My first album cover of analysis is ‘Grand Unification’. This is the debut album from the alternative band Fightstar. The first thing we see in the image is the figures of two females (one child and one adult). We get the hint that they are Japanese as the adult female is holding a Japanese style umbrella and wearing Japanese styled gowns. The two figures have their backs to us, looking forwards, out and around them. We see the general sight that they do; they are surrounded by the destruction of skyscrapers and large buildings and the flooding of a big city. The two females are positioned on an elevated piece of ground up a stair case, but even then only just out of the reach of the waves beneath them. This is quite symbolic and could be one of the examples of the unification. They have nowhere to go and are perched on the edge of destruction. However they seem to have accepted what is going on around them and are just holding one another’s hand. We assume from this that they are mother and daughter. It looks as if they seem calm because of this, the fact that even though there is all of this destruction encircling around them, because they stand unified together, it does not matter, as long as they are together.
The sun in this image also stands out effectively. Because of its orangey glow it gives us the impression that it is the evening and the sun is setting. This presents a rather tranquil atmosphere, despite the destruction the sun shines down upon. If this does not appear to the viewer then the glow could be seen as a particularly ominous effect instead. The suns orangey yellow dim glow creates the imagery of an explosion. This goes well as the sun illuminates the state of destruction that has befallen the city in the background. It seems that even though all the destruction has taken place around the two, the whole world seems so peaceful. This might be the effect the ‘grand unification’ between the mother and the daughter. As long as they have one another, nothing else matters.
The sun in this image also stands out effectively. Because of its orangey glow it gives us the impression that it is the evening and the sun is setting. This presents a rather tranquil atmosphere, despite the destruction the sun shines down upon. If this does not appear to the viewer then the glow could be seen as a particularly ominous effect instead. The suns orangey yellow dim glow creates the imagery of an explosion. This goes well as the sun illuminates the state of destruction that has befallen the city in the background. It seems that even though all the destruction has taken place around the two, the whole world seems so peaceful. This might be the effect the ‘grand unification’ between the mother and the daughter. As long as they have one another, nothing else matters.
Awesome analysis! Just bought the cover as a stand-alone poster today and spent half an hour just gazing at it
ReplyDelete