2. Example Covers

3. Cover Analysis
Dark and gritty war-themed
background gives off a big
dark/evil feel to the whole
page, as well as the skeleton
figures of Iron Maiden. The
tank is the main centerpiece
here and draws most of the
attention. Males are usually
associated with being fans of
the military and warfare.
The nature of the image is quite
gritty, masculine and
absurd, which appeals to
teenagers and young adult
males. This is not a typical
publication you would see in a
woman’s or elderly themed
literature section due to the
dark nature of it.
Large, red and dominating title adds
to the overall doom factor of the
cover, making it easily recognizable
to fans and enticing others who may
like the style. This issue is also a
little older than other issues, and
the bordered grey on the text gives
it a stenciled military-esque
appearance.
Usage of military motifs that could be
considered ‘cool’ or ‘badass’ entices
young males.
Most metal fans are going to know
who Iron Maiden is, so by putting
their name this big on the cover
they will entice a lot of fans. The
tagline above is also designed to
draw more readers in by using big
exaggerating words to describe their
new album.

4. Comparing Covers
Terrorizer & Metal Hammer
Both magazines here follow a dark and drab colour palette as well as
close-up photographs of the featured bands that dominate the cover. The
colours used here represent this particular style of music which is known
for being dark and aggressive compared to other genres.
Both magazines feature a lineup of featured bands at the bottom of the
page which are presented as sans serif and serif, reflecting each style of
the feature band (Paradise Lost & Lacuna Coil both feature a more classy
approach, yet Aura Noir is more extreme and distressed. Terrorizer opts
for bright white and yellow sans serif text, that in a way can resemble a
warning sign’s style-further attributing to metal fan’s aggressive
characteristics.) As well as this, more bands are featured at the top that
give a brief summary of the content to the passing eye on the magazine
rack.
Both magazines have a dark style reflected in the feature bands that is quite prominent in the appearance of the typical metal fan black t-shirts with logos, heavy chains, hoods, sunglasses, long, unkempt hair and facial hair. This could make potential buyers and
members of the target audience feel connected with the magazine as it puts across styles and motifs that they can associate with. As
well as this, both of them have small logos that note what the mag includes – a free CD or a 17 page long special – this can entice more
buyers thanks to the freebies offered. CDs are particularly valued with music fans as they allow them to sample new music and find new
bands to enjoy. Overall, both of these covers give off a gloomy, menacing vibe that fits in well with what most metal is defined by, and
this is specifically tailored to draw in fans of metal, who are typically associated with such motifs.

5. Comparing Logos
Terrorizer features a rougher, grittier logo that represents the more
extreme music it covers as opposed to Metal Hammer’s general
focus. Fans of the more extreme metal subgenres tend to be more
into the crazier aspects of metal, such as dark, terrifying or horrifying
themes, absurd styling and general themes that are mostly frowned
upon in society.
In contrast, Metal Hammer’s logo is more stylized and refined,
appearing modern but at the same time influenced by what it
covers, like the distressing used in the word ‘metal’ and the spikes
and flicks at the bottom of the letters. This is quite reminiscent of
Metallica’s logo, who are one of the most famous metal bands and
as such, the more general fans who have heard of them will likely
make this connection.
Metal Hammer’s logo generally appears larger on the cover than
Terrorizer because it covers much more, including many general
areas of metal as opposed to the underground scene.

6. Gender & Age
Simply by glancing at many of the metal magazine covers it is clear the
males are the dominant genre due to metal’s largely male fan base and
devotion. Although there a few females in bands, most bands are made up
of only men so it is important the magazines such as Metal Hammer have
appealed to them as the core demographic. Certain elements of this could
be the gritty, ‘badass’ styling that fit well with the masculine nature of
metal and its listeners. Males tend to be the gender that is more
interested in darker elements of life, like weapons, warfare, doom and
death aspects. As such, both magazines here have monotone colour
palettes and lots of grim photography that paints the featured musicians
as grim and haunting. Males shown in the magazine tend to have very
dominating poses and photography that bring out masculine features such
as muscles and tattoos. Females, while rarely shown in both of these
magazines, are shown as more classy, lacking the unkempt hair and heavily
tattooed bodies of the opposite sex. This shows that both genders are on
equal footing in metal, just that female musicians are heavily
outnumbered.
As for age, both magazines are trying to appeal to a range that is in the
late teens to late thirties, which is the prime audience for this style of
music. To promote this, they both use large, stylized fonts with almost no
sense of layout, giving it quite a wild feel that represents the generation it
aims for. The main age, 20s-30s is shown as the most dominating age with
lots of the bands and musicians looking moderately young and masculine
while retaining their characteristics. Children and the elderly are rarely
shown in both magazines, but elderly musicians are treated with a lot of
respect and honor, such as members of older, legendary bands.

7. Page Spread Analysis
The usage of the word
‘shredding’ to describe
fast guitar playing is an
example of the
audience culture, as
people who are not as
into music will not
recognize this term.
An example of prior
knowledge is the
fact that this article
does not mention
why Herman Li was
chosen. This is
because his
band, DragonForce
is infamous for its
crazy guitar
solos, meaning most
fans will understand
why instantly.
The layout here is formal yet
at the same time informal
with the usage of the logo on
the first page, the columns
and the highlighted red text.
This reflects on the audience
who are in the transition of
informal (teens) and formal
(adults) The words in red are
used to highlight and break
up parts of the text, making
it easy to follow.
The usage of cable
jack and plectrum
graphics gives this
whole spread a
scrapbook-esque
appearance which
ties in nicely with
the gritty style of
music the magazine
covers. It also allows
it to tie in with the
article subject.