Beth Reader's A Level Media

Magazine Analysis

Kerrang! is a UK based magazine published by Bauer Media Group. It was named after the onomatopoeic word that derives from the noise made when smashing an electric guitar, Kerrang! was initially devoted to the new wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard rock acts such as AC/DC who appeared on Kerrang!’s first cover.' 

The target audience seem to have been found to be 'male biased' and aimed at 15-35 year olds, passionate and dedicated to rock music that revoluntionises the world. 
It was first published June 6th 1981 as a one off inside 'the Sounds' newspaper.

The cost of Kerrang is £2.20 and it is launched as a weekly magazine.

Editor	James McMahon
Frequency	Weekly
Circulation	43,033
Publisher	Bauer Media Group
Founder	Geoff Barton
First issue	June 6, 1981 (1981-06-06)
Country	United Kingdom
Based in	London
Langua	nglish

What is the monthly revenue?

The monthly revenue of the magazine from advertising alone is £472,637

The cover 

Why is it called that?

Kerrang! derived from the onomatopoeic word that is made from the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar, Kerrang! was initially devoted to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard rock acts.

The title connotes a rock/heavy rock atmosphere/ contribution to music. The word 'Kerrang!' is both the title logo and masthead of the magazine, it is a bold and powerful word that strikes us hard and makes us distinguish this magazine from others. The colours used for the masthead are always bold, with attributes the genre, which is usually loud and dramatic. 

       The strapline is the main feature/double page spread feature of the magazine, the text is very different to the masthead, the text has a ragged type effect. This heavily relates to the type of music played. Slipknot's music is both loud and generally somewhat aggressive, in an attempt to make a difference or point.  

•    What is the main image? Analyse the facial expression, direction of gaze,
body language, clothing etc. How does this reach out towards the idealreader identified above? 

The clown type figure is one of the band members dressed in an outfit sometimes worn at shows to create a somewhat intense and creepy atmosphere. He is looking down which makes his eyes look dark and empty, tied in with the creepy smile makes an eerie impression. The body language seems tense as his arms are folded across his stomach, in a somewhat innocent pose. Perhaps creating a false facade of peace, making us await action.

A few other pictures are featured on the cover advertising free posters, a world exclusive! and 10 years of IOWA.


 What content is promoted by the cover lines?
The coverline is a continuation of the main feature and a representation of what will constitute the double page spread. 'The album that changed everything- By Clown'



Explaining  the connotations of typefaces (fonts), graphics, colours etc. 

•    What sort of language/language features/language devices can you identify?

Many of the fonts are bold and simple, leading us to the conclusion that the magazine is straight to the point and is attempting to speak a loud message. It is trying to advertise the music in its most simplistic form. The music speaks for itself. The entire front cover is a good representation of the impression the music gives itself. It connotates madness to a degree, its loud, undefined and different.  The cover is individualistic, it's unique in its layout and format. The colours are simplistic. Usually we see a very defined and obvious cover, whereas here we seem to see organised chaos. It speaks to us, as the music is loud and the cover itself seems to be shouting at us. The punctuation also says this to us.

Inside

There are in total 63 pages in the magazine and 20 of them are of adverts, adverts featured in the magazine are; albums, Kerrang advertisements, festivals, video games, DVD's, tour dates, drinks and a few other obscure adverts.         

The house style is unified throughout through the fonts, language and bright bold colours. The whole magazine is a vibrant and loud as if trying to convey a message. The language is colloquial telling us that is reaches out to a wide variety of people, rather then focusing on any specific areas of class. Results have found that the magazine is male biased, meaning it appeals more to the male gender and typically it appeals most to the younger generation around 15-35 year olds. It has some rather bold statements and content that some may find offensive and words inappropriate for younger readers.