The aim of the brief is to produce a 'higher end', contemporary metal magazine which has vibes of magazines such as Wonderland and Dazed, whilst still remaining true to the genre so as not to dilute the nature of the content too much. Sources of inspiration came from original black metal logos and their intricate forms, and the concept of pairing such an authentic aspect of metal music with contemporary 'minimal' compositions. A slight example of this is FORM, the combination of the metal style logo alongside interesting photography and bright colours offers an engaging juxtaposition. Alongside this I looked into type, and the importance of using type which reflects the genre itself, such as typefaces bands have made famous e.g Motorhead.
Other things to consider; packaging and extra collateral. Will there be posters inserted into the magazines? Will it have packaging or is that wasteful and unnecessary? Stickers? Vinyl? It will all depend on the stock choices (if it is durable) and binding method, to determine whether extra packaging should be used e.g plastic wrapper or dust jacket.
The moodboard sets the scene for idea generation and creating an appropriate identity for the magazine.
Band Logos
These images above showcase very famous logotypes by iconic metal bands. Each logo is different but adopts the same dynamic feeling, usually with a heavy weight and custom letterforms (the M and A on Metallica for example), which become part of their identity, like a brand. The aim is to channel this within the magazine, and create a custom 'logotype' which has the appearance of belonging to a band, which then can be identified as the project would grow.
Perhaps due to the age of these album covers, the imagery on them seems a bit guady in this day and age, although classic at the time, stylistic choices within metal have definitely progressed. On the cover I will experiment with image and type only.
Colour Choice
Existing magazines have been known to overdo the 'gothic' colour scheme of black and red. Black is a colour often associated with metal music, because of social trends and subcultures.
Cover Developments
Magazines usually feature a celebrity/artist/designer on the front, depending on the theme of the publication. I decided to try out using imagery and just type. Firstly experimenting with a dark theme and a photo of Code Orange who are featured in the magazine. These felt 'too dark' and metal, and I didn't feel as though they challenged the brief. Blackletter fonts seem to be a bit too much paired with the theme of the project.
I then worked with photos of Marilyn Manson from his edgy shoot with Vice, and found the feel for these images was more appropriate. I pushed this by using a 'spray paint' effect which reflects the inherent anarchy that exists within alternative culture and the frustration some may feel. It injects life and colour. I used the colour pink, as I felt this appropriately contrasts with the theme of the publication as it is stereotypically a girly colour, and I wanted to challenge this. The brighter pink works more suitably, as it connotes volume and looks more dynamic than a softer baby pink. The extended typeface is modern and current, and also loud and vibrant like the music featured in the publication. Offers good legibility too.
I worked with images of Slipknot to keep in with the content of the publication, as a mutual friend had interviewed Chris Fehn of Slipknot and gave me permission to publish this in the magazine. The duotone images look really effective with the 'scary' nature of Slipknot's masks, and the pink contrasts with what the original images look like. They look 'cleaner' and more contemporary due to just being one colour.
I experimented with my hand drawn 'death metal' style logo and found this to really work as a juxtaposition between the contemporary composition and colour.
Without imagery, all attention is placed on the logo. The logo is busy, and so it does not necessarily need any distracting imagery that could take away from it. Without imagery, the publication looks less magaziney, but more professional and classic.
I found that the most favourable cover was type and pink spray paint, so this was developed further. I created an A3 spray paint texture with bleed, as I wanted it to cover the back of the A4 magazine as well.
I then added the logo and relevant information. This is much more stripped back than other metal magazines looked at during research. The aim again is to create a magazine that is more minimal without unnecessary clutter such as article headlines etc.
From determining the colour, personally I feel that this then sets the tone for the rest of the magazine, and allowed me to keep in with the theme of fluorescent pink, black, and white.
Grid
The grid was designed for the use of columns, to create compositions which look professional and neat. Because of the purpose and audience, the magazine needs to look high end and as perfect as possible, whilst still communicating core values of the metal scene (big type, images with slightly distressed treatement, appropriate articles and features.)
Images
I experimented with coloured images within my publication, but this would also increase cost alongside fluorescent pink during printing. I decided to keep to a guideline of greyscale images and fluro pink duo tone images to keep it vibrant and consistent, and cost effective. Having these colours spread across all collateral forms a recognisable identity.
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