Words by Jess de Groot
When V: Lamentations arrived this past July, Wytch Hazel’s fifth studio album marked not just another chapter in the band’s sonic pilgrimage, but a deepening of their distinctive world: a fusion of classic heavy metal, medieval rock, and spiritual themes wrapped in striking, evocative visuals. At the heart of the record is frontman Colin Hendra, whose songwriting balances melody, weight, and reflection, and whose vision stretches beyond the music into the imagery that surrounds it.
For the album’s artwork, Wytch Hazel partnered with Annick Giroux — a rural Quebec based graphic designer, heavy metal musician, and all-around creative force with a life-long interest in shaping the visual language of heavy metal. The result is album cover art for V: Lamentations that feels as timeless and resonant as the music itself: solemn, ornate, and filled with narrative depth.
Off Shelf: Colin, how do you describe Wytch Hazel in terms of metal subgenres, and how has that changed over the years?
Colin Hendra: “Traditional heavy metal” or “hard rock with medieval overtones” gets you in the right ballpark. I try not to box us in too tightly — we’ve always followed what serves the song. There’s bits of New Wave of British Heavy Metal, classic Sabbath, even pop sensibilities in places! I’d say over the years we’ve gradually leaned more into melody, arrangement, and harmony rather than trying to be the most medieval or folky sounding. With V: Lamentations, we’ve really landed in our own unique space — a blend of classic rock, folk and heavy metal-inspired music that’s become our signature. We’re not trying to emulate anyone anymore — we’re just being ‘Wytch Hazel’ I suppose!
OS: There’s a specifically “medieval vibe” in Wytch Hazel’s visuals, and in tracks like “Elixir”, from Lamentations—where did that come from?
CH: That’s something that’s been part of my artistic sensibility for a long time. I’ve always been drawn to the aesthetic of the Middle Ages, not in a cosplay way, but in the sense of spiritual weight, iconography, and imagery. It’s mysterious and sacred. With songs like “Elixir,” that imagery just naturally found its way in. I think medieval visuals evoke something timeless — something reverent — and that ties in with the lyrical themes we often explore: faith, struggle, beauty, sorrow, redemption. I hope that it comes across not as a gimmick but as part of the fabric.
OS: How did you connect with Annick to design the album art of V: Lamentations? Was her being a fellow metal musician meaningful to you?
CH: Annick came onto our radar because of her design work and her roots in metal — so yes, that was meaningful. She’s not just a graphic designer; she gets it in a way someone outside the scene might not. There’s an instinctual understanding of tone, balance, and mood that comes from actually playing this kind of music. She’s also got this way of blending classic rock sensibilities with a timeless, mystical edge — nothing ever feels cheap or overdone. Her use of colour, space, and symbolism felt instantly in tune with our vision for V: Lamentations. When I saw her early art references, I thought, “this feels like we’re on the same page here!”
OS: Annick, tell us about your journey into the heavy metal genre, and into graphic design. When did they coalesce?
Annick Giroux: My love for heavy metal began when I was just eleven. I had an older pen pal in Belgium who sent me a cassette of X-Japan’s Blue Blood, and that single tape cracked my world wide open! It would be years before I found other bands in that realm but it planted this insatiable hunger to dig for music. It even made me want to learn Japanese! I played it every day on the school bus until the tape stretched so badly it was unlistenable.
Graphic design came also quite naturally. As a kid, I’d invent stories so I could lay them out on the family computer and print them into “real” books. Growing up in Ottawa – home of CorelDRAW – meant design software was always around. Things got serious when my parents bought me Paint Shop Pro on a floppy disk from the local dollar store. Before long, I had built my first website… a tribute to X-Japan!
OS: Beyond music, you are a renaissance artist of creative expression—running the fanzine Morbid Tales, authoring Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook, and co-owning Temple of Mystery Records, to name a few. What are some of your favorite projects you’ve been able to work on? What is it about creating that you find most fulfilling?
AG: I’ve been fortunate to work on some truly exciting releases. The Master’s Hammer box set – the violet-and-gold edition released by NWN! Productions in 2009 – will always be special. Negative Plane’s The Pact…, the recently released Pagan Altar Never Quite Dead, and this year’s Cirith Ungol live album are also personal highlights. The real magic happens when I’m given creative freedom; that’s when the work stops being just design and becomes a true, almost alchemical collaboration with the band. I am lucky to have the job that I have!
OS: What kind of mediums or projects do you enjoy creating the most? What are some unique challenges of those?
AG: I love projects that let me dive deep into historical detail; tracking down period-correct typefaces, sourcing obscure artwork, unearthing forgotten design quirks. Posters and t-shirts are especially fun, because they allow me to slip in subtle layout details that give the piece its own personality. The only true challenge is the research, which can be time-consuming… but it’s an essential part of delivering the best possible results.
OS: Metal as a genre loves to play with the visual aspects—the performance of a live show, costumes chosen, the imagery of the lyrics, and of course, album art. For you, what is it about metal that invites such rich visual artistry?
CH: Heavy Metal has a grandiosity to it — even when it’s raw or lo-fi. There’s something mythic about it at times. Whether it’s darkness, heroism, struggle, or transcendence, metal lends itself to the epic — so it demands powerful visuals. I think fans of the genre want to step into another world. That’s why we take our art, our stage clothes, and even our layout choices seriously. It’s all about immersion.
AG: Metal has always been a visual genre; not just in aesthetics, but in its entire philosophy. It operates on extremes; sonically, emotionally, and symbolically, which calls for a visual language that’s just as commanding. Heavy Metal allows for deep iconography, atmosphere, and narrative. Metal artwork isn’t an afterthought; it’s an extension of the band’s lore… in many cases, its the entry point into the band’s entire world!
OS: On that note, what are some iconic album covers you admire, and that might have inspired Wytch Hazel’s visuals?
AG: There are so many iconic covers; it’s endless. Venom’s Black Metal and Welcome to Hell are absolute standouts. Bathory’s self-titled debut, Iron Maiden’s Killers with Eddie under the streetlight, Motörhead’s self-titled with Snaggletooth, Candlemass’ Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Slayer’s Show No Mercy with the Baphomet warrior and sword — the list goes on. Metal has always had a powerful visual side, and that imagery has played a huge role in drawing fans in. As a kid, I was captivated by the graphics. Seeing people in shirts and patches made me want to hear the music behind such strong iconography.
CH: A few come to mind straight away: Gentle Giant’s The Power and the Glory, Rainbow’s Rising, and even something like Wishbone Ash’s Argus — which is probably closer to us in spirit. What makes those iconic is that they aren’t just decoration — they express something integral to the music, and they stay with you. They create an imaginative world. That’s what we strive for. And I’d definitely say the 70s era of progressive and hard rock artwork has been a touchstone for us.
OS: What was it like working with Annick on the V: Lamentations album cover? How much did you give her direction, or let her lead?
CH: It was a bit of both. I came to her with some thematic ideas — the concept of lamentation, the emotive weight, the idea of something visually akin to a warrior lamenting at the end of battle and a perhaps a citadel on a hill. I shared some early mixes, lyric sheets, and references, but I also wanted her to bring her instincts to it. What came back was exactly what we wanted. We went through a few rounds of refining details, but the core image was strong from the beginning. It was a true collaboration, and I couldn’t be more pleased with what she created.
OS: Annick, what about Wytch Hazel made you excited to work with them?
AG: I’ve been a fan for many years and own everything except for their first EP! I also enjoy their art direction and was excited to see where I could take it.
OS: So the album art was certainly an exciting collaboration of style for you both! What are some tracks from the album that you drew inspiration from when designing the album art?
AG: My inspiration started with the pitch from Colin about the album’s overall concept, followed by a meeting with Will [Palmer, Bad Omen Records], the label head, who shared his ideas for the art direction. I actually heard the demo before the mastered version, so I did a lot of research and worked on the visuals based on that. When the final master arrived and I gave it a listen, to my relief it fit perfectly with the artwork!
Honestly, I have no idea how they keep producing such high-quality material album after album, but this one is insanely good. It makes my job a whole lot easier. As a musician in a band myself, and also working on my own album designs, I feel like the visual side is just as important as the musical side. I always do my best for the design reflect the music. When everything aligns perfectly, it creates something timeless, and that’s always my ultimate goal.
OS: What story were you telling with the album art for V: Lamentations? What is happening “off screen”?
AG: The brief called for a Pre-Raphaelite influence infused with cues from the band’s earlier albums. Drawing on their discography and old books, I blended rich colors, ornate details, and romantic compositions into a visual style that feels both timeless and true to the band. The album art depicts ruins in the foreground, where a lone warrior faces a distant citadel; hinted to be brighter and full of life. The imagery expresses darkness and destruction, yet also the dawn of something new, born from pain and sorrow. That’s how I translated it anyway!
OS: Over the course of Wytch Hazel’s five studio albums, there is continuity in the titling but the artwork changes—was that intentional?
CH: Yes, very intentional. The titling — Prelude, II, III, IV, V — creates a kind of liturgical structure, like movements in a mass or volumes in a theological work. But the art is allowed to evolve, just like the music. Each record has its own tone, so the visual language reflects that. II: Sojourn had a more fantastical, narrative quality. III: Pentecost leaned into the spiritual and elemental. I’d like to say V: Lamentations is solemn and refined. It’s a visual journey as much as a musical one.
OS: How did you reference older albums or break new ground with V: Lamentations?
CH: I think with each album we’ve tried to build on what came before while exploring new territory. V: Lamentations felt like a maturing — sonically and lyrically. There are echoes of II: Sojourn in the more epic tracks, and moments that nod to III: Pentecost’s directness. But at the same time, we’ve tried to let the songs become more open, more textured. There’s hopefully more depth, more emotion. I feel like it’s not about reinventing the wheel, but rather refining the craft and following where the inspiration leads.