OCTOBER 2021 | SCANDINAVIAN MONTHLY
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A View from the Top of the World – Cover Art from Norway Text Tor Kjolberg
The American progressive metal pioneers Dream Theater promote Norway with a picture of the Kerag Bolt in Norway on the cover of their next album A View from the Top of the World. The album will be released on October 22, and the cover shows fascinating cover art from Norway. The artwork was created by long-time cover collaborator Hugh Syme (Rush, Iron Maiden, Stone Sour). A View from the Top of the World is the upcoming fifteenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. This is the band’s first album to be recorded at their own studio DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters), their first album since Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009). The Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist Hugh Syme is a member of the Premier Artists Collection (PAC) who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared on some Rush albums as a keyboard player. Related: Heavy Metal Promotes Peace at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo The Starman logo Syme is notably responsible for all of Rush’s album cover art since 1975’s
Caress of Steel as well as creating Rush’s famous Starman logo. In 1983 he told Jeffrey Morgan that he never imagined the band would use it as their main logo.
Additional musicians he has designed and created artwork for include: Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Celine Dion, Scorpions, Meatloaf, Megadeth, and hundreds more. Related: Norwegian Black Metal Music Inspired by Edvard Munch
The Starman logo
Hugh’s art education came from the Toronto New School of Art in Toronto
and York University in York, England. In addition to the album covers for which
