CD cover analysis 2: Muse's 'Absolution'

The name of the artist is Muse, this connotes that are trying to inspire their target audience in a creative manner. 

The artwork can either been seen as people coming down to Earth or leaving the Earth, it's open to interpretation. Absolution means forgiveness which relates to the image as the person is looking up to the sky. This fits in to the eerie theme of the front cover which is a postmodern look. Their sound is futuristic which matches the dystopian nature of the cover.

Rapture is when god decides who goes to heaven at the end of the world. All the silhouettes have been absolved (absolution) and have left him which is what comes to mind when the target audience view the front cover. 

The font is a sans serif which typically is known to stand out more. However, the colour of the font they have used instead blends in to the background image. The logo is iconic and recognisable to the target audience as it always uses the same font has two bold lines, one on top and one below the name of the band.  

The man on the front cover is not a member of the band. This is a conscious decision from the band because they want to be seen as organic and do not want to sell their records through their image. The physical appearance of the model is disheveled, his hair is in a mess and his clothes are dusty.

The dominant image on the front cover is the gas mask held in his hand. Although the audience cannot identify the object in his hands, they can only identify it through the shadow on the floor with the eye holes and the breathing mask. This differentiates from the pattern made by the rest of the shadows which is not completely symmetrical emphasising they are all different bodies.The record labels for this album cover are mushroom records and A&E records. 

The artist fits into the genre of alternative rock or progressive metal music, which would appeal to a late teen/early adult (16-24) predominately male based target audience as they like to go to festivals and enjoy more guitar based music.

The Absolute cover is similar to the Texas In July album cover. As the image is very similar with connoting the same meanings.