Extreme metal with vocals I can understand

[SouthernTrendkill]

Near-identicle threads have probably happened a bunch of times so if you just by-pass this thread, no hard feelings. But I am skeptical of there being another one for specifically what I'm looking for.

Some people can understand harsh vocals... I can't. I try, I try hard, but I can't. And I really do enjoy being able to understand the lyrics in music, and this fact has been pushing me back into rock territory when I'd really rather be listening to metal instrumentations.

The problem is, even not-so-harsh harsh vocals like Lamb of God are largely incomprehensible by me. Also harsh punk vocals like you'd find in, say, Despised Icon, aren't any easier for me to understand than the vocals in Burzum. I can even only understand some of the vocals in Entombed and Dethklok.

If you may, please reccomend me some extreme bands with vocals (in English) that I can understand. Black or death metal is preferable, but thrash is okay, and power is okay but I don't want epic operatic power metal vocals. I'd like something with some angriness or thrashiness to it. Rockish or groove metal stuff is a-okay, if it's really extreme. Metalcore is fine but I have a strong distaste for those emoy kind of clean vocals, I don't see why those bands don't just do rockish or smoother (ala Opeth or Dimmu) clean vocals which would sound so much better...

Mission impossible? I dunno. Thanks to anyone who helps.

 

[Seditious]

bloody Americans.

 

[The Butt]

Reading lyrics, as you're listening to the sounds the vocalist is making, helps one grow accustomed to ultra-harsh vocals.

 

[SouthernTrendkill]

This probably isn't at all what you were implying anyway, but I feel the need to note (perhaps for the sake of silly seditious) that I'm accustomed to all kinds of harsh vocals, I just don't understand them. I don't understand the singing for a lot of my favorite bands but I've been listening to that kind of stuff for a year now and I need to start listening to some vocals I can understand.

 

[The Butt]

You're right that that's not what I was implying... hmm... it's hard to put into words.

All I'm saying is, that the longer you compare the sounds the vocalists are making, to lyric sheets or something, it becomes easier to decipher what a harsh vocalist is saying.

I used to think that Behemoth had incomprehensible vocals. But after listening to the songs with lyrics on-hand, everything started to make sense.

Anyways, the most comprehensible harsh vocals I can think of, are the vocals on Exodus' Shovel Headed Kill Machine.

 

[The Antihero]

Check out Dark Tranquillity. Their vocalist Mikael Stanne is excellent. It's heavy but there's not a lot of that unintelligible gurgling. More like a throaty bass roar.

You might not be able to pick out all the words at first, but you'll get a lot of them pretty quick.

A good starting point is their album "Damage Done". This is the album that pretty much got me into extreme metal after years of listening to old school stuff like Metallica and Iron Maiden.

 

[Faint]

Amon Amarth's newest album has easily understandable harsh vocals.

 

[The Ozzman]

The vox on SHKM aren't really that harsh.

 

[waif]

Reading lyrics, as you're listening to the sounds the vocalist is making, helps one grow accustomed to ultra-harsh vocals.

.

Check out Dark Tranquillity. Their vocalist Mikael Stanne is excellent. It's heavy but there's not a lot of that unintelligible gurgling. More like a throaty bass roar.

You might not be able to pick out all the words at first, but you'll get a lot of them pretty quick.

A good starting point is their album "Damage Done". This is the album that pretty much got me into extreme metal after years of listening to old school stuff like Metallica and Iron Maiden.

Amon Amarth's newest album has easily understandable harsh vocals.

^these two. Hegg and Stanne are quite intelligible extreme metal vocalists, and their bands fucking own.
The Gallery is DT's best, though.

 

[Einherjar86]

Turisas
Ensiferum

Not really extreme metal, but their harsh vocals are extremely easy to understand.

 

[waif]

yeah, wintersun too.
Aeon.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Do you even need to know the lyrics? Most of the atmosphere comes from the other instruments. The lyrics don't really reflect this.

But anyways, I've always found Corpsegrinder-era Cannibal Corpse vocals easy to understand. As well as the majority of OSDM bands out there.

 

[waif]

again, reading along to the lyrics will teach your ears to hear

 

[mutantllama]

I can understand Atheist's lyrics pretty much perfectly. I had to read the lyrics along with the music a few times, but then I could understand them.

I would also like to throw in Iced Earth. Even though they are more power/heavy thrash metal, they are still very aggressive.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Well... Amon Amarth's newest, and I also find heavier Devin Townsend releases, such as those with Strapping Young Lad, to be fairly easy to understand... Most of the time. Or maybe that's just me.

 

[seedofvengeance]

Abominable Putridity

 

[Dem0n0id]

I find behemoth's vocals quite easy to get.(or is it just me?!)
Try Atheist too. Their vocals are more thrash-like...just a bit too fast at times.
Bathory is kinda easy to follow if you listen closely.

 

[waif]

with behemoth, just you
with bathory, I assume you mean viking era - early stuff is pretty indecipherable.

 

[Dem0n0id]

Well, their earlier stuff isn't all that hard either. As i said, just need to listen to it closely. It's just freaking fast at times...but easy to get the words. kinda got damn intense when i tried to follow it line by line, but i like it that way

EDIT: On second thoughts, behemoth definitely isn't easy to follow...it's just me overplaying (I haven't referred to their lyrics anywhere though yet)

 

[Bassman366]

unexpecT, Augury