Album Covers

Awolnation

Megalithic Symphony

Has the name of the band at the very top, making the album cover recognisable, even if the picture on the cover itself isn’t. The album name, “Megalithic symphony” is also represented in the cover, as it shows two giant rocks separated from the land. Also, a ‘megalith’ can be seen as a prehistoric monument. This may have been chosen by the band to show that their music and album are unique and will be remembered.

The rocks in the picture resemble an “AN” which are shaped in the same way as the last letters of the band name. The use of the rocks on the cover surrounded by a rough sea may suggest that the rocks (possibly the bad themselves) are separated from the land, possibly resembling the norm in society. The sea also gives the cover an aggressive, possibly uncontrollable feel, linking to the themes of many of their songs and music videos.

The colours used throughout are mainly dark and not very eye catching, apart from the middle, which allows the AN in the rocks to stand out.

This can be linked to the video for “Sail” as the lighting throughout is very dark, and only becomes lighter at key moments where something is meaning to be emphasized.Furthermore, the lighting throughout the video is very natural and in this case, only comes from the moon. This could also be related to the cover as the light appears to be coming from either dawn or dusk.

The colours are also fitting for the genre, as Electric Rock music videos tend to use darker colours, that are more dramatic rather than eye catching.

For example, this can also be seen on How to Destroy Angels’ album covers

The album cover is also very modern looking, as it is relatively plain but futuristic. This will appeal to the younger target audience, which is who the band and the genre of music aim to appeal to.

Pendulum

The album has the name of the band in a clear, recognisable font that is related to the band and it’s image.

Hold Your Colour

Colours fit the electronic rock genre as they are mainly quite dark, however the design itself is still eye catching and have a slightly metallic effect on them, which also gives the impression of special effects.

The effects used on the front cover can be related to the music videos used by Pendulum and the genre on the whole. Electronic rock videos are closely related to special effects and lots of editing.

The design is very dark and mysterious, an holds no obvious link to the band. This, like many other electronic rock albums, shows that the band does not necessarily need to be on the album cover. This is also pushed further by bands like Pendulum who sometimes don’t even show themselves in some of their music videos, such as ‘The Island pt. I’

The Rapture

Echoes

The colours used in this particular album are darker but are designed in such a way that the band members are clearly standing out. This could be compared to Pendulums album Hold Your Colour, as that also combines a darker tone and darker colours, but still has a clear, stand out main image.

The band name and album title are both also on the cover. The name of the band is white and stands out against the black background, however the album title itself is not as clear, meaning you have to almost do a double take before you can read the name.

The Rapture’s album stands out from other electronic rock albums though, as on both Echoes and Mirror the band feature on the cover. This is interesting as it shows the band can still be shown on the cover of the album, but incorporate other codes and conventions to make it a recognisable electronic rock album.

The word “echoes” has been edited in a particular way to suit the design to the word; making it look like it is shaking or wobbling, like sound waves.

Like almost all the album covers shown, Echoes also uses special effects and editing. This is clearly a common and widely used convention in electronic rock videos, making them very recognisable.

How To Destroy Angels

Welcome Oblivion

This particular How To Destroy Angels album cover does not include the band name. For me, this is a stand out point, as all the other album covers seen have had the band name as a clear target point. However, even without the name of the band, it is clear that the album cover is of the electronic rock genre due to the colours, editing, and general theme of the cover.

The colouring on the cover is dark, however brighter, luminous colours enable you to see the outline of the centre piece of the cover. This is similar to many of the albums already seen, and fits the conventions of electronic rock well.

The name of the album is on the cover (unlike the band name) however it is small and not the central piece of the cover. This makes no difference though, as the white font contrasts against the black background making it easy to see.

Like many of the covers seen, the band do not feature on the cover. This fits the conventions of the genre, however the lack of a band name is almost risky, as although the genre is clear, the band themselves are much harder to define. I think this is an odd choice and is personally not something I would choose to do with an album cover.

Similar to the other album covers, How To Destroy Angels use effects and editing (very simply), which provide a clear picture in an affective way, making the genre clear and recognisable.

The Prodigy

Invaders Must Die

This album cover is very simple, but still manages to be a recognisable electronic rock album.

The main colour used is black, allowing the writing on the cover to be easily seen. The white and electric green font are clear and visible, and are colours used widely in the electronic rock genre.

The general picture looks as though it is the back of a fuzzy TV screen. This incorporates technology into the album very subtly but effectively, bringing the electronic rock genre into focus.

The font of the band name and album title are both sharp and disjointed. This makes them look like they’ve either been drawn onto the screen, like graffiti. This locks onto the target audience as it relates to the age group and their possible artistic likes.

The Prodigy are one of the most popular and well know electronic music groups of all time, and almost everyone has at least heard of them. By putting the band name at the top of the cover it makes it the first thing your attention is drawn to. This could easily increase the popularity of the album and make it more likely for people to stop and look at the album itself.