NME Front Cover

This magazine cover is an all american special issue so is slightly different to most other NME front covers. But they've still got a lot of their house style so everybody knows what magazine it is. 
The skyline running along the top of the page is eye catching with its bold writing and the bold and boastful statement "We made history", draws people in and question the quote. Wondering how Ian Brown made history.
The masthead, in this issue is blue, normally it is red but in keeping with the american theme, they've made it blue. So that with the red and white stripes, the blue makes the background look like the american flag. Underneath the masthead is "New Musical Express", this shows that NME does actually stand for something and is relevant to the magazine.
The image of the band, The Drums is a very moody picture. They're all looking quite dazed and confused into the camera. This whole look and image is appealing to NME's audience. It's all quite punky and anarchic, not smiling at a camera and the clothes they're wearing aren't particularly smart, it's very casual and laid back. 
The main article is very clear on the front cover, written in a big, bold font "The Drums", readers certainly know what they're getting from this issue. There's also a list running beneath that of other american bands that feature in this issue. 
In the left third and the top right hand corner, there are a couple of flashes. These are extras features in the magazine that aren't in keeping with the american theme, but, NME have decided that they need these two flashes on the front cover to entice people in some more.