Nevertheless the band clearly still knows how to write a rocking tune, but it's a pity they don't understand subtle art design. The cover of Drones depicts a large hand grasping a red lever emerging from the body of someone sitting in a chair. The figure in the chair is grasping their own red lever, and appears to be controlling a bunch of marching figures on a screen. The whole thing is extremely in-your-face to the point of being pretty cringe-worthy, and that's not to mention the laughably phallic nature of the giant hand grasping the stiff lever. The reason for the album's overt artwork is pretty simple. As mentioned, the band have been moving into a much louder political position over the years. They asked artist Matt Mahurin to explore "the abuses that come with control" in conjunction with the word Drones, in the hope of exploring "responsibility and purpose". The band wanted a striking political statement to be immediately apparent, it's just a shame they tried to beat fans over the head with it.