Here is NME's Front cover contests page and double page spread featuring muse!

The front cover seems to keep to the unwritten rule of that no more then 3 colour max  in this cases it uses orange black and white. These colours cannot the theme of Halloween.

They are looking at the reader:

This is a technique used by many photographers to show that they are speaking to the reader directly. This gives the magazine a better selling value because you get to see the performers perspective and an exclusive view that you wouldn’t normally see.

They are the background:

This could mean that the magazine doesn’t just focus on muse but includes other artist as well. It could also connote towards muse being so famous and so big that everyone knows who they are so the viewer does not need convincing they are amazing they all ready know that and all they need to do is read about it! 

The writing is mostly on the top bottom and left meaning they use the cover lines space to its maximize potential and cram every thing into the space that is going to make then pick up the magazine then once that has happened it is up to the rest of the page to sell them the magazine.  

There are only 2/3 fonts both of which are Blocky fonts due to this they can be clearly read from a distance and will stand out in a busy magazine rack because our eye can easy read it with out thinking

Black clothes the fact that they are all in black clothing and especially that it is leather portrays them to be rebels perhaps bikers.

They are leaning towards the reader and crouching  means they are on our level if the camera was low down like it is but they were standing up it would mean that they look perhaps bigger and better then the reader and make them feel small and insignificant to them.

The over all hands of feel for the magazine is very light and flexible because of the very light thin paper altho it is not like normal ruff paper it is smooth however does not have the shine that some of them have.