Clean vocals?

[Demilich]

Who were some of the first bands to implement clean vocals and/or soft/acoustic passages in death/black metal, and when was this first done?

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Well, I bet Orchid was one of the pioneers actually. I really can't think of any other bands that have done this earlier than that, maybe Edge of Sanity's earlier stuff, or did that not have clean vocals on it??

 

[Demilich]

Well, yea, The Spectral Sorrows and Purgatory Afterglow are both before or right around Orchid and they had whole clean songs, and lots of other crazy stuff for the time too. But Opeth was around for 5 years before they recorded Orchid, so I was wondering...

EDIT: even EoS's Unorthodox (1992) had clean vocals.

 

[Caelum Adustum]

I'm thinking...Ulver?

 

[John Carvajal]

There´s a bit of clean weird vocals on Entombed's Left Hand Path lol

 

[Manifestation]

Ulver.
Bergtatt was released in 1994
Orchid was released in the summer of 1995

 

[Wigeon]

The earliest I can think of is Mortification "Post Momentary Affliction" released on Nuclear Blast records in 1993. Their prior 3 albums strictly used death vocals. Vocalist Steve Rowe threw in a lot of clean "shouting" vocals in most of the songs on Post Momentary Affliction. Their best release in my opinion, and one of my all time favorite death metal/grindcore releases. With every release following this one though, the use of more and more clean vocals, loss of musical and lyrical quality led to the demise of this once great band. I've heard their latest effort "Brain Cleaner" has returned to a more death metal sound though.

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

In The Woods...'s debut Heart Of The Ages ('95) also has clean vocals. I don't know about the demo that was released in '94. Seemingly not the first one, but close.

I think EoS takes the cake on this one...

 

[Miller High Death]

I would have thought that there was more clean singing in the early days of death metal but maybe it was a mid-late 90's thing. Some early albums with clean vocals are:

My Dying Bride: Turn loose the Swans (93)
Hypocrisy: Abducted (96)
Final Chapter (97)
Edge of Sanity: Purgatory Afterglow (95)
Crimson (96)
Borknagar: The Olden Domain (97)

 

[Caelum Adustum]

Ulver - Vargnatt Demo/Promo 1993 had both clean vocals and acoustic guitars.

 

[KTR83]

Who were some of the first bands to implement clean vocals and/or soft/acoustic passages in death/black metal, and when was this first done?

Well how about Bathory?
Blood, fire, death and Hammerheart..

 

[Caelum Adustum]

Well how about Bathory?
Blood, fire, death and Hammerheart..

Fuck, I completely forgot about Bathory...you win.

 

[Miller High Death]

I almost forgot.

Amorphis- Elegy (96)

Last time Tomi contributed his death vocals and the beginning of clean vocals importance in their music

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Uhhh...Fear Factory?

Concrete was recorded in 1991.

Soul of a New Machine was released in 1992.

I win.

 

[L0bster]

Edge of Sanity
Enigma of Unorthodox - 1992

 

[MightyA]

Morningrise

 

[Caelum Adustum]

Uhhh...Fear Factory?

Concrete was recorded in 1991.

Soul of a New Machine was released in 1992.

I win.

Bathory was before FF.

 

[Demilich]

Bathory was before FF.

Plus, FF is crap so who cares?

hehe, j/k
I don't know anything about Bathory, when were those cds you mentioned released?

 

[Caelum Adustum]

I THINK "Blood, Fire, Death" was released in '88 and "Hammerheart" in '90. I could be wrong...

 

[ramses]

Celtic Frost was first. Though I only like Into the Pandemonium, they were the first to use death growls, then apply clean vocals in their songs.