The document analyzes the cover designs of four music magazines: Terrorizer, Metalhammer, Kerrang, and NME. It summarizes key elements of each magazine cover including the masthead design and placement, selling lines, font styles, main image, additional images, button placements, and color schemes. Overall it finds similarities between the magazines in their use of dark tones, capitalized fonts, and promotional elements, but also differences in specific visual treatments between the raw style of Terrorizer and the cleaner design of NME.

1. Music Magazine Cover analysis.

3. TerrorizerMasthead - The masthead is a specific font and has a worn out stone colour to it. It is at the top of the page and the colour behind it seems to be faded the black to make the masthead stand out more. It is placed behind the photo to make the photo stand out more but it the masthead is still perfectly visible and you are able to identify the magazine straight away. The masthead is very rough which I think may contribute to the style of magazine as the music in it is very rough and people don’t normally write about stuff like satanic metal.

4. Selling line - The selling line for the magazine is above the Masthead it has 3 individual parts to it “FREE CD!” which is attached to the front. “THE HAUNTED “WE’VE MADE A POP ALBUM” this is advertising a band and something they have done that their fans maybe be interested in reading. And “3 KILLER POSTERS”, people who buy magazines like posters of their favourite artists and new artists or sometimes just because they think the pictures look cool, but posters are always a good way to sell your magazine.TerrorizerMain Image – The main image takes up most of the front cover. It is of the singer of the band “Crowbar” and is advertising the 6 page interview inside of the magazine. The image is placed over the masthead but is covered in other text including the information about the band itself, the promotional cd, and some other information in the bottom right hand corner. The angle of gaze of the main image makes it look like he is looking down on you and makes him look superior to us. Under the photo is also says “beating the booze and conquering all” which can also be why he is looking down on the reader, it shows power.Other images – There are not many other images, there are a few images in the top right hand corner which are advertising the posters inside, sort of like a “sneak peak” but the only proper image is the main image that takes up almost the whole magazine front cover.Font – The fonts are very similar all over the cover. They all seem to relate back to the font of the band “Crowbar” which has a very metallic look to it. Most of the fonts seem to be connect to that type of font in a way but have their own sort of twists to them. All the words are in capitals to show the heaviness of the magazines.

5. TerrorizerButton – There isn’t really a proper button on this front cover but there is a exclusive advertisement, instead of a shape it seems they have used two scythes which they have put the exclusive over, this could be because they are a metal magazine and metal such as “Children of Bodom” is seen as very brutal.Colour scheme – The colour scheme is very basic I think but is also very effective. Metal obviously isn’t all bright colours and pretty pictures, so the rotting stone colour of the masthead and the rusting metallic look of the font around the page gives it a more dark and in a sense “evil” effect. The background of the photo is a very light blue from the sky but as it gets up to the masthead it seems to be darkened out, to make the masthead more visible. Also the promotion CD which is a very scary look castle with lightening in the sky is all in sepia which actually work really well with the colours on the magazine as they are all deep mellow colours.

7. MetalhammerMasthead - The masthead is an inlay, metal is written down the side of the H. “Hammer” is on fire which matches the “Architects” writing under it. Metal looks like it was actually hand written onto the H where as “Hammer” obviously looks very computerised. The masthead is placed behind the photo which makes the photo stand out more but it also blends it with the photo as the photo of the man is very scary looking and he is on fire. Selling line – The selling like at the top of the front cover is advertising different bands featured in the magazine such as Metallica, Slipknot, Machine Head and Coheed and Cumbria. It also mentions the fact that there are 2 free cd’s with the magazine which are attacked to the side of the magazine instead of actually on the magazine its self. Font – The font is very simple over most of the page apart from the masthead and the name of the band which are both on fire and look like bits have burnt off, the writing is all in capitals which could show the heaviness of the magazine which is also the same as Terrorizer.

8. MetalhammerMain Image – The main image is of the singer of “The Architects” who there is a interview on inside the magazine (even though I didn’t choose to do that one). The Image is a close up of the guys face who looks very angry besides the fact he is also on fire and his eyes match that. Next to the photo it says “ The more people hate, the stronger we’ll become” which briefly explains what the interview might be about. Other images – There are no other images on the actual front cover, but next to the magazine is obviously the free cd’s which have very weird photos on them. The first photo is a guy with only half the skin on his face as the other half is just skull who is doing the rock sign with his hands that a lot of metal heads do at gigs and concerts. The other picture is from the band “The Defiled” and the picture probably has some sort of significance to the band seeing as I can not identify what the photo is, it looks to me (going by “grave times” under the name) it is a coffin or tomb stone with two bones crossed under it.

9. MetalhammerButtons – There are three covers on this front cover. The first one is up in the top corner which is advertising the 2 free cd’s. The next one is on the guys head and actually looks like is has been burnt a little which goes along with the whole fire theme but it is to meet “Zakk Wylde” and to win a guitar, pedal and a box set. The last one is kind of two in one, there is a button on another that says “Danger Danger” which is then on another one that has the flammable sign on it and says “hot list 2011” which is advertising bands who they think will be big this year.Colour Scheme – The colour scheme is very dark apart from the text which are made bright to stand out against

11. Kerrang Masthead – The masthead is pitch black on a white strip at the top of the magazines, it has some of the picture over it but it is still very noticeable because if its unique broken up letters and the colour contrast make it stand out.Selling line - The selling line is “DOWNLOAD : 20 ACTS ADDED”, this is a very good selling line as download is a very popular festival and people are always looking for new bands being added to the line up so people will very persuaded to buy this as they would want to know who is going to be playing there. “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS INSIDE” is the next part of the selling line which makes you wonder who the interview is about and what the interview is about. Font - the fonts are very simple most look to be bold Ariel but in the middle of the page advertising what the issue is about the font looks very battered and torn which could be to go with the masthead. All the letters are in capitals like on Metalhammer and Terrorizer which I said previously I believe is to give it more of that heavy metal / rock feel to it which I guess could also relate to this but this isn’t as heavy as Metalhammer or Terrorizer.

12. Kerrang Main Image - This magazine seems to be a special addition one as there isn’t really one main image. Where-as most magazines have either a certain band or person on the front cover there are 6 different people on this front cover from 6 different bands, this is because the issue is all about “150 killer tracks as voted by you” so obviously the people surrounding it are all from songs that have been voted into the top 150.Other images - the only other images are at the bottom of different bands which are featured as posters inside of the magazine. This is pretty much the same with the other magazines there is one main image and then there are no other smaller images just pictures of the posters that are inside of the magazine.Buttons – There are two buttons on this magazine. The first one is at the bottom advertising the 5 posters, most magazines that have free posters have buttons advertising how many there are and who they are of. The other button I am not too sure if it is actually a button is the massive circle right in the middle saying “150 KILLER TRANKS AS VOTED BY YOU”. Even though it is about the main story I would still say it is like a button.

13. Kerrang Colour scheme - The colour scheme is very basic. Black, White and Blue. Even though this is such a basic colour scheme it is very effective as it makes things stand out a lot of the very dark background. ~The white lettering and blue surroundings looks nice and is very bold on the black.

15. NMEMasthead - The masthead is in bold Ariel black letters. It is situated in the top left hand corner and unlike the other magazines it hasn’t got a photo covering part of it. Selling line - The selling line is “NME AWARDS NOMINATIONS REVEALED” which for people who watch the NME awards is probably a very big thing for them so it is quite a good selling line as people are going to want to know whose up for nomination and what they are being nominated for as they want to see if they like any of the people and if they want them to win.Font - The font is very basic and is mostly black and white, A lot of it is in capitals like the other magazines but not all of it, some of it is in lower case lettering but it seems that it is only for pull quotes. Main Image - the main image is of a main singer of a band. He takes up most of the front cover and is advertising am inside interview.

16. NMEOther images – unlike the other magazines this magazine has two other images advertising other things inside the magazine, the picture are quite small compared to the main image.Buttons – There are actually no buttons on this magazine which is different to all the other magazines that have buttons.Colour scheme – The colour scheme is Red, White and Black. It is a very weird colour scheme as the background changes between white and red and it fades down. The colours do work but the magazines doesn’t look as if a lot of time has been spent on it.