Main Task: Front Cover Textual Analysis

Denotation: The magazine cover has a photograph of a band looking directly into the camera. Its a medium shot but emphasis is laid upon their faces and text covers the rest of their body in the mid shot.
There is no visible background as there is a lot going on, if there is, its a very plain white or pale coloured background on the front cover. The photo covers most of the front cover page with text and other images overlapping the photograph. Behind the photograph is the 'Kerrang!' masthead.
Overlapping the photograph colourful selling lines and cover lines are displayed. The bands name in a big sans serif yellow and white font. A bar code is clearly displayed at the bottom right hand corner of the magazine cover.

Masthead: The 'Kerrang' Masthead is very distinctive: black with a white cracked effect running through it. The font used is a grungy sans serif font which appears distressed and cracked. The Masthead connotes a loud rock magazine. The distressed font could show that rock music is vibrant and loud. The font suggests that the magazine is music based the genre rock or metal.

Character: The front cover photograph is of a successfull British band 'You Me At Six' who appear frequently in the magazine and appeal to the target audience of teenage girls.

Composition: The band are posed in a very playful and relaxed way. All the members of the band look very chilled out. The singer who has the most recognisable face is in the center of the photograph and has the most distinctive facial expression suggesting that he is the most recognised member of the band and he alone is the main selling point.

Costume: The clothing used on the front cover is very plain and ordionary. The costumes used in the main photograph and all the images that go alongside the cover lines are very dark, blues and blacks are used. This clothing is typical of rock culture. The costume therefore appeals to the target audience. The main photographs band members swept back fringes and clean cut costume and attitude appeal to the bands target audience of teenage girls

Props: There are no visible props being used anywhere on the front cover of the magazine.

Setting: There is very little setting. Every photograph on the front cover has a very plain background usually all one colour laying emphasis on the band members.

Lighting: The lighting used on the main photograph is high key, displaying daytime this is the same with the photograph of 'Medina Lake'. The photographs towards the bottom of the page of 'Trivium' and especially 'The gaslight anthem' are low key, displaying nighttime.

NVC: The non verbal communication used in all the photographs is all quite relaxed. In the main photo they look a little more playful than some of the images towards to bottom of the page where members in bands in the photographs look a bit more dark and mysterious.

Cover-lines: There are no main cover lines that are easily recognisable. There is no text next to the photographs so it is hard to distinguish weather or not they are in actual fact cover-lines. The cover-lines are quite confusing as there is no text so its not certain to the buyer weather or not they are cover-lines. The cover-lines not only overlap the main image but they overlap the other cover-lines. This is distracting.

Date lines: The month and year of the magazine along with the price is located within the bar code. Kerrang magazine is a weekly publication.

Barcode: A standard barcode has been used. its positioned on the bottom right hand side of the page.

Left-Third: The left-Third of the magazine cover displays the cover-lines. The magazine has used easily recognisable bands and faces. The photographs have the bands names written on them so its easy for the consumer.

Selling line: The selling line is short and snappy, its easily recognisable and is the trademark for Kerrang magazine. Along the top of the magazine in a bold sans serif font band names are written. The font is white against a contrasting black background. Kerrang magazine always has this same selling line although the bands change.

Website link: The website link is displayed within the bar code along with the date and price of the magazine. It is in a very small font and is easily unrecognisable. Its not very distinctive on the magazine cover.

Target Audience: It appears to me that the likely Target Audience would be teenage males and females, though more female readers than male as the magazine focuses on 'boy bands' that appeal to teenage girls. Teenage boys are also less likely to read a magazine. The target audience would be between 14-20. They would have knowledge of current rock bands in an interest in rock culture.