Magazine Cover Analysis 1

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Kerrang Magazine

Kerrang Magazine is a metal music magazine, as suggested by the onomatopœia title. The logo on the magazine has a smashed effect on it, which is a violent and loud image. From this logo alone, we can assume that the target audience are metal music fans, who are usually teenagers or young adults.

The majority of space in this magazine cover is of the band Avenged Sevenfold. This shows us that they are important and are likely to be the main focus of this issue. Their positioning gives us an idea of their status within the band, as the man who is in the middle is closer to the camera, suggesting to us that he is the front man. He also has a larger mass, which could symbolise being of a higher status than the other two members. The band's importance is also shown by how their picture is a layer over the Q Magazine logo, creating the illusion that they are breaking out of the magazine. The band's style is suggested by their costume, as they are all wearing black colours with silver chains and are holding pipes and chains in a threatening manner, associating themselves with violence. From just this, the audience can expect the band to be a dark metal band.

The text used compliments the band's style, saying Sex, Drugs, Violence, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS BAND. The band's name is in large, Bold, Capital letters. This would by eye catching and immediately states who the band are. It is also likely to be the first thing the reader sees, as it is not only large but it is also easy to read because it is white text over a mostly black background, showing a contrast. The Sex, Drugs Violence title is in a font resembling handwriting, suggesting rawness, and the second subtitle is in Capital letters, emphasising the importance. Both subtitles are in yellow, which usually has negative connotations in the western world. However, in China it is the colour of the Emporer's robes, possibly making the band appear to be powerful. Yellow is also the colour of the magazine's header and footer, possibly showing that the other bands shown there are also powerful. There are other smaller images on the front cover, showing the other contents of the magazine. They are arranged in an angled, messy style, showing that the magazine is informal. The other bandnames on the subtitles are coloured in red, a colour associated with violence and power, keeping with the magazines theme. There is also a title saying FREE POSTER SPECIAL. This will attract attention, as the Free is in bold, giving reasons to buy the magazine.