Extreme vocals in non-Extreme metal

[JayKeeley]

Most "progressive" metal that you probably had in mind utilizes vocal styles that would make me want to vomit in an instance.

Haha, you have to provide examples. Are you referring to stuff like Pain of Salvation?

Having said that, Gwynbleidd's music, while utilizing certain characteristics of other "progressive" music, is not progressive for the pure sake of being so. I view our music as dark, melodic death/black metal first and foremost.

True, but it's not exactly 'brutal' either. Meaning, it's not at the same intensity of, say, Nile or Morbid Angel. So at some level, you could get away with clean vocals if you wanted to (which you obviously don't want to). The fact that it's a personal preference answers the question.

One thing that's interested me for a while is the overall level and distribution of melody in a song. Bands with all clean vocals tend to have the vast majority of the melody contained in the vocal lines. In contrast, Gothenburg bands can have the same overall level of melody as a pop band, but they shift the melody from the vocals over to the guitars.

Did you know that Mithotyn turned into Falconer because they wanted crowd "sing-a-long" participation? Some bands truly enjoy having their fans sing along with their songs. For the same reason so many melodic death metal bands started using clean vocals (at least in the choruses) just so fans could sing along. Look at Soilwork.

There's definitely something to be said about that point. Being in an arena filled with 70,000 people singing along with Iron Maiden is quite fucking extraordinary. Then again, it's Iron Maiden, and a different style of heavy metal altogether.

I imagine for 'extreme' bands, the energy fed from the crowd is in a moshpit. Or a sea of fists pumping, horns raised.....certainly no 'sing-a-long' in any case.

Each genre has its place.

 

[Hell Mike]

Cool, so perhaps it's more to do with the lyrics than the underlying music.

ALL IS ONE, or at least should be, why do so many people have difficulties to see it like that? Guitars, bass, drums and vocals (mostly with actual lyrics) in a unity make most MUSIC these days (Well, staying out of electronic poop like the REAL most music today). And angry music needs angry vocals basically. I only make angry music (Well, Mike and the Motörbikez and such doesn't count, but then again that's clean vöx) so I scream a lot.

 

[dorian gray]

Not straying too far from the topic: given the artistic freedom to choose, why would a band prefer to write music that turns off potential listeners? Hear me out, I certainly appreciate the "underground" and bands that choose to go their own direction rather than play a more commercial style of music, but I just always wondered "what's the point?". Seems like at some point, bands would tire of working second and third jobs at the coffee shop/music store and attempt to write more "mainstream" metal. Frankly, I'd rather listen to Rust in Peace for the billionth time than an Agalloch album ever again. Thoughts?

 

[dorian gray]

An addendum: screamies and growls, seems to me, literally scare away listeners. My experience with those types of vocals has been one of novelty. Interesing at first but a couple years later, it was like, "ok, that is actually unpleasant." For example, I was listening to Cryptopsy this morning and thinking about how unbelievably bad Lord Worm's vocals are and how much more fun it would be to listen if there simply werent any vocals - they add nothing to the mix.

 

[Sfarog]

Not straying too far from the topic: given the artistic freedom to choose, why would a band prefer to write music that turns off potential listeners? Hear me out, I certainly appreciate the "underground" and bands that choose to go their own direction rather than play a more commercial style of music, but I just always wondered "what's the point?". Seems like at some point, bands would tire of working second and third jobs at the coffee shop/music store and attempt to write more "mainstream" metal.

can't speak for anyone else but personally my philosophy is just the opposite at the moment. living off of my music would make me (perhaps even subconsiously) change my music and thus jeopardise the whole point of creating this music in the first place

 

[dorian gray]

Certainly.
Do you think the more financially successful mainstream bands are such on purpose or just "at the right place at the right time"?

 

[Sfarog]

Certainly.
Do you think the more financially successful mainstream bands are such on purpose or just "at the right place at the right time"?

i would say its a mix of the two. I dont believe bands totally sell out too often, but as the sales start to become meaningful, their vision of a successful album is made up of different characteristics.

ie: if i'm in an extreme black metal album my vision of what a successful album is entirely different than if I'm in a band that gets MTV2 coverage and what not.

 

[JayKeeley]

if i'm in an extreme black metal album my vision of what a successful album is entirely different than if I'm in a band that gets MTV2 coverage and what not.

Black metal is an interesting genre. Some people think the less it progresses, the better. I've seen flyers for BM albums suggesting their release is one with "no keyboards!! no clean or female vocals!! harsh, raw, necro!!!", etc. So in terms of success perhaps, the more you sound like early Darkthrone or Burzum, the better off you are in remaining 'true'.

Goat forbid the likes of Deathspell Omega, Peste Noire, or Negura Bunget taking things to new levels.

I assume it's quite divided therefore as to what makes a BM album 'succesful'.

 

[Hell Mike]

I assume it's quite divided therefore as to what makes a BM album 'succesful'.

Black metal is a very varied genre. And as always, what makes music good is its goodness, not how progressive or different it is. I probably like Damnation's Destructo Evangelia as much as Si Monumentum or 'N Crugu Bradului, and all three are vastly different. And the cult is alive.

 

[KILL TULLY]

Man why do Blues musicians always sing about having the Blues, can't they see that their genre is going to die out if they don't add progression?

 

[Krilons Resa]

Cuz that is the Blues. Real Blues is dead btw.

 

[SonOfNun]

Cuz that is the Blues. Real Blues is dead btw.

This is such a Ken post Where you at mang?

I like when they put the black metal vocals in the power metal.

 

[J.]

like Children of Bodom?

 

[SonOfNun]

like Children of Bodom?

I was thinking about Numenor and Stormlord.