Rocking Riders - The Warlike King

The Rocking Riders are a Heavy Metal band formed in Contagem, Brazil. In their song "The Warlike King", they tell the story of Ermanaric (291-376), the semi-legendary king of the ancient goths.

The frontman Luciano Roberto gave me the lyrics and told me the story. The monarch probably killed himself instead of surrendering to his enemies, so my first sketch was an skeleton fallen into a grave of roses, piercing his own chest with a sword. Luciano thought that this "too dreary" image didn't quite grasp the noble nature of an old and powerful war king.

I did some research on the Chernyakhov culture, to which Ermanaric belonged, and tried to mix its visuals with the aesthetics of the Middle Age goths. I illustrated a living king, fully armed, ready for battle. The death symbol was changed from a dagger to a grim reaper, and then to a skull, as per Luciano's request.