25 Album Covers That Were Censored, Banned, or Controversial
- L7
- Feb 1
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 3
One of the things I love about collecting albums is seeing how creative the cover designs are. That’s also what got me into vinyl collecting in the first place. And of course, when an album cover gets censored or sparks controversy, it’s always interesting to dig into the reasons behind it.
Some of the cases here feel incredibly tame by today’s standards—censorship that might have made sense at the time but seems pointless now. Others hit like a punch to the liver, raw and unapologetic in their message.
Albums That Sparked Controversy But Were Never Censored
25) Dio – Holy Diver
The cover of Holy Diver, showing a priest being drowned by a demon, sparked religious debates upon release. Despite the backlash, it became one of heavy metal’s most iconic images. Dio also said that it could actually be seen as a priest fighting a demon.
24) Danzig – Danzig III: How the Gods Kill
This cover itself was not a problem for the album, but Glenn Danzig also used it for the single Dirty Black Summer, something Giger saw as a violation of the contract they had on the design, so he demanded compensation from Danzig for the damage.
23) My Minds Mine – Between Soothing Consolation And Uncontrollable Madness
This 1998 grindcore release features a cover composed of real photos from the 1987 public suicide of American politician Budd Dwyer. The collage includes three images leading up to the fatal shot, while the largest one shows him after the gunfire.
It was never officially censored or altered. It remains as a release that is not widely known outside of grindcore circles.
Now onto the albums that were actually banned or censored!
22) Scorpions – In Trance
I start with this one because at the beginning I really had no idea why this was modified, and then, after using Zoom to see the exposed breast on the girl, I just smiled like most of you, thinking how innocent this censorship feels nowadays.
As you maybe know, there is an edited version that obscured the model's chest. Still, this hasn't affected the band, and it remains one of their best albums.
21) Whitesnake – Lovehunter
A naked woman riding a giant snake, a great cover, interesting design, and nothing better to start controversy in 1979. Regardless of the objections, Whitesnake refused to tone down their image, and this cover became a reflection of the band’s style. In some places, like Argentina and some states of the US, the cover was still censored.
20) Poison – Open Up and Say... Ahh!
The original 1988 cover featured a model dressed as a demon with a long red tongue, which some retailers, including Walmart, deemed too raunchy and demonic. To address these concerns, the band released a censored version, cropping the image to show only the model's eyes. This controversy has made the original cover a sought-after collector's item.
19) Dwarves – Blood, Guts and Pussy
This is not a metal album, it's a punk one, but the cover is very iconic and very well achieved. Featuring two nude girls covered in blood, the cover of "Blood, Guts and Pussy" was, of course, banned in some stores. The Dwarves were no strangers to pushing boundaries, and this cover is one more that marks their place as punk provocateurs.
18) Rammstein – Liebe ist für Alle da
The provocative artwork led to censorship in Germany, with some editions being pulled from shelves. It was later re-released with a censored cover showing the now mythic LIFAD symbol. Not only that, the song "Ich tu dir weh" was indexed in Germany because of the lyrics.
17) Scorpions – Taken by Force
Again Scorpions, now with Taken by Force. The original artwork, showing children playing in a military cemetery, was considered too disrespectful by some. A censored version was released displaying a black cover with the picture of all band members.
I really like the original cover because it displays a very strong message, and I had no idea about it until some years ago. I always knew the album with the black cover.
16) Steel Panther – Balls Out
This one started the controversy, actually, with their promotional poster. It was considered too sexual in some places, which led to some retailers refusing to stock the album. But the cover itself never suffered any change and was never sold covered or hidden in a censorship bag. I think the design represents exactly what we expect from Steel Panther, so it’s good that they kept it like it is.
15) Ministry – Dark Side of the Spoon
It doesn't matter how many times I read the reason for the controversy on this one, I still really don't get it :D
An obese, nude woman writing "I will be god" on the board, representing the band's idea of "fattened Americans doing what they're told."
I found on Wikipedia that only Kmart refused to sell this album because of the cover.
14) Witchfinder General – Death Penalty
The debut album from Witchfinder General started controversy due to its cover featuring a topless woman (Joanne Latham) in a witch trial scene, photographed without permission on church grounds. I think this is an amazing cover that shows a lot of work, and the album itself is a great classic of that genre.
13) Whitesnake – Come and Get It
Whitesnake strikes again! I knew this album since I don’t know how many years, and I never knew there was any kind of controversy until I started researching for this post. I don’t know how many people really notice the reason if they don’t read it.
If you watch the mouth of the snake on this artwork, then you will immediately understand what was the problem for some people. There is even a censored version in the US with an airbrushed tongue.
12) Great White – Hooked
This cover shows a nude woman "hooked" on a fishing line. It was banned and replaced with an alternative cover that had the hook still below the sea level, and the model partially submerged so that only her head and arms were visible. Despite that, it remains one of Great White’s most recognizable releases.
11) Rob Zombie – Mondo Sex Head
The original cover shows Sheri Moon Zombie with a pose that shows her butt, in a black-and-white grade image.
Also, if Zombie thought there would be no problem, it was a problem, so he replaced the cover with a picture of a kitty.
He literally said, "I just removed the ass shot and replaced it with a pussy shot."
10) Marduk – Fuck Me Jesus
This provocative cover was banned in seven countries for its clear blasphemous title and artwork. Not much to say here. I think it was exactly what they were searching for, and I personally find the artwork very interesting, considering the kind of music and the year it came out.
9) Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction
I know this cover is known by everyone, but it took a lot of years until I found out that the mythical cover of the album I always knew was not the original one.
This one shows a robot assaulting a woman, who has her panties down and exposed breasts.
Even though I am against censorship of covers, because I feel the cover is part of the whole work of art the artist prepares for us, this is one of the few I really prefer the replaced one, since it is cleaner and unforgettable.
8) Type O Negative – The Origin of the Feces
I think this cover is amazing, and at the same time, I don’t want to watch it haha.
It’s amazing because it shows the provocative idea of Peter, and how “easily” he can give us this message.
But I really don’t enjoy watching the uncensored version for obvious reasons. There are versions with a sticker covering the anus, and there’s another cover that replaced it completely, showing a green-and-black version of the 1493 painting by Michael Wolgemut, The Dance of Death.
7) Lost Generation – Midnight Meat Train
The original 1989 release featured an intense and graphic cover depicting a naked woman with blood, which stirred controversy. While there’s no official record of censorship, the artwork was changed for the 1990 reissue under Heavy Metal America. The new version replaced the violent imagery with a toned-down design, likely in response to concerns over its content.
A solid underground thrash release, but not many know about the original cover.
6) Brujeria – Matando Güeros
This grindcore classic drew heavy criticism for its gruesome cover featuring a severed head. The band’s themes of violence and crime, coupled with their shocking visuals, made them a target for censorship worldwide. I think that after watching it a couple of times, one gets used to it :D
5) Killer – Ladykiller
Similar to the Lost Generation – Midnight Meat Train cover, this one also features a violent and unsettling image. The artwork shows a dead woman with blood on her face, reinforcing the album’s title. Its controversial nature led to censorship, with later versions covering the bloody details with a black square.
Given both the imagery and the album’s name, this one arguably takes a higher spot in the ranking. Not sure if a cover like this would even make it to store shelves today.
4) Burzum – Aske
This is an iconic one and a piece of history in the black metal scene. Burzum’s Aske features a photograph of a church burning, tying directly to the Norwegian black metal scene famous for burning churches. It remains one of the most controversial covers in the genre’s history.
3) Cannibal Corpse – The Wretched Spawn (or almost every cover of theirs)
Cannibal Corpse’s graphic album art is legendary, and The Wretched Spawn is no exception. Its grotesque imagery led to bans in multiple countries, solidifying the band’s reputation. Just to mention other covers that led, for example, to a complete prohibition of the album in countries like Germany: Butchered at Birth and Tomb of the Mutilated. Still, they are only fictional cartoons and not real things like others in this list.
2) Mayhem – The Dawn of the Black Hearts
Few album covers are as infamous as Mayhem’s The Dawn of the Black Hearts. Featuring a graphic photo of deceased vocalist Dead, it remains one of the most controversial releases in music history. It could easily have been first, but since a top list needs distinct positions, I’ve placed it second.
1) Scorpions – Virgin Killer
We began with Scorpions, and we end with Scorpions: Virgin Killer. What to say about this original cover (which was a decision by the record label and not the band)? It features a 10-year-old naked girl, with her most intimate parts hidden behind a crack in a mirror, and the title “Virgin Killer.” As I’ve found, this cover was, of course, banned and replaced in most markets with (similar to Taken by Force) a picture of the band members against a black background.
Whether these covers shocked, offended, or just made people think, they’ve all earned their place in rock and metal history. Which one will you add to your collection? Check out these and more at Niflheim Records.
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