The
front covers of Kerrang! use
iconography to appeal to fans of the rock genre. This analysis will identity
similarities and recurring features in Kerrang! front covers. The eight
covers above all have obvious similarities and follow music magazine
conventions. Common conventions featured on Kerrang!
front covers include a large main image under a main sell line, feature article
photographs and a masthead at the top of the cover.
Each
issue features a band or band member on the cover’s main image. Solo artists
are rare in the rock genre, so Kerrang!
often features whole bands on their front covers. Otherwise, only the lead
member will be featured (this is often the case with bands with a large number
of members). When Kerrang! uses a
whole band in the main image, the members are usually in a triangular or
pentagonal formation, with the lead member at the front and the other members
at the sides. The main member is placed at the front to emphasises is
importance as the lead guitarist and lead vocalist but also because he is the
most likely to be recognised by the target audience and attract attention. The
artist may be wearing iconic clothes and makeup which represents the genre.
They are always staring straight at the camera, attracting the audience’s
interest. They often have relaxed facial expressions, but sometimes they’re
posing aggressively.
The
majority of artists featured in Kerrang!
are male. This is because the target audience is dominated by males. There are
very few females featured in Kerrang!,
the most notable being Paramore’s Hayley Williams. Hayley Williams is the only
female to be used in the magazine’s main image. On the rare occasions which
they are featured, female artists are usually used in feature article
photographs, as shown in the covers above. Females featured in Kerrang! are usually the only female
member in their band, and are often the lead member. They are often defeminised
and could be considered to have more masculine personalities and a desexualised
image compared female artists in other music genres. This is shown by Hayley
Williams through her poses on the Kerrang!
front covers. In one front cover she is making a rude gesture and in
another she has her fists raised, looking like she is threatening a fight. Female
members of rock bands break stereotypes and are often rebellious figures; this
will attract interest from a wider audience, particularly female fans of the
genre.
The
members of the bands have different features which make them look unique and
edgy. For example, Hayley Williams has bright orange hair which attracts
attention. Andy Six from the Black Veil Brides wears a lot of thick dark eye
makeup, which is unusual for a male, and Slipknot’s Clown wears overalls with
his characteristic clown mask. These attributes make the artists quirky and
define them as individuals. Although each artist has their own individual
characteristics, the magazine front covers all have mise-en-scene components
which link them together. For example, all the artists wear either black or red
costumes. This compliments the colours used in the front cover, and prove
attractive to the target audience. The type of clothing is casual, which
highlights the carefree attitude adopted by rock bands. This may suggest that
the bands are open and sincere as they have an informal and friendly
relationship with their audience.
Feature
article photographs on the front covers show previews of posters, bands
performing or reviewed albums in the magazine. This gives the audience a sneak
peek of the inside of the magazine so they can see the wide variety of content
before buying it. Posters are an important selling feature of the magazine, as the
young target audience are loyal to their favourite bands and passionate about
rock music; therefore they enjoy being rewarded with free decorations for their
bedroom walls. Like the main images, feature article photographs present mainly
male artists. Apart from Hayley Williams, there are very few exceptions to this
unwritten rule (namely The Pretty Reckless and We Are The In Crowd are the most
notable bands with a female artist, but have only been featured once).
The
masthead on Kerrang! Always appears
in the conventional place at the top of the magazine. The same edgy font is
maintained throughout each issue and may be continued onto the contents page.
The colour, however, switches between black and white each issue to compliment
the colours used in the front cover. In some issues, the top of the main image
is placed over the masthead as the magazine is well known and can be recognised
through brand identity rather than showing the whole masthead. Nevertheless,
other issues are overwhelmed by images and lack text, so the top of the main
image is covered by the masthead to create a balanced layout. Above the
masthead is always a strapline, which may have band names, preview posters, or
be a sell line. Certain words in the strapline are in red text to stand out and
draw in the audience (e.g. ‘exclusive’, ‘free’). For example, one magazine had
the strapline “All Time Low want you: Be their roadie for the day!” This
emphasises that Kerrang! Values their
readers and want to give them the opportunity to meet their favourite bands.
The
main sell line is also often the name of the band featured in the main image, accompanied
by a pull quote or a smaller sell line. Other sell lines mainly feature in Kerrang! At the bottom of the front
cover in the form of band names. This may attract loyal fans of the genre who
will buy the magazine simply because their favourite band is mentioned. This
also suggests that the content is mainly music related rather than gossip. The
list of bands is preceded by the word ‘plus’, implying that the magazine is
packed with different content. The cover is dominated by feature article
photographs to create a response from the male audience.
Kerrang! tends to use black, white and red consistently
in the front covers. These colours represent the shady and violent mood of rock
music. Hints of blue and yellow are also used in some sell lines, but are not
used a main colours.
The
layout used is continued throughout each cover. The main sell line is usually
placed over the main image, in the middle of the cover. Conventionally, this is
where the audience’s eyes are first drawn to. Many issues feature previews of articles
and posters in the form of feature article photographs. However, this layout
may vary in some issues. For example, the cover with Slipknot’s Clown has very
few feature article photographs and more sell lines than usual. This is because
the main image dominates the front cover, and is interesting enough to sell the
magazine. Also, including more large images would be overwhelming. Another
example is a front cover featuring Hayley Williams, posing as if she is
punching the camera. The main sell line is placed to the right of the cover. The
left side of the cover is Hayley’s face, which will immediately entice the
audience due to their unfamiliarity with females being featured in this magazine.
Having explored different Kerrang! front covers, it is clear that the magazine maintains some form of brand identity through each issue but continues to make each issue unique through slight variations in the layout and colours. Dedicated fans will be able to recognise the magazine through recurring features, yet look forward to having a different cover each week. Ultimately, front covers are highly influential in the selling of Kerrang!