The main image is spread across the cover to show that this is the main article inside - if the band are unknown to the audience, the cover line is an anchorage. The image gives the reader a sense of fun, although none of the band members are smiling. Yet, there is not a dark or dangerous feel to the cover, instead there is one of curiosity. The member with his mouth open appears to be the frontman as he is crouched down and in front of the other members. The mode of address would probably appeal to other young bands.
What I like about the magazine is the colour scheme because it is appealing to the reader's eye: black, white, yellow and blue was used very effectively as it gives the front cover a house style. The colour blue connotes depth and masculinity which highlights that rock songs are usually quite deep and emotional. The chosen fonts are not serious and give the connotations of writing on chalkboards which highlights the fact that a lot of rock musicians are 'high-school dropouts.' The banner is used to catch the reader's attention - the alliteration of "Guitar God" is appropriate for this magazine as it creates a harsh and jarring sound, therefore creating a discordant, chilling effect which causes the reader to think about rock music. "Get Ready" gives the reader excitement and draws the reader into wanting to know more. "Plus!" has the same effect. The magazine cover also informs he reader that there are posters available inside which induces the reader to buy the magazine. Overall, the front cover has a very appealing layout.
Once again, a house style is shown on the contents page by the use of colour themes and layout with images in the top half and articles featured on the bottom half.
Each article on the contents page is separated into sections for ease of the reader. Page numbers are found on the left hand side of each article headline, and underneath a few of these is extra information in a lighter font so it does not draw too much attention. The contents page has a lot of white space which is key in magazine design as it balances out all the colours and content on your page, therefore giving the reader a greater accessibility and an improved reading experience.
There is also information about subscribing for the magazine - this has a much bolder colour scheme, which contrasts with the rest of the contents page, thus creating more attention. The editor is also featured on the contents page which provides a personal element for the magazine.
The article has been separated into two columns to keep within the house style of a typical article. Also, it creates a better spacing, giving the reader an improved read. The heading used is a pull quote, which is very eye-catching because of its bold font and block red and white colour. The pull quote also brings great visual power as it breaks up long blocks of text and attracts the reader. The effect of pull-quotes depend on their attractiveness, both visual and textual.
The images used in the article are black and white, rather than in colour which would have been too distracting. It can be hard to focus on the article when there is too much colour. The images have an aesthetic, artistic look that is hard to produce in colour. The use of the black and white photos could suggest that the band have a profound history, giving the reader a nostalgic feeling. Predominantly, the article is monotone but red has been included as well to highlight the passion that's sometimes forgotten about in rock music.
There is a fair amount of blank space on the pages to draw the reader's attention to the image and text. 'My Chemical Romance" is in bold text to show importance whereas the rest of the text is in a regular format to make it easily legible. It also creates an anchorage as to who the article is talking about if the reader does not know.
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