Date post: | 21-Jun-2015 |
Category: |
Entertainment & Humor |
Upload: | hcochrane11 |
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I am analysing the cover of Amon Amarth’s album, Surtur Rising. The first thing I notice when I look at it is the vast amount of fire
in the image, and this could be connected with Hell and the Devil. The fire makes the cover very bright and it attracts a lot of
attention on the shelves in shops because of how much it stands out. The key signifier is the person/devil in the middle who is
bigger than everyone else in the image.
Heavy/death metal music/albums are typically associated with rebellion and the devil – this cover represents both, hereby
sticking to these conventions.
CULTURAL CODEThe album could be linked to the Cultural Code because of the
horns in the helmet which are a reference to the devil and therefore suggest rebellion – going against religion and society.
RECEPTION THEORYPreferred reading: People who listen to death metal music will
be used to this kind of edgy artwork and like it. Negotiated reading: Some people may be unsure about what the
cover represents.Oppositional reading: Religious people may be offended by the
cover because of the devil.
SYMBOLIC CODEThe key signifier is wearing a helmet with large horns on,
therefore he symbolises the devil. The red tones in the image represent the devil as it is stereotypically a colour of danger.
As they are surrounded by fire, it suggests that it is set in hell. The flame sword he wields implies he is symbolising the devil
because the hell is always represented as being consumed with fire and the devil as being red and having horns
KEY SIGNIFIERThe key signifier is the person who is much larger than everyone
else in the image. This makes him look very powerful and threatening. He also looks like he is about to attack what look like soldiers, suggesting violence, war and anarchy. The people at the
bottom are all much smaller than him and less important because they are smaller.