INTO THE GREY
For this project, I explored how a concept album could be developed through environmental world-building, existing as a fully realized space across music videos, live performance, and interactive fan experiences. I referenced The Death of Peace of Mind by Bad Omens, which expands into the band’s Concrete Jungle comic series and accompanying soundtrack. While the original universe is futuristic, cyberpunk, and dystopian, my goal was to interpret it through a dark fantasy lens, translating its themes, narrative, and tone into a medieval setting while preserving the album’s emotional core.
My inspiration came from observing what is currently achievable in music video production and live entertainment, particularly when artists invest in practical, dimensional sets enhanced by visual effects. From a fan perspective, it remains rare for concept albums to be fully realized as physical environments and carried through to the stage or interactive experiences, even when budgets allow. When complete, this project establishes an environmental framework for music video sets that could be adapted for arena stage designs and fan experiences, alongside supporting assets such as costuming guides and merchandise visuals.
The album title, The Death of Peace of Mind, is represented by three symbols in the band’s logo: a gravestone for death, a yin-yang for peace, and an eye for mind. I wanted to make these symbols historically relevant to a medieval dark fantasy world while retaining versatility to be used across costumes, environments, and potential merchandise. I landed on a scythe to depict death, a dove carrying an olive branch for peace, and mind as the symbol of Mercury, which has historically been associated with intellect.
Stylistically, I leaned into cybersigilism because it felt less industrial while still retaining a sense of modernity that would be visually appealing to modern audiences. To unify the symbols, I researched heraldry and designed a coat of arms that could function as a storytelling emblem within the world.
To visualize the band as characters within this world, I considered each member’s role in the band when designing a functional lookbook for music videos and live performances. This includes removable layers, elements that won’t get in the way of guitar straps, and silhouettes that complement each member’s movements on stage and in cinematic moments. In the album’s existing universe, the singer occasionally dons a ski mask featuring the album’s symbols, which I reinterpreted as a knight’s helmet engraved with the redesigned logos.
Another element that I felt essential to reimagine due to its relevance to the album’s storytelling is the weapons. In the comic series and music videos, the katana is a recurring icon. However, as the katana wasn’t brought to the Western European world that I’m depicting until centuries after the time period being represented, I developed a dual-handed longsword that was referenced from a German longsword from the sixteenth century. For the crossguard, I wanted to follow the same cybersigilism oriental-style that was used in the logos.
Another weapon that appears in the music videos and comic series is a railgun. To make this historically relevant, I developed a crossbow with the same shape and form of a railgun or machine gun.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT
THUMBNAILS
Of the locations depicted in the comic series, one of the most notable is the headquarters. To suit this redesign, I maintained the height and level of detailed intricacies through Gothic architecture. I designed the front and side elevations, as these would be the only faces visible to the audience, and included both a full-scale plan and a version in forced perspective that would be more suitable for a practical set for a sound stage.
WORLD DESIGN
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-commercial, fan-inspired student project created for educational and portfolio purposes only. No part of this work is being produced, sold, or distributed for profit. All referenced intellectual property belongs to its respective owners.