Physical media is still a thing in the music industry, and it’s not just about nostalgia. Read on to discover how and why Aussie metal group Alpha Wolf joined the bandwagon.
In an era where music consumption is dominated by streaming, what’s the point of physical albums exactly? Well, for one, their very rarity makes them valuable to those looking for a deeper relationship with an artist or band.
That’s great for the fans and also great for the artists. Because, let’s face it, no one becomes a rockstar, so they can look at a series of 1s and 0s on a digital spreadsheet.
It’s no surprise, then, that everyone from Taylor Swift to Oasis has been developing special boxsets and other exclusive, physical releases to excite their fanbases and engage with them in meaningful ways.
But it’s not just these household names who can benefit from producing something physical. Alpha Wolf’s Grammy-nominated ‘Half Living Things’ Boombox Boxset is another prime example of this trend.
Who is Alpha Wolf?
In case you didn’t know, Alpha Wolf is an Australian metalcore band originally from Burnie, Tasmania, now based in Melbourne, Victoria. Formed in 2013, the band has built a reputation for their aggressive sound and raw lyricism, blending elements of metalcore, nu-metal, and beatdown hardcore.
Their debut album, Mono (2017), marked their arrival on the scene, while their 2020 release, A Quiet Place to Die, further solidified their status in the heavy music community. For their third album, ‘Half Living Things,’ Alpha Wolf collaborated with SharpTone Records, Key Production and designer Patrick Galvin to craft a unique, high-concept boxset. The goal was to create a product that combined interactivity, design and technology into a single, standout item.
Inspired by elements from the album’s artwork, the team approached the boxset’s design with a playful and innovative mindset, ultimately developing the ‘Boombox Boxset.’
Design Inspiration
The band drew inspiration from the graffiti-laden album cover of Limp Bizkit’s ‘Significant Other’ (1999). Having grown up immersed in nu-metal culture, Alpha Wolf wanted their album art to make a similarly striking impact.
Australian graffiti artist Dash88, a longtime friend of the band, was enlisted to bring this vision to life. After deep-diving into the album’s lyrics, he integrated various thematic elements into the artwork, such as a ‘mad’ clock with dynamite sticks, cemetery gates, and a hidden band logo among the foliage.
The boombox—held by a punk rock musician from Melbourne—became the defining visual motif, ultimately influencing the design of the entire boxset.
From there, the design team faced a significant challenge: how to structure the boxset so that it could house multiple physical formats—vinyl, CDs, and cassettes—while maintaining a compact, shelf-friendly form. The team explored various configurations before settling on a three-part rigid case structure.
Design and testing
Further challenges arose throughout the design and testing process. The team needed to ensure that the boxset maintained a balance between aesthetics and functionality. The removable side panels for CD storage initially lacked stability, requiring the addition of stoppers to ensure a smooth open-close mechanism. The cassette door needed refinement, leading to the inclusion of a satin black ribbon for easy access. Various NFC tag designs were tested before settling on one that seamlessly integrated into the boombox layout.
Patrick Galvin meticulously designed the boombox illustration, ensuring that every detail reflected the realism of an actual portable stereo. The final product included a 12-page booklet featuring behind-the-scenes sketches and album lyrics, a 12″ vinyl with a clear base, red ink spot, and heavy black splatter, two CDs (one containing the full album and the other the instrumental version), a cassette tape in a transparent shell with red, green, and silver glitter, and an NFC tag unlocking exclusive digital content upon scanning.
The final assembly involved shrink-wrapping, custom mailer cartons, and meticulous attention to packaging detail, ensuring that the boxset met both durability and design expectations.
Pushing the envelope
Alpha Wolf’s ‘Half Living Things’ Boombox Boxset stands as a testament to the power of creativity and the evolving landscape of physical music collectables. This is no mere exercise in nostalgia for a time when physical media was the only way to consume music. Instead, this design pushes the envelope into new design territory and creates something any Alpha Wolf fan would treasure.
Projects like this are great news for music and design lovers. As streaming took over the business, it often felt like a grand tradition of album artwork—once an integral part of the music experience—had been relegated to little more than insignificant digital thumbnails. But today’s generation seems to realise that albums are no longer just about music; they are about storytelling, visual identity, and interactivity.
As more artists explore innovative packaging concepts, here’s hoping the industry will see a renaissance in album art, where physical releases are designed as collectable, artistic statements that help bring the passion of music to a fuller life.
