Analysing A Magazine

KERRANG!
Front Cover

Layout – The layout of KERRANG! sticks to the conventions of most magazines, the mast head is at the top of a page with an image underneath with the subheadings surrounding it. The cover also contains a boost at the top and bottom of the cover to display more information about what’s inside the magazines. The large image for the feature article would make the cover stand out on a shelf, which is important as it would be surrounded by lots of other magazines. All the space is used, this may be to make to the cover crowded and visually ‘noisy’ which represents loud rock music.

Image – The feature article is an interview with Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses so he is in the main image on the cover. The image does not show his whole face but includes his iconic glasses, top hat and hair. Because these items are included the picture doesn’t have to show the whole of him as people will recognise him anyway. The way he is posing for the shot is also related to the article, the subheading reads: Slash the x-rated confessions of a guitar god! The way he is posing while tipping his hat looks as if he is confessing, or revealing something, which then becomes apparent in the interview.

Font Style – The masthead of KERRANG! is originally writing in a bold plain font to make it stand out, but white lines are added and some areas of the text are ‘worn’ to make the masthead look shattered or broken. As KERRANG! refers to the sound an electric guitar makes this could mean that the words have been shattered by a lout noise. It could also mean that it has been smashed by a guitarist being very Rock ‘n’ Roll and smashing it with a guitar. The titles for the subheadings are all bold and either in white or yellow to stand out against the black or red. The rest of the text has the same worn effect that the masthead has the same worn effect as the masthead which could also suggest the rock n roll lifestyle.

Brand Identity – One of the main things that makes KERRANG! recognisable is the smashed font that is used in the masthead. But another important part of the title is the exclamation mark. This shows that the sound is meant to be LOUD and suggests that the music in the magazine is loud too. The exclamation is repeated all over the front cover, in subheadings and in the boost. The strap line for KERRANG! is ‘Life Is Loud’ this suggests that everything about this magazine is loud and exciting. Also the colours used on the cover have rock music connotations, red and black is usually associated with rock music and yellow and black normally mean danger.

Audience – The use of the work X-rated on the cover would suggest that the magazine is not suitable for some ages, this is backed up by the parental advisory logo. Also even though KERRANG! does feature bands that would appeal to all ages the cover focuses on Slash and bands such as Metallica which some younger readers might not have heard of. The colours used are quite simple which doesn’t put across sophistication and may suggest the magazine is aimed at a younger audience.

Contents Page

On the contents page the page numbers for the most interesting articles are set out in a grid with accompanying images so the reader can have a quick insight to the article before reading it as it could show what the article is about. There is one article that has a bigger image than the rest, which would suggest it is more important, interesting or even better that the rest. The images are either taken during a live show or a band/person posing for photo shoots. The live images look much more natural but the posed pictures show the character of the subject. The rest of the articles are aligned on the right in order and spit into different sections, such as news, reviews and gigs. The colours and fonts used have been carried on from the front cover, which shows they are part of KERRANG!s identity. The colours make the text stand out and the yellow and black connote danger. The contents page also has an editorial which reveals more about the feature article. This and other subheadings encourage people to read all the articles instead of skimming the whole magazine.

Double Page Spread

The double page spread is an article with slash and is mainly about the dark side of the rock n roll life style. This is represented by the dark background and images, which shows the interviewer is going very deep into the dark parts of Slash’s life. There is lots of text on one side and a large image on the other, the text is very small which suggests Slash has a lot to talk about. The questions and answers are written in different colours so the reader knows who is talking and overall makes it a lot easier to follow. Certain parts of the interview is quoted around the image, with words like overdosed and died highlighted, this shows the interesting or shocking parts of the interview so if someone saw the quote they would want to read the whole interview. The images contain his iconic accessories and look as if the could have been taken during the interview.