With the cover of "Forsaken Symphony" I wanted to use a more aggressive image than before to illustrate the energy of the new songs and to establish the fact that Sear Bliss is back in full force. So I used the White Witch again, who is now being burned at the stake (which is a rather dark image compared to the previous artworks ). However, she isn't really burning as she even commands the flames (you can see small figures in the fire surrounding her, which represent the female spirits that have been present before in the trees or caves). Also, in the skies there are lots of eagles now, symbolising the many souls that aid the Witch in her fight. You can also see the full moon in the background as an indication to the cosmic powers that are at work here. In any way, I think this cover represents the struggle of the band to overcome every obstacle and their ultimate victory. The music is again magnificent in the grand Sear Bliss tradition! It's a typical album that seems to become better each time you listen to it.

Looking back now it seems strange perhaps, but all the ideas for the artworks just came naturally to me and seemed to fall in place each time. There was never any great pressure from the band on me, so I was in fact free to do what I wanted, which I think has been great! Of course it is a challenge to develop the story behind each artwork, but it is also very exciting and it makes everything a lot more interesting. I couldn't do this for every band though… For some reason Sear Bliss has been very inspiring, both musically and lyrically. I can only hope that there will be more Sear Bliss material in the future and that I can create many more artworks for this band! I hope there's still a "Grand Destiny" ahead!

Kris Verwimp 2002.

Thanks to Fieldy for coming up with the idea to do this artwork-story and for translating and publishing it and also thanks to Andras and Sear Bliss of course. Last but not least, thanks to YOU for taking the time to sit down and read my words! I hope it has been interesting to learn about the thoughts and experiences behind the cover-art of Sear Bliss.