SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Mezzanine, Massive Attack’s most popular albums to date, was praised for it’s dark and creepy sound and high production quality. This is something that is represented well in the album art, which depicts a stag beetle, spread across the front, spine and back of the cover. The inside of the case shows a dark, black - and - white profile shot of both members of the trip - hop group.

The lack of colour helps to create a dark and uninviting atmosphere to the album, which perfectly represents the underground scene that the genre and the artist are rooted in. The lack of colour gives the cover a sense of monotony, suggesting that it ‘blends in’ rather than stands out to an audience, against a background of brighter mainstream albums.

The repulsive imagery on the cover of the album could be intentional, in order to ‘scare off’ mainstream audiences in order to make the album only seem appealing to those who know the artist themselves. This seems to be another staple of underground or otherwise unknown artists who either aren’t able to break into the mainstream market, or simply don’t want the unwanted attention. It creates a rebellious feel, as if it refuses to adhere to the standards of normal album covers, since it has no relation to the artist or album name.

Luke