The document discusses conventions and design elements commonly found on album covers and advertisements for metal music. It provides examples of fonts, color palettes, imagery, and layouts typically used to represent the genre. Key focal points are the band's name in a bold font and the use of dark, menacing artwork featuring monsters or skulls rather than band photographs. Advertisements aim to prominently feature the album cover artwork alongside the band's established visual identity.

1. Only two fonts used throughout to keep it simple, effective and consistent Similar image used on the back as is on the front, in keeping with the theme The red makes the band’s name stand out. The album title does not appear on the cover, only on the spine. The font is used on all the band’s albums to make them recognisable The band’s logo has been modified and made to look machine-like, as the title is “Doomsday Machine” Record label logo The machine-like colour scheme continues onto the back Digipak covers

2. The colour scheme is kept very simple so as not to detract attention The band’s logo is used to make it recognisable to fans The band’s own font is used to make it recognisable to fans The background image isn’t clear, which helps create a sense of mystery. It would also make people look closely at it to try and see what’s going on The black and white colour scheme creates fear and creepiness, again as it is not completely clear what is going on in the image. The track list is not the focal point of the back cover The record label’s logo is very small and insignificant Digipak covers

3. The band’s font is very big, bold and plain so as to attract attention and make it recognisable. The fire effect on the copy makes the band name seem included in the cover art, and not a separate thing. The track listing is the main focal point on the back cover. It has been made more important than the previous two The fire is bright and stands out against the pure black background. The simplicity makes it bold and attention grabbing, as does the image of the person in the flames. Digipak covers

4. Colours Usually dark, but not always, as in the case of Pantera Usually a small colour palette of about 2 -3 colours Copy The band name is usually at the top in the biggest, boldest or brightest font, with the album title underneath Bands often use the same fonts for their name on all their albums and merchandise Images Photographs of the band are rarely used on metal albums, instead it is usually a constructed image of a fictional creature, such as a monster There will usually be just one main image Conventions of covers

5. Beyond wonderland Pieces of eight Hitman Ringbearer Grymmoire VTKS distress Dreaming of Lillian Maszyna Font ideas (band name)

6. Riesling Evanescent Hitman Wretched Fiddums family Fiolex mephisto Marigold wild Dark 11 Font ideas (album name)

7. Dead secretary CGF off-road Social animal Rugged type Times new yorker Dirty headline Death font Times and times again Font ideas (track list)

8. The band’s name is the main focus of the page, using the brightest colour and the biggest font. The font style is representative of the genre of music The same fonts are used here as on the album, so that after seeing this advert, people will recognise the album when they see it in shops. The artwork is also the same as seen on the album. Blue is not a colour conventionally seen much in thrash metal, but the evil-looking skeleton would be an image more likely to be seen in metal This has been constructed with the alien in the foreground, like a barrier between the skeleton and the audience. However the skeleton’s hand so close to the audience has connotations of fear and doom. The record label’s logo is also a main focus point. It’s been constructed so it stands out against the lighter background and so it promotes the label as best as possible The slogan at the top is likely to be the second thing the audience sees, after the band’s name. This sets out the album’s theme for the audience and the rhyme constructed makes it memorable Adverts

9. The band’s name is small and not the main focus, but the font is so iconic and widely recognised as belonging to this band that the audience will still be drawn to it The main imagery used is very conventional for metal. The face is evil-looking, representing fear, death or doom, and the preferred meaning of the horns is to imply some reference to evil and Satan, another commonly occurring theme in metal. The black background is plain and simple, while still having many connotations of death and evil. The colour scheme is kept simple so as not to make it too busy on the eye or to detract focus from the band name or album. The band name font provides an identity for the band and is like a continuity feature, as it is seen on all their albums and merchandise Adverts

10. The actual album artwork is shown so that the audience knows what to look for in the shop The sharp edges of the band’s font have connotations with the metal genre, and the colour makes it look dirty, or like rusted metal. This represents the nature of metal music, as it is not a clean-cut genre. The main image used is very conventional for metal. The face and eyes look dark, twisted and evil, to represent the music. The camouflage helmet represents the patriotism conveyed in this album, which is evident by the title alone; “The American Way”. The creature’s hand is in the foreground, close to the audience to instil fear in them, while holding a withered plant to show the preferred meaning of death. The long black claws were constructed to make the creature look menacing and fearless, as it is being restrained by sharp barbed wire and showing no pain. The sky in the background is typically dark and cloudy, perhaps to represent the dark and fearful themes of the album. This tagline describes the album to the audience, so they know what sort of things to expect from it Adverts

11. Colours Often dark and simple such as black or grey, or maybe black and a bright colour, such as red or yellow The colour of the copy will be themed with the colour of the imagery used Copy The band’s name will be the main masthead, in the biggest font Aside from the band and album title, there will be few words, such as a couple of the tracks featured, when it is released, what label etc The band’s own font will be used wherever necessary Images Sometimes an image of the band is used but usually it’s something of a fictional scary creature, such as a monster or a skeleton There is usually just one main image If this image is not related to the album artwork, a picture of the album cover will be used additionally Conventions of adverts