ALBUM COVER STORY: SHABTI's "HAZE, CACOPHONY, AND WHITE LIGHT"

American Death Metal act, Shabti, will release its new album "Haze, Cacophony, And White Light" on August 21, 2026. The monochromatic cover artwork was crafted by Indonesian artist, Ibay Arifin. Below, Rob (the band's guitarist/vocalist) and Arifin himself talk about the creation of this piece.

Can you tell us about the origins of the album cover concept? 

Rob: One of the concepts that we suggested was an illustration of chaotic, ghostly forms in the mist as this reflected the title of the album, "Haze, Cacophony, And White Light." We did not give any guidance other than that, as I wanted Ibay to feel free to develop the art as he saw fit.

Ibay Arifin: "My personal inspiration for this piece comes from Gustave Doré’s [illustration] "The Empyrean." I love how Doré captures circular light, with angels swirling toward its surface. I fused this aesthetic with the core concept of the album "Haze, Cacophony, And White Light." It embodies the idea of souls fading away into a white light—though in my adaptation, I transformed that light into a black circle."

How did Ibay get involved with this project?

Rob: We reviewed Ibay's work on Instagram at the suggestion of Jon from Contemn Light, and we were impressed so we reached out to commission album art. His style fit the aesthetic of the album and I appreciated his technical prowess, compositional skill and attention to detail.

Ibay, how did you create this artwork?

Ibay Arifin: Here, I used line art and detailed dotting with white lighting behind it. This piece is a mix of manual and digital work. I started with a sketch on paper and then executed it digitally using a pen tablet, keeping a black-and-white theme for the artwork.

The cover also features the band's logo, which looks fairly distinct. Who designed it?

Rib: Our former bassist, Denis, worked at a tattoo shop in Portland and one of his coworkers (Elizabeth) designed the logo for us about fourteen years ago. I am not sure if she is still tattooing or creating art and unfortunately, I do not have any insight into her design process. I think the logo is a good representation of the band; legible but undeniably a Death Metal logo with an old school feel.

Pre-order "Haze, Cacophony, And White Light" at  https://shabti.bandcamp.com/album/haze-cacophony-and-white-light-2

See more of Ibay Arifin's work at https://www.instagram.com/shabti_official