Deconstruction #1

Front Cover

The font used on the cover of this issue of Kerrang! Is all capitalised; there is no use of upper-cased letters and the masthead of the page is written in a bold, “smashed” font. Both of these factors will appeal to the target audience (young adults interested in rock music) as the smashed lettering could represent the ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ lifestyle; care free, stereotypically  violent, etc. This also reminds me of when rock stars smash their guitars on stage during shows and performances, which would once again relate to the lifestyle and interests of the magazine’s target audience.

The main text used on this cover (the main selling point) is:

World exclusive:  “The hiatus was dark!” Fall out Boy back to save the world! And themselves…”

The use of the words “world exclusive” will draw the readers in as they will want to buy the magazine for the never-before-seen information. The pull-out quote “The hiatus was dark!” implies that there is an interview inside the magazine with Fall out Boy; a band which were on hiatus for 4 years. Due to the fact none of their fans have heard from them in so long, will mean that ‘exclusive’ news/interviews confirming that they are back will prove to be very popular.

Other text used on the front cover is the subheadings/cover-lines for the other stories; “Bring Me The Horizon: When rock lyrics go wrong!” “24 hours in the life of… The Kerrang! Tour”, “Jesus Christ! The crucification of Asking Alexandria!” “System of a Down! New Album! New Danger!”

Each of these subheadings include an exclamation mark, which is relevant because fans of the magazine will recognise that the exclamation mark at the end of “Kerrang!” is almost like the magazine’s trademark, therefore the use of them wherever possible really ties in with Kerrang!’s theme. Also, the use of repetition in the heading “New Album! New Danger!” emphasises the fact that the magazine contains fresh, first hand and up-to-date information, which the target audience (fans of System of a Down) would appreciate a lot.

There is some puff included in this magazine in the form of “5 amazing free posters!” This would appeal to the audience as the main readers of the magazine are female, and female teenagers are stereotypically known for having posters on their bedroom walls of celebrities or artists that they look up to. This also includes a preview of all the posters which are included inside, which is helpful to the reader because it lets them know what they’re actually paying for. Also, in the top right section of the cover, there is a segment which says “WIN! Iron maiden swag!” This appeals to the target audience because the readers will be interested in the band merchandise because they have an interest in bands, and the word “swag” is commonly used and known by teenagers, therefore the text is relating to them.  

The colours used for this magazine are red, white and black. The combination of these three colours gives the impression that the magazine is gender neutral; it does not lean towards one gender in particular. For example, if the magazine was aimed towards boys, the colour scheme would most likely include blue, or it would only contain dark shades of colours. However, the light orange brightens up this magazine, implying that is for both male and female.

The main image for this cover is a photo of Fall out Boy, which links in with the main article about them coming off hiatus. The body language of the band members is very relaxed and they look very happy. The mode of address is direct, as each member is looking directly at the viewer. The smiling and laughing faces of the men imply that they are excited to be back, and it gives off the impression that they are really genuine people. The photography was done professionally, with the lead singer in front, leaning forward, and holding out his hand (which the main selling point is written on). The photo makes the tattoos on their arms look very prominent and they stand out a lot, this ties in with the lifestyles of the target audience, who are most likely very interested in piercings, tattoos, etc. The lighting used in this image is very professionally done, as it is clearly shining on the band’s faces full on, making the photograph very HD. The image of the band is partially covering some of the mast-head, which suggests that this magazine is very well established, meaning that it can be recognised even without the full title on show.

The cover lines have all been placed with a relevant photo down the right hand side of the page, and each one has framing. Two of these frames are circular, which just generally makes the appearance of the magazine a little more interesting, and suggests that the target audience is for teenagers. If the target audience was for adults, they would not care as much for the appearance, and they would be perfectly content with reading a magazine with minimal detail on the front cover.

Overall, the magazine cover is quite busy, and there is a lot going on in every section of the page. In my opinion I like the design, as there is a lot going on and there is already a lot to look at, without even opening the magazine. I don’t think it’s too over-crowded or messy. It includes all the important features that a magazine needs, e.g. masthead (Kerrang!), the main image and story (fall out boy), the barcode, and essential information such as the date (Feb 2013), the issue number (#1454), and the price (£2.20). There is a lot of overlaying used on this magazine;  the mast head is in the very back ground, then there’s the layer with the main image, then a layer with the important text and information in the foreground. This helps to make the magazine look very busy to give the target audience a lot to look at.