Double Page Article Analysis - Kerrang!

The choice of band, ‘Bring Me the Horizon’. They are a young rock band; this suggests that the target audience would be teenage girls preferably 15-18 year olds, because they would find a young boy band appealing. The target audience would also be just young people who enjoy rock music, and who like new music that is up to date and more understanding to them.

The language in the article is very ill mannered because of the way it address’s its target audience; it comes across as if the magazine as no respect for its readers because of the language used. One quote has been made larger so that it is seen by the readers, it says, ‘I was pissed off, upset, angry. I couldn’t enjoy anything’. This quote is capitalized and in white writing so that it is noticeable. The fact that it is made noticeable shows that the magazine isn’t really bothered about the language it uses.  It also shows that the band talk to fans and colleagues as they would their friends and other band mates, they don’t treat their fans differently to people who are close to them.

The most dominant colours that are used on the page are white and black. The white text on the black background is very eye catching and a really good contrast of colours. In a way it represents the band, as rock artists they are very outgoing and they stand out, the same as their music, it would stand out against other music because of the instruments used. The colour also matches the colour of the makeup used on the artists, their faces are pale white and they have black eyes that really stand out. This is really effective and creates a dull and dreary mood.

The text that is used is very simple and plain, but it is really effective and it fits with the mood set by the expression on the artists faces. The font is very simple and this could be a way of making the personalities of the artists stand out because they are so outgoing and bold. There is a big letter at the beginning of each section of the article; this really stands out because it grabs your attention when reading the article. It is also a way of keeping you entertained by what you are reading so you’re not reading the same size text and font the whole time.

The double page spread has text down both the right and left side with images in the middle; this draws your attention directly to the middle when reading the article. It lets you know what the article is about before reading it and it is an interesting way of laying out the page. It is also an effective way of getting the attention of someone who is just looking through the magazine; they would see the images and want to know what the story was about. There are small captions next to the images which would let the audience know what the images are about and who the band are without reading the article.
Most of the pages are taken up by images, this is because the text that is used is small but there is a lot of writing. This could be because the target audience would rather look at images than read, the images take up most of the pages so that it gets the viewers attention, they will then want to read the article because of the captions and the images. This could also be a way of putting across the bands personalities because it is the main thing on the double page spread, the bands personalities are put across and shown to us as an audience in these images.

The magazine address’s the reader as a close friend but also as fan, the language isn’t to open but the tone of the language used is very ill mannered. It shows that the magazine and the band aren’t bothered about how the audience feels, if they feel intimidated or if they aren’t happy with how the magazine address’s them. The audience is also addressed as 3^rd person in the conversation because it is as if we are listening to the conversation as the 3^rd person.
The band is presented as depressed and withdrawn. Their pale faces and darkness round the eyes gives off a mood of uncertainty and anxiousness. The darkness of the image reminds me, as the viewer of death and violence. It makes the audience think that the band is going through a hard time because they look so death like, but it is really because they have been ‘To hell and back’ and the look that they have is a way of representing this.

The article gives off the same depressed and anxious mood as the front cover by the images and the colours that are used. It is the same story and the same band that is on the front cover which means the same setting and style is used.

The magazine does not demand any prior knowledge when reading the article because everything we need to know is explained. Knowing myself that Kerrang was a rock music magazine advertisement I expected the bands featured would be rock bands. Everything I needed to know about the band was explained and I didn’t need to know anything before reading the article.