Growling........

[deliverance]

I'm 5'4" 120 lbs, and people think I sound just like Akerfeldt. I for one, am actually very damn close in my opinion. I can actually also go as deep as one of the guys from Nile, the "crocodile vocals" one. I fucking rule. I need a beer to celebrate.

samples plz

 

[Vlad Guzu]

I realise this isn't a very inventive question, but i haven't actually been able to find an answer in my long search.

Basically, We're doing some Opeth covers. (Demon of the fall, April ethereal, Godhead's lament), but i can't growl. Before answering, take in mind that I do realise Mikael is a special case in that he is very clear even when growling.

I thought i might as well ask where people might know him best.

Does anybody here know if there's any special way/technique to it? Is there any way i can train my voice to go that deep while growling? Or is it just a progression as we've seen in Mikael from Orchids to Deliverence?

Any help is appreciated

The cigarettes and the alchool have nothing to do with singing. You just have to keep practicing. At the begining you should try to sing closer to black metal style (your throat will feel like burning at the begining :hotjump: ) afterwards you should try to sing deeper and to use deeper part of your throat. I've been growling for 4 years, so trust me, you don't have to start somoking or drinking to have a good death metal voice, you just have to keep practicing, but don't try to scream very loud, because if you do, your voice will sound nu-metal, and that sucks.

 

[shark22]

if you sound "near akerfeldt," i'd like to hear some samples.

What makes Akerfeldt so great? Gallagher is much much better if your into growls boss. The only thing good about Akerfeldt is that he is more understandable than a lot of the other guys.

 

[shark22]

The cigarettes and the alchool have nothing to do with singing. You just have to keep practicing. At the begining you should try to sing closer to black metal style (your throat will feel like burning at the begining :hotjump: ) afterwards you should try to sing deeper and to use deeper part of your throat. I've been growling for 4 years, so trust me, you don't have to start somoking or drinking to have a good death metal voice, you just have to keep practicing, but don't try to scream very loud, because if you do, your voice will sound nu-metal, and that sucks.

Thanks for speaking up on the smoking. Damn it people, smoking does not help you to growl. Being in good physical shape is key to doing any type of vocals growling or not.

 

[Sanzen]

Gallagher is much much better if your into growls boss.

?

also, aren't you the dude that hates death metal? you probably shouldn't be giving people advice on how to growl.

 

[NeverIsForever]

Smoking is stupid. Why pay for the privilege of slowly killing yourself?

Lmao...the U.S. government should sell cigarettes! That way they could both control the United States population AND use the proceeds to reduce the budget deficit...

 

[deliverance]

What makes Akerfeldt so great? Gallagher is much much better if your into growls boss. The only thing good about Akerfeldt is that he is more understandable than a lot of the other guys.

employee, i don't even know who 'gallagher' is, unless you mean that bald retard that sanzen posted...and i personally think akerfeldt has incredible death vox. i'm not good at explaining WHY i like things, it just really appeals to me over other singers. of course his clarity is one reason, but most definetly not the only reason. seems he has a bit of a different tone, and just sounds great.

 

[TheButcher]

What makes Akerfeldt so great? Gallagher is much much better if your into growls boss. The only thing good about Akerfeldt is that he is more understandable than a lot of the other guys.

Gallagher = Shit, and besides Akerfeldt's voice is not only is understandable, it's also done to perfection, every single aspect of his growls are amazing, just like Dan Swano's Growls

 

[Risquit]

RISQUIT:
http://ultimatemetal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3475078&postcount=19

did you ever finish that?

Ayy, its in hiatus until I get another copy of Flash MX working. A reinstall of XP that didn't go so well wiped out a lot of my files, including the rough sketches of The Bukkake Warrior.

BTW, has anybody read an interview with either Mikael or Dan Swano on how they got Mikael's growls to sound so different in Bloodbath than in Opeth? I'm sure its just double tracking, but it would be nice to hear exactly what they did to get that sound.

 

[Ermz]

I think they would have added distortion to the vocals and pressed the living shit out of them (compression) just to get all that fuckin phlegm and breath out into the recording.

 

[shark22]

Electronic bullshit exactly. There was another forum where they were talking about growling and they made fun of Akerfeldt for using those electronics (wish I had the link). Anyways do a google search for death growlers and it may turn up. There are plenty of death vocalists that do waay better than Mike. His strengths lie in his musical writing skills. As a vocalist he's middle of the road. But you all have this fanboy ideology of him, but if you get your mouths off his dick and open your ears you will see that there are many other better growlers.

 

[fps]

in reply to critics of his growl, mikael has more to consider than his growling voice- he has a beautiful folky clean voice which needs looking after if he is to be able continually to sing all the opeth stuff, and if he wants a longer career in music, branching out in different directions as suggested by the softer, textured damnation stuff, then he needs to take care of his throat.

Drinking beer is awful for the throat, it does not give you lubrication, which you need to make up for the jarring of the vocal chords which IS the growl sound. for your throat's sake drink WATER, and lots of it if you're singing regularly, like 3-4 litres a day, and drink plenty a couple of hours before you sing, this is the only way unless you're just growling, and just growling for today, rather than with a long term view to all vocal styles.

As for his growls not being vicious enough, i think the variation of ferocity is one of his strengths. I wouldn't want that ridiculous low *sauron*/ *lord worm* style vocal on opeth tracks. But that's just me, wooh long post, should be working! ciao

 

[shark22]

Mike said he drinks water in the studio + he's also trying to quit smoking those light cowboy killers. He will improve this way! He has his style and he sticks with it. I believe he is a better vocalist than all of those pure growlers (a lot can do this).Mike has the clean side and his scream voice.

 

[Sanzen]

Shark, I could've sworn I read a thread where you said you hated death metal. am i right?

 

[deliverance]

^ yes you are

 

[Sanzen]

Ok, in that case, everything Shark has said is invalidated. I think the discuss the finer points of growling, you actually have to listen to the fucking genre. I don't attempt to talk with jazz fans about the intricate details of jazz flute.

and please don't say, "HAY IVE LISTEND TO DETH METEL, I NO ABOUT IT, I JST DONT LIKE IT" because, come on dude. don't talk about growling if you don't even fucking like death metal. it makes you look like a douche bag.

 

[umdebaba]

Umdebaba's Unofficial Guide to Growling

The 'magic technique' you hear being thrown around in the talks of growling actually refers to a technique in actual singing called the diaphragm push. It is also referred to as "growling for your gut" or "growling from your stomach". What you want to do is first develop your lungs. Let me give an example of an exercise that will help you develop your lungs. NEVER BREATHE IN THROUGH YOUR NOSE.
Ex. 1 -
Open your mouth into the shape of an O. Keep your throat open and relaxed. You should not feel tension in your throat during this exercise. Place your hand in front of the opening of your mouth. Position your parallel to your face as if you were about to judo chop your nose with the index finger side of your hand. Bring your hand closer to your face and make sure there is contact between your face and hand. Breathe in slowly but taking in air as much air as you can at a steady rate. NEVER BREATHE IN THROUGH YOUR NOSE. Your chest should not come out. When you are taking in air your stomach area should come out and your shoulders should not rise. If you feel pain you are doing it wrong. Now extend your arm away from you with your palm facing you and your palm should be in a straight line and same level from your mouth. Blow out all your air. If you do not feel the air hitting your palm you are not blowing out hard enough. After you get this slow proceed to doing it faster. It would help to do this in counts. In for 4 counts then out for 4 counts, Then 3/4, 2/4, 1/4. 3/3, 2/3, 1/3, 2/2, 1/2, 1/1.

Doing that exercise will increase your lung capcity and help greatly in your vocal work. Now how do you apply that to growling? Well try to growl first. Notice what your face is doing, and what your throat and body is doing. You want to keep the O shape in your mouth. Make sure your throat is relaxed and not tensed or you will not get a low sound. Make sure your body is not tense. When growling make sure your shoulders do not rise not does your chest come out. You stomach is what should push out. Now onto the diaphragm push.

Diaphragm push -
The diaphragm push is basically the combining of all these techniques. When you are growling make sure you push your stomach out and you and not using your throat to generate the sound. You should hardly feel any pain if any at all. You might feel light headed at first getting used to pushing that much air. The key is to push much as much air as you can. The more air, the bigger and fuller the sound. This is why you need to do lung exercises. Keeping your mouth in the O shape and making your throat relaxed is the key to getting a dark, rich sound. Another thing you might want to try is dropping your jaw. The closer you keep your jaw together, the more pinched and bright sound you will have. So you want to try to seperate your teeth when growling. Adjust the distance to fit how you want to sound.

When you growl make sure you growl at a volume where other people could hear it. If you can hardly hear your growls then that means you are not pushing air and need to reconsider your technique. Air blowing does not mean volume though. The more air you blow and relaxed and open your mouth is, the better sound you will attain at a good volume.

Cheers!
Umdebaba

 

[umdebaba]

***BUMP***

 

[deliverance]

***BUMP***

you bumped it 8 minutes after you previously posted? haha

 

[TehLeperAffinity]

Electronic bullshit exactly. There was another forum where they were talking about growling and they made fun of Akerfeldt for using those electronics (wish I had the link). Anyways do a google search for death growlers and it may turn up. There are plenty of death vocalists that do waay better than Mike. His strengths lie in his musical writing skills. As a vocalist he's middle of the road. But you all have this fanboy ideology of him, but if you get your mouths off his dick and open your ears you will see that there are many other better growlers.

Your opinions suck.