Superunknown , Soundgarden

Soundgarden's 1994 album Superunknown is defined by a dark, surreal, and heavily distorted aesthetic that reflects the album's themes of alienation, depression, and introspection. The visual identity is best known for its "Screaming Elf" cover, which was designed to show a cold, organic, and nightmarish atmosphere. The photo was taken by Kevin Westenberg. 

The cover features a heavily distorted, blurred photograph of the band members. While often misinterpreted as a single entity, the image shows the distorted faces of band members cropped out. The band image is superimposed over a black and white, upside-down photograph of a burning forest.

The album is a seminal grunge masterpiece that propelled the band to international stardom, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It solidified the Seattle scene's mainstream dominance with hits like "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman," blending heavy metal, psychedelic, and alternative rock influences.