Textual analysis

The dark background accentuates the band and makes them stand out on the cover, and the shadowed eyes creates interest and thus makes it poignant, as the lack of identity given by one’s eyes. Also because the centre person is lying in a position which suggested death with his eyes closed, it has a melancholic feel, which represents their glamourous rock genre. Also because all of the band members are in the foreground it implies that they are equal members. The contrast of light and dark colours make it very striking and dramatic, which would attract customers.

The use of cartoon images instead of the actual artists themselves and so this is very unique in itself, as the makes the reader question why the artists would represent themselves like that. This also could suggest that this is mocking similarity of humans to gorillas, as they drawn to look like they would act and talk like a human; playing on the fact that humans are more closely related to gorillas than most animals. The facial expressions are made to look angered and dark, which supports the title, Demon Days, perhaps implying a apocalyptic parallel where Gorillas have survived.

The acrylic nature of the background suggests a psychedelic and picturesque mood. The uniform of the band suggests a powerful militaristic authority. There are also wax models, which also contribute to the psychedelic. The flower bed could be suggested as a renaissance of the Beatles brand, and this telling of this new genre of music. The title is a bass drum, which instantly implies the rock genre because of the standard rock 4/4 beat. The flower garden which represents the band itself suggests a new image which the band has tried to evolve to, and also could suggest that the old Beatles music and style has been replaced by a new different style, which may help to attract a new audience who weren’t previously targeted. It could also be interpreted to mean that it is an album celebrating the band, which may be seen as justified because of their previous success, or may be seen as arrogance; two contrasting interpretations.

The white title against the black background creates stark contrast, making it stand out, and also implies that they are special band, and it is rare, which is supported by the “Unreleased” strapline, persuading the reader to believe that this particular album or recording is unique and not to be missed out on. The fact that the main singer is topless, implies an energetic performance and adheres to the conventions of the Rock music genre. Each member of the band is male, and so they are represented as manic and almost primitive, adhering to the energetic nature of the performers.

The title is very concise and unpretentious, and simply tells the audience what the album consists of, instead of offering a metaphorical interpretation or outlook, which also contributes to the Rock genre. There is a medium shot of the band, which also acts as an establishing shot contributing to the genre of Rock and the light in the background creates a faint outline of the drummer and the guitarist on the left, but focuses on the main frontman and guitarist, suggesting that they are the most important people in the band.

The whole advert adheres and represents the rebellious attitude which is commonly found in Rock music, and the teenage revolution culture is present in the graffiti picture of two teens in the middle. This theme of revolution and perhaps political and social change is supported and shown through the use of the album title “21st Century Breakdown” and this could be seen as controversial, which would attract the young teenage stereotype. The colours of red and yellow are bright and distinctive, and could symbolise danger and hostility, which both adhere to the rebellious attitude. The title is styled in a way to appear like it has recently been painted, which relates to the background wall image, and it could mean that it was done quickly and perhaps against the rules of society, which all tie in to the main theme. The text at the bottom are all in the same three colours to separate their significance, with the release date in the brightest colour, followed by their famous single and the other part.

The combination of four different shots of the band creates an edgy and mysterious effect, which could relate to the album title “only by the night”. This theme of the unknown is present within the shot of what seems to be an eagle, which is supported by the feathers which surround the band members, creating ambiguity. It could imply that hunters become the hunted at night, and people change and evolve throughout life, which may be reflected in the stark difference between day and night. Also the use of green as the main colour could represent lust and greed, which may be a reference to the primitive nature of man; this would be seen to adhere to the stereotype of man and eagle being natural hunters. The words of the artist and the album title are separated by underscores, which displays it as almost robotic, which relates to the unknown displayed in the image.

The black and white silhouette implies a and even vintage style performance and event, which is supported by the use of the old fashioned mic. The album title combines in meaning with the artists’ purpose as it could suggest that the artist aims to alter the reputation of “Strickland banks” which is intriguing to the reader, and makes the reader question not only why but for what significance. The ratings are also used to display the album as critically acclaimed, and puts faith in the audience that they would enjoy this music, judging by the positive reviews of the album already. The way in which the Artist name is split up by the album title creates not only individual significance to both the name and the strapline-”the multi-platinum album” but also ties together the artist and the success of the album, as the are both in red. The contrast of white text over black background is evident in its effect; it cannot be interpreted in several different ways-it evokes conciseness.