Yes: this is a real cover for a real album (Karma. Bloody. Karma.), by a real band — the notorious Cattle Decapitation.

With a name like that, you might think that these guys, who play metal in the death-metal/grindcore vein, are insensitive, bloodthirsty goons. But nope. They’re actually really quite concerned with such things as animal rights, vegetarianism, and the ecology.

The cover depicts a six-armed, knife-wielding, bull-headed figure that’s quite obviously a nod to the wrathful deities of tantric Buddhism (and also some of the gods of Hinduism).

It’s even levitating, in meditation, over the slaughterhouse drain. Strangely, it’s kind of a nice touch…

Q: What does this have to do with Buddhism?

A: Nothing! (Of course.) Though it might cause some of us to recall the third precept.

So what’s it doing here?

Well, it was found whilst stumbling through music blogs, and this album by exotica musician Martin Denny caught my eye… for some reason. Looking at the list of songs, two titles (titles, I said!) jumped out: “Burma Train,” and “Buddhist Bells.” So I gave it a listen.

Good fun, but there’s pretty much nothing Buddhist about it.

But browsing has its rewards, and other Dharma-Burger-rific album covers were found.

Here are some more:

This one’s the cover for Lotus, by Santana. This was a live album recorded in Japan and released in 1974. Recorded in Japan, so it gets a Buddhist-y cover? Sure, why not.

I don’t have anything to say about the music here because I can’t stand Santana. Sorry.

Next up is A Meditation Mass, recorded by the funky German psychedelic band (the term for this kind of music is, really, “krautrock”), Yatha Sidra. Haven’t heard it yet, but it sounds like it’s gonna be pretty nutty and fun.

(In case you can’t make it out, the album’s cover is comprised of a close-shot of the Buddhist Wheel of Life, with some seriously goofy text laid over it.)

You can here it here, where I found it.

Last up is the cover for an album called Karma, by a band called Buffalo. How much does it have to do with karma, much less Buddhism? Dunno yet. But my guess is that, since it’s being compared to metal bands like Kyuss, Slayer, Corrosion Of Conformity (all of whom I like) and Alabama Thunderpussy (whose name is one of the most embarrassing of all time), I don’t think it’s gonna be much like, say, going on a silent retreat. Hear it here.

Unless you’re one of the fabled Buddhist Baby Boomers, you likely don’t know of the rock band Uriah Heep. But they were kinda big, back in the day. Like, say, “Molly Hatchet” big. (Oh wait, you likely don’t know them, either…) But “the Heep” is back, and their new album “Wake the Sleeper” has a classic Dharma-Burger flavor:

Despite the art (and album title) it seems that the Dharmic Nutritional Value is pretty much an unsurprising zero.

The album’s website, too has a similar taste.  You can hear samples there too — if big, raucous, absurd metallic prog-rock is your thing. (Hey, sometimes a little cheese can be a good thing. Especially on a Dharma-Burger.)