Logos Logos play a major role in a band/musicians identity. Naturally, they are one of the greatest contributing factors to the way a band is perceived, due to the fact that it automatically engages our visual senses and in turn, makes us define and try and make sense of it. For example, the Deathbat (pictured below) represents the metal core and hard rock/heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold. From the name itself, we can gather that the band is “hardcore” and has dark connotations attached to it. We can also rightfully assume that their songs must have biblical references, as the term “Avenged Sevenfold” is taken from the bible. The imagery, or logo, only confirms it. The fact that they have used a skull, which usually represents darkness …show more content…
For example, the “The Rev” Deathbat (pictured below) was in homage to their late drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. These exclusive designs reflect their own thoughts and emotions, through their identity. In most cases, these visuals help a fan feel a stronger connection to the musicians or their music. Logos are one of the major ways through which band identity is shaped, because it is one of the only things that transcends borders and ethnicities and certain social “rules”, and represents a band/musician for who they are. “This is Avenged Sevenfold, you know, this is what embodies us. This is our band, this is our image now. The Deathbat is what we are”, says vocalist M. Shadows. “They (Avenged Sevenfold) understand the value of their identity. When people think Avenged Sevenfold, they think of something; they can articulate it, there’s a clarity in their mind of what Avenged Sevenfold is, who they are, what they are, what they stand for”, says band manager, Larry Jacobson. Such is the power of visual imagery. Live …show more content…
There are also cases where music videos are composed entirely of visual and graphic images-which help get a song’s message across. We can take up the music video for the song, “A Little Piece of Heaven”, by Avenged Sevenfold. The song is about a man, who murders his significant other, and preserves her body do to whatever he pleases. The story then takes a turn, where she comes back from the dead and kills him. Together, they go on a murderous rampage, and are finally together as dead souls. “The Rev (drummer) got these lyrics, which were kind of twisted and funny at the same time”, says bassist Johnny Christ. The video involves skeletal musicians, which work as foreshadowing. It also involves dark and dreary images, and the overall imagery is depicted to be very dark. This helps create a contrast between the overall tone and mood of the song, while simultaneously amplifying the reception and emotions of the viewer/listener. So, while the lyrics of the song aren’t all that gruesome, the music video makes up for that. Stage