Front cover analysis #3

This magazine is targeted at those who are interested in the rock genre/industry. This can clearly be seen through the use of certain groups whom appear on the front cover- E.g. My Chemical Romance, a rock band. All 5 members of the band are wearing black to blend in with the magazine; they also have a gothic edge to them through their body language and hair styles which help fit the Kerrang house style as the magazine is best known for its rock music and live events.

It can be interpreted that the magazine is aimed at a fairly young audience as it uses a variety of graphics and bold font. Kerrang also uses a non-contrasting choice of colours. E.g. where it says ‘plus’ the phrase is written in bold and the colour is placed in red to match the yellow background which creates a stand out effect- these two colours are used regularly throughout the front cover of the magazine as part of its codes and conventions. By doing this the magazine is intending to immediately draw their target audience’s attention which is a key element of any successful magazine. Age can also be considered when you think about the typed issues that appear on the front cover. For example younger readers are interested in extras-whether it be exclusive stories or freebies.

The title of this magazine connotes many things. From immediately looking at the title it shows that the magazine will be aimed at the rock genre, for example the fact that the title is suggestive of shattered glass- shattered glass is predominately seen in several music videos of this particular genre. Also, to add emphasis, the magazine uses the phrase ‘life is loud’. This stands out due to the fact that it is in a different colour compared to the title. This could imply that the magazine wants the reader to notice this, mainly, due to the fact that instruments of this genre are particularly loud unlike other genre instruments.

Through analysing the central image it can be evidently noticed that the direct mode of address is to show confidence and no fear. This point is backed up by the use of the phrase ‘It’s okay to hate us’. The group My Chemical Romance is aiming to promote the point that they show no remorse towards their audiences’ digs and through their facial expressions they give a sense of morality and integrity. This tells us that the group wants to develop a strong relationship with its audience by reassuring them that the taunts are both unnecessary but heard. It gives the reader a sense of heroism, as the reader may be inspired by the way in which the band have approached the situation.

Overall the magazine uses many successful methods in order to attract the audience of which it is intended to. It uses strategies such as the use of graphics, colours, font sizes, puff, anchorage text, imagery etc, all of which are very important aspects to the front cover of a magazine.

Ellie