Kerrang magazine analysis

Front cover

The front cover is busy with lots of writing and text on it. All the text is in block capitals which make it seem like the magazine is shouting at the reader. It is done like this because it links with the genre of the magazine. Also it shows that the magazine is passionate about what they are writing about this is why the want to shout about it. This also shows the readers are interested in what they have to say.

Most of the masthead is cover by the artist on the front cover but we can still tell straight away what the magazine is because the left third is easily recognized  The reason it is easily recognized is because it is clear on every copy of the magazine. The left third is obvious on every magazine because it is the part of the magazine you see when they are displayed in a shop. The left third is always the distinguishing part of a masthead.

The header is white with splatter marks on it which are removed. This links with the artist on the front cover because they are a rock band. The header also has the bands logo on the corner of it this helps the readers to understand straight away who it is about. The image on the front is also an easy way to recognize who the artist is because the image is clear. The artist has red curtains around him this goes well with the house style of the magazine and connotes theatre which is what the lead story is about.

There are small captions by every photo these are only a few words or a very short sentence. This is done so that the readers understand what the images are of and why they are there. The captions are in block capitals like everything else on the page. This is to make the stand out and easy to read.

The flash box on the magazine is in a bright yellow colour which stands out clearly on the background. This is done so that it grabs the readers attention. However I don't like the look of it on the magazine because it makes it feel cheap and unprofessional but it does go with the style and the rest of the front cover. I think the colour shouldn't be so bright and it smaller so it doesn't overlap the part of the masthead.

Contents

The contents page is rather simple. With a large image taking up the majority of the page. The masthead from the front cover is also on this page at the top with the word contents next to it. This gives the magazine a style and a sense that it all belongs together. Also the colours red, black and white are prominent throughout.

The image on the left is large and takes up a lot of room this shows that the magazine is more about looks and imagery then writing. Also the image goes with the recurring colours of the magazine.

The pages are split up by subheadings which are bold. This makes it easier for the readers to find what they are looking for. Also it highlights which sections you can expect to see in the magazine in every issue. The story titles are all the same size and colour this makes it seem as if everything in the magazine are of the same importance.

Double page spread

Again with the double page spread the idea that imagery is more important than the writing is prominent. The images have small captions made from short sentences which highlight the reasons the images are on the page. The house style again is still obvious on the double page spread because the colour red is used a lot. This helps to make the magazine feel like it all connects together.

The main body text is all of the same size. This shows that everything is important and that it is all linked together. However the T at the begin of the text is larger meaning it is a drop capital. This is used at the beginning of the text to enhance the look of the page and show where it begins clearly.

The pull quote is in bigger writing than the main body text this is so it stands out. I think this is a good idea because it looks really effective as it can instantly grab the readers attention.