Magazine Analysis

Kerrang!

Barcode, price and issue number- normally small compared to the rest of the magazine because if the consumer sees the price first it could change their minds on buying the magazine, because if they look at the front cover first it will distract them as they as dragged in to wanting the magazine without focusing on the price. Also the issue number for regular collectors of the magazine.

Menu strip- is the last thing that the audience will read so if

their favourite band is mentioned it will provoke them

into wanting to buy it.

There is a Freebie within the banner, this is located above the masthead which will be the first thing to look at after recognising the main image (Corey Taylor). The freebie drags the audience in as they are interested in the possible prize available; new pair of trainers every month for a year, this is appealing to the devoted audience of rock fans made up of 60% males and 40% for teenage years plus (population of 16-24 year olds). Trainers are normally associated with teenagers because of their casual attitude. The background is red with a white bold font. Not only does the red make the white stand out but it also fits in with the colour scheme of the magazine, making it easily recognisable for the audience who buy the magazine frequently.

Masthead large with a black background with white font, which is the easiest colour scheme to grab the audiences attention because black and white are the most contrasting colours to use. Its’ bold and straight to the point, maybe hinting what the magazine is trying to get across about the contents.

There is a smashed screen effect used with the font, as if a guitar has smashed a screen, linking with the word “Kerrang” as it is the sound a guitar makes. This also supports the music represented by the magazine uses lots of guitar within the music, as for the smashed screen it fits in with the anger, rebellion and scratchy voices used within the music; hence Corey Taylor from slipknot. This stereotypes the audience as aggressive rebellious teens. Or it could also represent the audience as passionate and this is the way they wish to be represented. Also the smashed screen effect could represent loud music, as the music was so loud that the glass smashed.

Feature headlines and main image- Corey Taylor is a well known singer for the genre of this magazine as he can do heavy metal (slipknot) to hard rock (stone sour). He is wearing black clothing, with a white stipe, which fits in nicely with the colour scheme of the magazine. He has stubble to show he is quite rough as the audience knows his voice is rough and scratchy. The image portrays masculinity and appeals to the female audience. This also links with his flat cap to show working class, as 48 % of the audience are working class (C2DE) because this will appeal to the working class audience as they can connect with Corey Taylor. Also the flat cap is quite British ( Yorkshire) appealing to the British fans, and it also emphasises age to show he has been round a long time and he is a wise and well respected singer. Corey Taylor's tattoo is also visible as tattoos can be seen as being rebellious.

Plug- this is a simple catchy device used to really draw the audience in. It hints that there are 11 bands but doesn’t state what bands, which then get the consumer thinking about who the 11 bands are and pushes them to buy it as there could be some new bands which they didn't know about.

Sub- images- of other groups, in this case “My Chemical Romance” giving the target audience different bands, so if slipknot and stone sour isn't your thing then MCR might be. The magazine is trying to show diversity throughout. This could also emphasise the fact that it covers a wide variety of rock genres; to appeal to a wider audience.

Kerrang contents pageLarge picture of Marilyn Manson instantly drawn to it as it is the main focus of the page. He is holding some cards but it is not clear what type of cards he is holding and why, this make the reader want to find out why he's holding the cards and the page number is large enough to help the reader go straight to the page. The cards stand out as he is wearing black and they are white and colourful standing out of his outfit.

There is a quiz advertised towards the end of the magazine giving the audience a chance to test their knowledge of the music the magazine covers, also this gives the audience a reason to read the whole magazine to get to the end where the magazine is. The background colour is black and the

Subscriptions- this advertises the magazine even further. This is helpful for the reader because if they are a regular buyer of the magazine then this will be useful for them. Whilst also being beneficial to the publishers as they will also make more money. Another point is that it will make the reader feel committed to the magazine. This will make the percentage of people buying the magazine increase, making the magazine look good and well trusted making it even more popular. There is also contact details to make it again easier for the reader to subscribe.

Freebies- posters are included in this magazine making the reader believe they are getting more than they should. Plus if they like the band in the posters this makes them feel like they are getting a good deal. This is an effective way to get the reader to buy the magazine if the look at the contents page before purchasing the magazine.

Sub images are used, so that if the reader is not a huge fan of Marilyn Manson then the other bands being promoted could attract the readers attention. Also the images of the bands are copies of the double page spreads in the magazine. This is to show the reader that there is a big section in the magazine dedicated to that one band. Making the reader want to find out why they appear in the magazine and what is new.

The contents page is clearly stated at the top of the page also placed with the date and issue number. This could be to help subscribers order the magazines chronologically. Or if the front cover comes off it is a back up for the reader to know which magazine it is.

Editorial- its personal because there is a photograph of the editor and she is smiling and engaging eye contact with the reader (friendly). The text goes straight into it, rather than being too formal and saying “dear reader” this is more of a personal level as she is just talking casually to the reader, giving it a more friendly laid back approach. At the end she signs it with her first name, making it more personal and friendly as they are on first name terms. This makes the magazine friendly and makes the individual feel a part of a group.

Kerrang double page spread There is the word “news” in bold red writing, standing out from the black because it says “news” it instantly grabs the consumers attention. It mentions the Kerrang website to find out more information, this is linked with the target audience because they are teen years +.Teenagers are seen to always be on the internet and also use technology a lot being able to connect with the internet. It also says WORLD EXCLUSIVE in large bold letters. This makes the reader feel like they know new gossip and younger people are seen to gossip a lot. The writing is in a box of its own making it even more dominant standing from the darkly coloured background.

Sub Images are quite large and below the text, if the reader wishes to cut them out it doesn’t ruin the text. The background is black linking in with the dark music of MCR . Also connects with the gothic style of MCR with the target audience plus the stereotypical group of people who listen to MCR. The main image also backs with up as the singer has long black hair which covers his face, maybe hiding his identity. Plus Goths are normally stereotyped as being emotional but hide their feeling just like the singer is hiding his face. Also Goths generally have long black hair to fit in with their style .Images cover this double page spread to break up the text and make the page look interesting and readable. The target audience is quite young for a magazine, younger people are stereotypically seen as being lazy and are more interesting in looking at images rather than reading. This reaches out and connect with the intended audience. Making the magazine more relaxed with less reading and more images; this is an effective Way to reach out to a difficult age group. Children are seen to learn with picture books.

Here MCR are promoting a positive attitude, to get their audience to do their best too. This can be seen as they are trying to be ro-models for their audience and to show they work hard and they will always try their best (motto). This counteracts the stereotype for young people as they are seen as being negative and uncooperative. This gives the younger audience of the magazine a sense of confidence as the magazine is on their side.

There is also sneak preview of what's to come of the band MCR. There is a brief description of what the songs sound like and what to expect. Not only does this promote their new songs it links to the world exclusive as the reader is the first to know about these brand new songs.The target audience is young and young people use social networking sites such as; Facebook , twitter etc. If every person who read the magazine posted something about the songs being promoted this then increases the sales of the singles for the band.

Metal Hammer

Masthead- is the word “metal Hammer” the font is bold as stands out from the dirty coloured background. The font itself looks quite rough as slipknot is a rough sounding band. The word metal hammer is more associated for males, as a hammer is stereotypically represented as a mans tool. This also links in with the audience of working class as a hammer is a working tool. Metal also backs up the masculinity as 64 %of males buy the magazine; although females do show an interest in the magazine. Also if a hammer is made of metal it could be quite heavy so maybe the word heavy as been changed to hammer so instead of “heavy metal” they have changed it to “ metal hammer” having the same effect on the target audience. This is ambiguous meaning.

Freebie and plug- instantly catches the audience’s attention with the word “free” makes the audience think they are getting a good deal buying the magazine as they cd could cost more than the actual magazine.

Barcode, price and issue number- normally small compared to the rest of the magazine because if the consumer sees the price first it could change their minds on buying the magazine, because if they look at the front cover first it will distract them as they as dragged in to wanting the magazine without focusing on the price. Also the issue number for regular collectors of the magazine.

Main image- there are a lot of different shades of red used, possibly to represent blood as a metal hammer could be dangerous linking to the target audience of men. They want to be quite dangerous. Which could be to symbolise fire, to show they are passionate about the music. They get a warmth and excitement from the magazine and the bands included. Also slipknot appear as the main image, this instantly attracts the audience as slipknot are well known for being heavy metal. The main image appears to look 3D because the two characters are stood behind the lead singer of slipknot, and his hand is reaching out to the audience to drag them into the magazine. Plus he’s looking right at the consumer making it hard not to lock eye contact. His mask also adds to the wanting to look to see what he is wearing and why, for the readers who don’t know who slipknot are. Although if the reader is interested in slipknot then they will instantly recognise the image, giving the reader no choice but to look at the front cover. Their outfits also fit in nicely with the colour scheme as they bold red stands out from the dirt coloured background. The image is also quite blurry linking in with that feeling of “head banging” to the music or the fuzzy feeling of going to a concert.

Feature headlines- the feature headline states “ this is a cult of pain” supposing that the hammer mentioned in the masthead could cause pain. Again appealing to the target audience because pain is seen as a “manly” thing. The pain also fits in with the screamo heavy metal genre of the music, especially slipknot because the “screamo” style of singer sounds like they are in pain, maybe releasing emotions in a many way.

Advertisement- here the magazine is advertising a festival. Adverts are effective with readers purchasing 59% of products/services advertised. This gives the reader even more information about how they can see their favourite bands (slipknot). This appeals to the target audience of 16-25 years olds as teenagers and young people are stereotypically judged on going to festivals.

Metal hammer contents

Male gaze is used here as the woman is exposing her stomach and half of her breasts. This connects with the aimed audience of males but also for the women who purchase the magazine will want to look like her . Plus the fact that she is advertising merchandise by selling

herself in a sexual way will grab the attention of the generally male reader. This is an extremely effective

way to make money as the bourgeoisie use the autonomy of sexuality to make money all the time.

Clear and easy to read layout for the reader to find what page they are looking for. The font is in an old gothic type style, symbolising old heavy metal and rock as the target audience is for mature metal fans. The colours are basic using red, white and black as they stand out from each other, also fitting in with the gothic style again with black being a typical Goth colour, white for pale skin as Goths are stereotypically pale skinned and red maybe to symbolise blood, danger, aggression and passion.

The sub-image here fits in with the colour scheme of red white and black. The image stands out as his face is white standing out from the black surrounding, it is clear to the reader that he is from KISS a well known metal band who have been round for a long time , again fitting in with the target audience of being mature music fans of metal . This will attract the reader as they will know or at least recognise the face paint and know it is kiss without even having to advertise it in big letters.

The image looks like its been taken from a live concert, as the angle is looking up at the guitarist. Metal and rock music is better to listen to live and to actually be involved in with the band to share the music, so this image attracts the reader as they could be curious to see where the band is touring or where the image has been taken from.

The contents page is clearly stated at the top of the page also placed with the month and issue. This could be to help subscribers order the magazines chronologically. Or if the front cover comes off it is a back up for the reader to know which magazine it is. It also has the metal hammer logo is clearly stated ay the top just enforce the name of the magazine. To make it more recognisable when looking in shops for the magazine.

Plug- this stands out as it looks as if it is a sticker and it is peeling off. This catches the readers attention. It Is to promote subscriptions for the magazine. It states which page number to go to if the reader wishes to know more about subscriptions.

Editorial- this very casual approach to the audience. It starts off with asking a question, then turning it rhetorical by answering it. This is really connecting to the audience as the audience is socially seen as being different because they like heavy metal and the colour black. Stereotypically seen as Goths or emos. They get a sense of confidence as they feel like they are not the only one. It is then even more casual by using a curse word “fuck em” this backs up the aggressive rebellious style the magazine is going for.

Metal hammer double page spreadThe background looks like old torn paper. This is an effective way to make it look different to all the other pages. It looks good with all the images as the images space the text out as there is a lot of text.There is an even text to picture ratio.

There are many sub-images on this double page spread to counteract the large amount of writing. There is an equal text to picture ratio. Although, there is a lot of writing appealing to the target audience of older, more mature readers who will be more interested in information about the band rather than images.They will also appreciate the amount of information and have more time to read the large content of this page.

The font is small which wouldn’t really appeal to a younger audience who are stereotypically seen as lazy and don’t read. The magazine really appeals to the needs of an older audience.

There is a quote from one of the band members used here right at the top of the page. This will interest the reader as they will want to know more about what the band has

said. This is a very effective way to grab the reader and make them read the article. They get to read words that have come straight from the mouths of the band members.

The name of the band is positioned right at the top of the page. So as the reader is flicking through the pages they can see who will feature on the page. This is easier for the reader to read up on their favourite bands.

QBanner- this is the first thing to be read after seeing the main image and logo for the magazine, the fact that it states that Q is the biggest magazine in the UK makes the reader believe it will be an amazing magazine, even some may doubt it and buy the magazine to see if it is as good as they say. Either way this is a huge selling technique as it fills the reader with confidence as they believe they have read the best magazine in the UK.

Main image- is of lady Gaga , she is well known for being different and an individual, because she is wearing long pointy gloves, no top and spikey trousers. Not the normal outfit. This could link top the target audience as they want to be individual and different, she is seen as a remodel as she makes people believe its okay to be different. She also portrays that she is confident because she isn't wearing a top, she is comfortable with her own body and again with being a remodel she is promoting confidence. The image itself lays in front and behind of the text around her, creating layers to make it almost 3D, possibly representing curves as she is a female (male gaze). Tattoos are also on show this can show she is expressive and quite rebellious.

Cover lines- “Jimi Hendrix” is mentioned in the cover lines, he is well know to the aimed target audience of 25+ years. This will appeal to them as they will recognise the name and want to buy the magazine, as he has been around for a long time.

Firstly the large red “100” is jumping out at the reader straight away, making the purchaser question what the 100 most shocking moments really are

Mentions Madonna and that she has to move over. Implying that Lady GAGA is going to be as big as Madonna. This educates the more mature audience as they will know more about Madonna than lady gaga . This will help them keep in the know of the music industry. Also introducing new singers to the older audience members.It also says world exclusive making the reader think this is big news and everyone will soon know about this, and they are the first to know.

The Gorillaz are mentioned here, this is in case the reader is not interested in Jimi Hendrix or lady gaga. This could be the thing that draws the reader in.There is a wide variety of music on this magazine making the target audience wide and also for people who have a wide music taste themselves.

Q contents page Issue number and date is stated at the top of the page. Issue number is mentioned for regular buyers of the magazine who might like to keep them in order.

One main image of a band. This covers most of the page and it is the first thing your eyes are drawn to when looking at the page. There is also a small box at the bottom of the image which states the name of the band a quote from one of the band members and the page number for the article on that band. This is helpful for the reader as it is clearly laid out for the reader to be able to see where to find the information on the band.There are reviews featured in this

magazine. This is also helpful for people looking for information on specific bands. Or for others who like to look at reviews. Also for ease the page number is next the the titles of the reviews.

There is a special section on the contents page for oasis. This is if the reader does not like the band on the front page then there is a variety of bands featuring in this magazine.

This is to encourage subscribers and to get more regular buyers to buy the magazine as they know what will feature every month of this magazine. This is to inform the audience on what to expect.

The features of the magazine are clearly displayed with a brief description of the feature. The colour scheme is also incorporated well on the contents page as red, white and black is proportionally used.

Q double page spreadMain image- there are two colours used to make the singer Jay- Z look as if he has two personalities with the white to show he is cool laid back. However the red shows he can be aggressive and passionate. Also red can be linked to blood representing being a “gangster” as his music genre is rap. Showing his alter ego. This could also emphasise how he acts on stage and off stage.

As the target audience is for a wide variety of people. It also educates the older generation of the target audience. As it says “the most exciting people in music” this keeps the older people up to date on the recent music industry.

The big J in the middle of the page really stands out off the white background. This breaks the text up for the reader to make it look as if there isn't as much writing as it is along article. Plus the large J helps the reader recognise who the picture is of.

The larger H and T also separate the text, to make is less formal and boring looking as the text itself is quite small.

There Is a quote from Jay-Z which will also feature in the text. After the reader had looked at the image they will read the quote. Making them question what he is on about. Leading to them reading the text . The writing is in red, on the white side. Not also does it stand out and fit in with the colour scheme, it could be to symbolise everyone has a “red” side to them.

The glasses hide his eyes and are quite dominant in the image as they are jet black standing from the colour scheme. This could be to show he is different and doesn’t follow the crowd. His expression Is serious, this could be to do with the glasses as he is hiding his identity or his soul. As he is angry. This fits with his genre of music of being quite angry.