Black\Death Vocals?

[from the Cradle]

I prefer Black Metal voice in Cradle of Filth...and Death voice in Suffocation and Obituary...but perfect voice is the voice of the soul..."Chuck Schuldiner"...

 

[Juggie]

black!

 

[Ihsahn]

Originally posted by Soul Forlorn
Well, since I'm a long time metal fan (damn near 20 years now), I'd have to say the growling death metal style. I was of course introduced to this style much earlier than the black metal style. I got used to them and they became fairly "normal" to me. Due to the fact that I was so used to the "death" style, when I first heard the "black" style I immediately thought they sounded kind of weak and almost silly. I still can't really get into the "black" style, though I do listen to a bit of black metal. I listen to it for the music though, and I pay little attention to the vocals.

Quite the contrary, I was listening to scratchy, gargling, snarling black vocals before I started hearing the growls and roars of death. However, each serves its purpose. Black vocals are easiest for me to produce (however, I am finding Opeth and Amon Amarth to be much easier to sing along with due to practice ). Black, I sound like a young Garm, and death I sound like a young Johan Hegg. But each does have its purpose. Black is more 'evil' and otherworldy sounding, whereas death is, and this might sound crazy, but more 'noble' to me. But don't get me wrong they are both evil and otherworldy.

 

[nogs00]

just silence the power metal vocalers

 

[Till Fjalls]

I prefer unique Black Metal voices. Some great ones are Maniac, Atilla, Isahn and the dude who sang on Bethlehems SUIZID. Death Metal vocals usually bore me. Though Mikaels voxals rule, as do a few select others Death-ish vocalists.

And Chuck Schuldiner's voice is more black metal these days. Though I am not sure if I like it better that way or not.....

 

[Shub Niggurath]

When I analyse the vocals I like best, I come to the conclusion that the reason that I like em is because they are theatralic and expressive. I find that in death vocals from David Vincent of Morbid Angel on "Blessed are the Sick" and from Chuck Schuldiner on nearly all his records, also John Tardy and some others. I think Glen Benton of Deicide is very boring, oh yeah, he's extreme, but boring, he always does the same vocal rythms and the same pitch. Mikael has also very expressive vocals with variations in the pitch, but for me some words are sometimes stretched to much, I like more the "rythm-oriented" death vocal style. So when I have listened to an Opeth record, I always can remember the clean parts and sing and whistle along with, but I never get used to the death parts, because there are to many stretched screams in the vocals. When you listen to Death, Morbid Angel or Bolt Thrower you always get the vocal "melody" line in seconds.
I think I don't like stretched vocals, therefore I can't get used to Cradle-like Black vocals. But Darkthrone have extremely expressive vocals on "Panzerfaust", it's amazing, what they create for an atmosphere. I also like other singing styles like Glen Danzig (who can't sing properly, but he's theatralic and that compensates this fact) or Eric Adams of fucking Manowar... So we have the same final conclusion, the vocals must be good , that's all.

 

[Sadistik]

I think BM vocals can be more emotional (i.e. Bethlehem, Judas Iscariot, Atill on just about anything....) but not the pop-glam-black thats been popping up (i.e Cradle of Shit, Willow Wisp...thats not black metal...thats 12 yr. old goths screaming at their parents that they want their allowances increased, or so it sounds). DM I like too, even the guttural, though not the Mortician type (worst band EVER...HE IS NOT SAYING WORDS!!!!!!). My fave harsh voice ever was Bay Cortez (Sadistic Intent) on the Ressurection EP. The perfect blend of BM/DM.

 

[SeViMeTaL]

i love each of them i love mike's and danny's growl etc. but mostly death vocals

 

[Hedon-]

death

 

[SerenityNow!]

I never liked either one until I started listening to Opeth way back when. But I'd have to say that it depends on the mood, and it's got to be intelligent and put into the right situations in music. I still prefer a mix with clean vocals included. To me it helps generate different emotions. That's not to say I won't listen to straight harsh, as I said, as long as it's intelligent and has purpose. I really can't do the high pitched screeching though. Mid BM is OK. I think I may like DM a little more. I guess it depends on my mood.

OR

 

[Holocaust on the Moon]

I prefer death metal vocals, but I can listen to black metal vocals in small doses.

 

[demon of the moor]

I like the sound of the vocals on the new Dimmu album, and the vocals on the new blood bath EP.

i guess i like both, and cant say which one i prefer

 

[Vega Skater]

Yeah depends.

For example, I'd love to hear MR and Orchid with Mike's developed death growl, but Black Rose Immortal sounds so good with the blackish under-developed growls.

I can't imagine let's say Bathory - A Fine Day To Die with death vocals much like I can't imagine let's say Bloodbath - Breeding Death with black.

 

[Slayer101]

I love both styles, but I find that if Mike had the developed growl he does now, on MR or Orchid it just wouldn't sound right. So really I think it just depends on the music.

 

[Mantraschism]

Human Life put it best. Take, say, Weakling or 'Dictius Te Necare'-era Bethlehem, for example. Death vocals would NOT have worked there at all. Black vocals have the capacity to be more depressed-sounding, I think, or just flat-out maniacally suicidal, which I appreciate. Death vocals, being deeper and 'fuller', sound more powerful and menacing.

Another example is Dark Tranquillity. Mikael Stanne used to have this wonderfully emotional higher-pitched scream. Not quite black metal, maybe, but more black than death, best heard on 'The Gallery'. Later on, he changed to a lower-pitched, rather frustrated-sounding raspy growl, which works extremely well for the style they have now. But it doesn't work at all in conveying the emotion in 'Punish My Heaven', among others from their older material.

In other words, it's all about placement and style. Good and bad in both. I can't choose a favorite. (They're both really fun to perform, though people seem more impressed by deep, bellowing growls... which is fun.)

 

[chrisdoig24k]

Indeed. Different growls, different times. If executed well, both can sound absolutely fucking perfect (see Ikuinen Kaamos)
edit: see Ne Obliviscaris as well.

 

[Obtuse]

I like death vocals when they're not monotonous. For example, Mike, Chuck, Max Cavalera, and
even guys like Randy Blythe and David Vincent all have expressive growls, compared to guys like
Nergal or Barnes from Cannibal Corpse. The montone growlers just start to sound dull after a while.

 

[Necropeth]

I love both. Obviously people like Akerfeldt for death vocals but as far as black vocals, Negura Bunget, Falkenbach (folk/viking metal with blackened vocals w00t!), Enslaved, Burzum , Ulver etc etc.

 

[Nathan_lol]

I can't choose. I mean, on one end of the spectrum you have Mikael and his fucking awesome growls that grind babies into powder, but on the other end you have Devin Townsend's amazing screaming which rips my soul out and beats to death with a meat cleaver.

 

[BlackLodge]

I don't like one more than the other. But some of the best vocalists (in black- and death metal) are Mikael Åkerfeldt (of course), Rainer Landfermann, Nattefrost, the vocalist in Svartsot, Nattramn (of Silencer), Niklas Kvarforth, Glen Benton, Chuck (of Death, on the later records), Dan Swanö, Mikko Aspa, Arioch (of Funeral Mist) and lots of other guys!