Kerrang Magazine Textual Analysis (Final redraft)

*Improvements will be coloured in blue.

Kerrang! is published by Bauer Media Group which is a european based media company and their main Hamburg headquarters manage a portfolio of more than 600 magazines, over 400 digital products and 50 radio and TV stations around the world. It also publishes Q magazine from its UK headquarters (H Bauer UK)

For my analysis of the second magazine I chose Kerrang even though it is not the same genre that my own music magazine will be, I can compare both genres and write about the similarities of both magazines.

Page 1: Front cover

There is a midshot of the cover star which is a typical convention as well as having the cover star directly look into the camera (direct address). There is a 3 colour scheme of black yellow and red which keeps the cover simple and matches the cover star who has red hair. It has a 'rough look' as the main cover line text is off centre and the other cover lines are tilted to match the genre. 

The strap line grabs the reader's attention and one of the puffs mentions posters which is a convention of many music magazines. The font is consistent so the magazine is more professional looking and there are a lot words in bold to emphasise certain articles and catch the reader's eye. The main cover line is in the centre and covers the chest of the cover star and the font makes it look like a tattoo, which is a good stylistic choice.

There is direct address in the cover lines and puffs to make engage the reader, the tone is very rebellious and aggressive, which is emphasised by a lot of exclamation marks in the cover lines and in the mast head.

The cover also promotes famous artists from the genre like green day, fallout boy and guns n roses. The main cover star is shirtless and in tattoos which is common in the genre of rock and the font also matches the genre.

Page 2: Contents Page

The contents page is similar to the Vibe contents page, as it contains a midshot of a celebrity next to the contents. It contains the same 3 colour scheme as the front cover. There are still some images in the contents to make it more visually busy. It also contains an advert in the contents page but it doesn't list adverts, only editorials in chronological order. 

The page contains a consistent font also but is not tilted or off centre as the front cover. There are words highlighted in bold to make it easier to read. This shows some of the similarities between the different genres of music. The midshot of the celebrity is used to show an editorial, by showing it this way it emphasises the importance of that editorial piece. The photo of the artist is more civilised and posh, which contrasts the messages and style of rock which is usually a more rebellious feeling. We can see this because of the mise-en-scene of the image as the clothes the artist is wearing is more formal and doesn't fit with the typical style of the genre, thus making it more interesting for the reader

The magazine offers posters which can be seen on the contents page, this is a typical convention of a music magazine that offers the reader more incentive to buy it as the posters are new and cant be bought elsewhere. This is what most music magazines give away but others give out a free CD or other gifts, but this is not common practise among music magazines.

Page 3: Double page spread

The DPS has a medium close up of the cover star making a wild expression which catches the reader's eye and appears to be underwater which is visually interesting. The lighting is bright on the cover star and makes him more pale to contrast the black background. The colour scheme is black and white with small hints of red to pop out at the reader. The visuals of the dps relate to the article as the interview is about the artist opening up about something personal and 'coming clean' which is why the water is used and the lack of clothes seem connote how this is a pure look at the artist, without anything covering them up, this type of article is interesting and gives a new perspective for the reader which makes them want to check it out.

The writing is in columns so it is easier to read and contains a drop cap which is a convention of all magazines. The article is coloured white to match the colour scheme and contrasts the background. The page contains a small blurb which sets up the tone of the magazine and what its going to be about, this is also done in other music magazines and mainly in interviews which is a good way to get the reader interested and to make it easier for them to read.

The language used is informal but still professional and the tone is not serious and represents the genre well. The genre is shown by the use of the cover star, the blurb at the beginning, and part of the title shows 'rock essentials' which makes it more obvious.

Overall, despite the differences of the genres, I will use some of the imagery and style of this genre in my music magazine, and some of the similarities are interesting to note, because they show how being aesthetically pleasing or looking more professional can transcend genres of music as these elements should be included in all big music magazines and I will try to create my music magazine in the same way.