Patrick Woodroffe Album Cover & The Black Ballad: Chronicles of the Crossing
Patrick Woodroffe Album Cover & The Black Ballad: Chronicles of the Crossing
Plus Game Design & Music from Nate Treme
During a recent record hunting adventure, I picked up the 1974 self-titled album by Ross. I had never heard of it before, but I was struck by the surreal cover:
I’ve seen internet debates questioning the combat effectiveness of bikini chainmail, but never about the pragmatic application of scale armor briefs in defending against a tower siege.
The illustration is credited to Patrick Woodruff. Following a little research, I was able to confirm that he was the same person as Patrick Woodroffe, the artist behind the classic album covers for the Strawbs’ Burning for You, Judas Priest’s Sad Wings of Destiny, and Budgie’s Bandolier.
Patrick passed away in 2014, but an archive of his website has information about many of his works. Here is the description for the Ross artwork:
"ROSS"
RSO RECORDS
M/148 Watercolour, etc. 1974. 381x381mm.
ORIGINAL PAINTING SOLD
The music, which most would call "seventies style" rock, inspired Patrick's cover image. The original was sold later at Sothebys in London.
For those curious about the music, Ross was led by guitarist Alan Ross, who played with the Who’s John Entwistle on his solo endeavors in the early 1970s. I’ve spun the album a couple of times, and I’m enjoying its percussion-heavy, groovy “seventies style” rock.
The Black Ballad - Chronicles of the Crossing TTRPG & Music
Storytellers Forge Studios has launched a crowdfunding campaign for Chronicles of the Crossing. This project expands the lore of The Black Ballad TTRPG setting and campaign. Here is a description:
“Chronicles of the Crossing is a collection of five full-length novels, a complete TTRPG campaign and setting guide, AND a metal-infused musical score. These novels explore the question any adventurer has had to ask: You died. Now what?”
Here is a trailer video for the project:
The soundtrack is by DiAmorte, who are described as follows:
DiAmorte is a unique force in the realm of music, blending operatic performances with the raw energy of orchestral and metal music. This Metal Musical Theater Production offers an immersive experience, combining captivating visuals with powerful narratives.
Rooted in Theatrical Opera and dark musicals combined with Metal, DiAmorte presents a fresh take on musical theater. Their performances harmoniously intertwine elaborate stage presentations with their distinctive musical style. The result is an exceptional live experience that bridges the gap between traditional musical theater and the world of heavy metal.
I discussed The Black Ballad in previous Critical Hit Parader newsletters:
The original project was successfully fulfilled earlier this year, so I’m interested to see how this blend of music and TTRPGs will be expanded with Chronicles of the Crossing.
Game Design & Music from Nate Treme
KSLA published a video interview with Nate Treme from Highland Paranormal Society. Nate is an artist and game designer based in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has released a bunch of TTRPG products and has an active Patreon. Nate is also a musician, and the interview goes into his creative approach to his synthwave & rap music. My favorite quote from the interview is when Nate refers to the indie TTRPG game scene as the “punk rock subculture of dungeons and dragons.” You can watch the whole interview here.