The document summarizes the contents pages of four music magazines - Terrorizer, Metalhammer, Kerrang, and NME. It analyzes the colors, layouts, images, and text used on each contents page and compares their styles. The contents pages showcase previews of articles, photos, and advertisements through various designs with colors, fonts, and placements of images and text.

1. Music Magazine Contents Page analysis.

2. Colour There is a range of colours on the contents page but mainly black, white and a red/orange. The colours are all very dark but has the white to help contrasts against it and bring out the text. The dark colours are normally associated with “evil” which is what some people would see the kind of metal Terrorizer features. The titles are white like on the front cover and are laid over a very dark background to make it more prominent. Looking at the pictures of double pages spreads that are on the contents, they match the contents page and front cover as they have very dark background with very prominent text and all look quite “evil”. Layout The layout is not like what you would see in most magazines. It is split into two columns, one called “regulars” and one called “features” then they have a range of photos around these columns with captions and page numbers. This is a very different layout to most magazines as they wouldn’t normally split up there contents page to show the features and regulars. This contents page also has a column next to it telling you about “Dark Arts LTD” (the company who produces Terrorizer) It includes how to contact them and who does what and their contacts details. You wouldn’t normally see something like this in a magazine or they wouldn’t make a whole column for it. Terrorizer. Image There are 4 images on this contents page, 3 are of double page spreads inside the magazine and one is a photograph of a guy called “Merly” meeting Lemmy. The caption on this says “When Merly met Lemmy” which probably means it is an interview. On the actually contents page there isn’t a photo of the guy on the front but on the page opposite the contents page there is information on the free cd you get and an “editorial” which has the front cover guy on it and explains a bit about it in the editorial. All the pictures of the double page spreads have a very similar feeling to them, they all seem very dark. The images do all match to the contents page as the images could be said to look very “metal” (which as a adjective could mean scary, long hair, tattoos, piercings, dark clothing). Text The text on the contents page is very simple, they use pretty much the same text they use on the front cover, the title of the magazine is at the top of the contents page in the same font and where it says “contents” and the issue and date those are in the same font as all the other font on the front. Most of the writing for the contents is actually just Ariel font which is quite plain. There is a different kind of font for the headings of the columns but all the fonts blend quite well.

3. Layout The layout in this magazine is very weird and different to most magazines as it only takes over half a page. It is a very simple column of text explaining what is inside of the magazine and at the bottom has 4 photos and an advertisement that is on one of the pages (advertising clothes). You do not see many contents pages like this as they normally take over a whole page and not just half, next to the contents is a small review and update of the magazine written by the editor and this and the contents seem to be joined together by a button. I like this technique but I think it takes a very certain magazine to pull it off. Colour There are 3 main colours on the contents page – white, red and black. The colours are very plain and do not very much at all. They go with the front cover as the front cover has a lot of red and black and a little bit of white writing. The red and black writing on top of the white background makes it stand out to the rest of the stuff on the page. Metalhammer Image There are 4 pictures on this contents. 2 of double page spreads which are included inside of the magazine which I think are probably the main ones they think people will be more interested in and there is 2 pictures of reviews on gigs and bands. Showing these help to interest the reader into what actually might be on the pages of the other magazines if they don’t want to read the whole contents, they can just skip to the review pages and read up on the bands they would like to read about. By putting pictures of the double spreads this will make people want to go and read them, this means they will want to read more and may even get into a habit of wanting to buy your magazine. Text The text is very simple the title and headings are all in the same kind of font. I think it could go with the front covers masthead as the masthead is burning and these look like they have been burnt/broken. The plain Ariel text used to describe what is on the pages makes it easy to read and understand but the colours and the font of the heading still makes it interesting and exciting to read.

4. Colour The main colours are yellow, black and white which all contrast together quite well and make the page look quite interesting. I like the white background with the yellow writing and the black around the yellow, as it is the headings it kind of looks like someone has highlighted it as an important point. All the colours of the pictures sort of match as well, they aren't all bright and fluorescent but more eye catching contrast colours. These go with the front cover as the front cover is pretty much black and white but it does have some blue, which is a very contrasting blue so I believe they like using black, white and a contrasting colour. Layout The layout is weird but not like Metalhammer, the contents does take over a whole page but the top half of the page is a photo of a double page spread inside of the magazine. There are quite along of photos and not actually that much writing. I think the layout it quite unique but works very well with the theme of the magazine as the front cover is very busy because of the special issue and the content page look quite busy too but it doesn’t look too busy and crowded that it looks horrible, it works quite well. Kerrang. Image There are quite a few images on this page, the main one is obviously of the band “Escape The Fate” which take up half of the contents page. There are also pictures of one of the posters you can get inside of the magazine and a picture of a album cover by “Good Charlotte”. There is then a photo about “The Ultimate 21st Century Playlist” which is what is mentioned on the front of the magazine and the colours are all the same to match that. There is also a picture of the editor who has wrote a small summery of the past few months since December and pictures of some of the issues you can get with a special deal from Kerrang. Text All the headlines are in the same kind of font, it is sort of a messy breaking font which is always in yellow and on a black background which I think gives it a nice effect. The text for the contents is all in Ariel like the other 2 magazines, I think this is because it is very clear to the reader and makes it easy to find what they are looking for.

5. Colour This contents page is pretty much a black and white theme apart from the photos. The colours are pretty plain and the colours make it look kind of like a newspaper front cover. All the colours in the photos are quite dim as well and don’t have many bright colours on them. Layout The layout is very weird. There are photos all over the place and texts everywhere, it looks very messy and unplanned, the pictures don’t go in any sort of order of number and are just placed where it seems they would fit. Then at the bottom there is a very small column, a tiny one that explains what else can be found in the magazine and then there is a advertisement to subscribe to the magazine. This magazine contents page looks more like a newspaper page. NME. Text There are quite a few texts on this page, the title looks like a newspaper title and doesn’t match with the masthead. There are loads of different fonts all changed from bold to not and it all looks quite messy but it is still easy enough to read. The font obviously stands out quite well as it is black on white and those are two of the most contrasting colours you can lay together but the text is very plain. Image There are loads of images on this contents page, all are quite dull coloured. They are spread around randomly and have captions under them all with two types of font. Some of the photos look posed others look like they were taken at random e.g. the photo right in the middle that looks like some people enjoying themselves and someone has just pulled out a camera on them and they have all just posed there and then. Then some look posed like the one in the top right corner and bottom right corner and those are probably interviews of the people.