News has reached us of the passing of Turkka G. Rantanen, legendary Finnish visual artist whose work defined the aesthetics of Finnish death metal. His alien landscapes, bizarre deformed figures that terrify by their proximity to the uncanny valley, and the strange web-like patterns that ran through his compositions enforced the otherworldly quality that made Finnish death metal so unique and fascinating. Very few artists have ever captured the feel of a movement so completely, and Turkka’s art and logo work stands as its definitive visual accompaniment, heard in the music of Demilich, Demigod, Adramelech, Depravity, Thou Shalt Suffer, Mefitis, and many others.
In recent years Turkka had made what he called his daring escape from the frozen wastelands of Rovaniemi, settling in southern France with his wife and fat turtle. The same sensibility that animated his art translated into his humour, and he regularly shared hilarious accounts of his mishaps in his adopted home, all while continuing to produce incredible artwork and logos for bands across the underground.
The images he left behind are burned into the memory of anyone who ever held those records.
