Music Magazine: Kerrang! LIIAR ANALYSIS

1. LIIAR ANALYISIS
Front cover, contents page, double
page spread

2. • Magazine: KERRANG!
• Issue:1421
• Cover date: 30/06/2011

3. Front Cover
Hook Secondary Images
Masthead
Main Image
Cover lines
itthere
Geometrical scheme Main Cover line
Main Pull-quote
Secondary Images
Bar code
Ear

4. Media Language: Cover
• The masthead is “Kerrang!”. It is partially covered by the main image, yet the audience is still able to read it and recognize it.
It is written in capital letters and in white, which makes it stand out as it is in contrast with the warm colours that are all over
the cover. Also, the font used makes it look like it is cut in some points by some lines: this way the masthead look more
sharp and again it creates a contrast with the warm, soft light of the background.
• The main image is a mid shot of lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington. The singer is pulling an angry face and it
looks like he is shouting directly to the viewer and that he’s coming out of the magazine: that catches the attention of the
audience. There is a contrast with the fact that he’s shirtless and showing all of his tattoos and the fact that he’s wearing
glasses, which isn’t representative of the stereotypical singer of his genre. The glasses make him look more human and
audience may feel they can relate to him more. It is also notable that, even though the main cover line refers to the whole
band, the lead singer is the only one who is represented on the cover.
• The main cover line is at the centre of the cover. It states “the return of Linkin Park”. It can be divided in two parts: “the
return of” is written in white, capital letters but a lot smaller than the name of the band, which is written in yellow and in
bold to catch the eyes of the audience.
• The main pull-quote is located under the main cover line. It is an extract from the interview that can be found inside. It is
written in white, capital letters, so that it is more visible. Also, the three dots gives a sense of suspension, so that it makes
the audience want to know more about it. Directly under that there is name of the lead singer, in yellow. There is also a
small line stating “the naked truth!”, in which the word naked is underlined to catch the viewers’ attention. It is also an
analogy with the main image, as the singer is shirtless: that attracts the audience’s curiosity by giving the idea that the artist
may have revealed himself and private things to the magazine.
• Secondary images are on the sides of the cover. There are some images at the top of the cover: they represent the posters
that can be found inside. Four of the secondary images, surround the main image and follow a geometric scheme, by
creating a square, which makes the main image the ideal centre of the diagonals of the square: that drives the attention
mainly on the cover line, main pull quote and part of the main image.
• Secondary cover lines and pull quotes refer to the articles that are featured in the issue. They are written in bold, mainly in
white or yellow.
• There is a hook at the top of the cover which is used to attract more audience.
• The ear at the bottom right corner attracts a target audience: it states that the issue contains a “rock encyclopaedia” so
anyone who is interested in the genre would notice it.
• The magazine follows codes and conventions as it has a bar code, with price and dateline at the bottom left corner.

5. Contents Page
Masthead and Page title Issue no and dateline
Plug
Contents section
Main image
Main cover line
Competition (hook )
Note from editor
Secondary image
Subscription advertisement

6. Media Language: Contents Page
• At the top of the page we can find the masthead of the magazine (capital letter, white). Next to there is the title of the page, “Contents”
written in yellow capital letters. It tells the readers where they are in the magazine. Both the masthead and the title of the page stand out
as they are on a black background.
• On the top right corner there are the number of the issue and the cover date. They are clearly visible because they’re written in yellow.
• There is a plug on the contents section. It says “as seen on ITV2”, so that it either attracts people who’ve seen the program or make new
readers curious so that they might find out.
• The contents section is divided in 8 parts, each with a different title so that it is easier for the audience to find what they want. The titles
are written in bold and they are visible because the yellow contrasts the background. Under each part the reader can find the titles of the
articles featured in the issue. Most articles also have a subtitle which briefly tells the audience what it is about.
• The main image is a low angle mid-shot of the band “Enter Shikari”. It covers most of the left side of the page. The members of the band
look down to the reader but it also looks like they are looking at the contest proposed by the magazine: this way the readers are driven to
look in that direction.
• The main cover line attracts the attention of the audience as it has a plug that says “Win!” in big characters and it is made more visible by
using the contrasts of colours ( yellow/red). The competition attracts more audience, as there is an opportunity to win a prize, which can
relate to most of the readers as it appeals to their interests. The rest of the main line is in capital letters (red/white contrasts with dark
background) to make it really easy to be seen by the viewers.
• The magazine uses the competition as a hook to attract more audience. In this section they are told what to do to enter the contest and
what to do for winning the prize: answering a question about the band in the main image. The question is made really visible because it is
highlighted in red. The question proposed is really easy: that is done to attract as many people as possible to participate as more people
would try if they knew they could win easily.
• There is a secondary image at the bottom left corner of the page. It is an extreme close-up shot of a tattoo, probably from the editor.
• At the bottom of the page there is also a note from the editor. It starts with “Hello readers” which is in bold and catches the attention of
the audience, as they feel like someone is talking directly to them. In the note, the editor briefly tells us about the main features of the
issue. The note is very colloquial and it really looks like the editor is talking to the readers a close friends, by making jokes and being funny.
That interests the readers and makes them feel closer to the magazine and to the issue inside.
• At the bottom right corner there is a subscription advertisement. The reader is given all the information needed to subscribe to the
magazine. Previous issues covers are shown, as well.
• On the right side there are the credits to the photo.

7. Double page spread
Name of the band
Page title
Introduction
to the article
Main image
Article
Page number

8. Double page spread Extra information
column
Name of
the band
Secondary
image
Article
Pull quote
Main image
Page number

9. Double page spread
Name of
the band
Article
Main image
Subtitle
Pull quote
Extra /
sub-article
Page
number

10. Media Language: Double Page Spread
• The name of the band is written at the top left corner. It reminds us of what the article is about. It is not written in a big
font, but the indefinite, peculiar shape and the red/white colours make it visible to the audience.
• The main title of the article is written in the same font as the name of the band.
• There is a brief introduction to the article, in which part of the text is highlighted in red.
• The pull quote is extracted from the interview and it is used to give the reader a bit of summary and a overall idea of what
the article says. It is written in big capital letters. The colour scheme is the same as the one in the title (white fading in red).
This way it is more visible because it stands out from the contrast with the overall dark background and catches the
audience’s attention.
• At the bottom left and right of the pages there is the page number, so that it can be read clearly and it helps the readers
finding what they want.
• The article is divided in columns and the text is white, clear font so that it can be easily read. Each column start with a red
capital letter, written in a bigger font. That helps the readers visualize the different paragraphs.
• The main images are mid-shots of the lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington.
1) The first image follows the same theme as the image on the front cover, but there is also a strong contrast between the
two poses in the images (front cover and 3rd double page spread): in fact, on the cover the singer is pulling an angry face, which is
more sensational and attracts more audience, while in the double page spread the signer appears more relaxed and calm.
2) The second image is the same that appears on the front cover. It is the only one that differences from the others, as in this
one the singer is screaming, with a victory attitude.
3) The third image follows the same concept as the first.
• Among the pages we can find:
- a secondary image of the band performing (2nd page, top left)
- “extra information” column (2nd page, right side), in which we are told more about the singer.
- a “sub/article” (3rd page, on the right), in which we can find more information on the band, and its evolution during the
years.

11. Ideology
• Kerrang! was initially devoted to the New Wave of the British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard
rock acts.
• Today, it focuses mostly on rock music and its background in general.
• It often uses contents such as hard rock and heavy metal iconic male bands on the front cover
(most of them, pulling angry faces or with violent, sensational expressions to attract the
audience)
• Kerrang! is also often criticised for repeating the process of discarding bands when a new
musical trend becomes popular.

12. Institution
• Kerrang! is UK-based magazine published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published
on 6 June 1981 as a one-off supplement of the Sounds newspaper.
• It is named after the onomatopoeic word that derives from the
sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar.
• In the early 2000s, it became the best selling British music
newspaper.
• The Kerrang! Empire has its own annual award ceremony, digital
radio station, TV channel, tour of rock music concerts and website.
• International editions of Kerrang! Can be found in German and Spanish.
• Also, Kerrang! Represents an example of cross media ownership. That’s why another
strategy they have adopted is through synergy. Bauer Media Group also owns other
music magazines, such as Q and Mojo: this way they can promote their products
systematically through different broadcast mediums.

13. Audience
• On Kerrang!’s website we can find this description of their audience: “from the younger
teenage readers who are more open to different genres of rock music – from EMO to Trash
etc. to the reader who respect Kerrang! As an authority when it comes to our scene’s heritage
bands”.
• Also, Kerrang! Identifies its audience as “individually minded, independent of though and
musically experienced. An audience defined by attitude, passion and loyalty”
• The magazine applies to a specific niche audience because it concerns topics and themes that
are relevant only to people who listen to or are interested by rock music and its background.
• Target audience was originally 16-25 years old. However, during the past years it has dropped
down to 14-17.
• Kerrang! Proposes different kinds of interactions with the audience: it gives the readers the
chance to respond and share opinions and views (posting photos, letters polls, competitions
etc.). This way, the audience feel more involved with the publication.
Males
Females
Audience

14. Representation
• The cover follows a colour scheme based mainly on the yellow/white contrast with some red
(as in the background or for the cover lines). Overall, the viewer gets a feeling of warm
colours that softens the sharpness of the images and the masthead. Scheme of cover line and
pull quote: white, yellow, white, yellow (to make it more visible to the viewer and to separate
the topics)
• The cover also follows a precise geometric scheme. In fact, the secondary images linked
together form a square, whose diagonals’ centre is represented by the main cover line and
image, with the pull quote. That drives the attention of the viewer on them. Also the images
are either circular shaped or rectangular shaped (top right/bottom left, top left/bottom right)
• The contents page follows the same colour scheme as the front cover.
• The double page spread follows a similar scheme, with dark backgrounds and white/red
contrast.