Styg man, your exact words were something like "don't worry if it hurts, keep doing it". Duh... the #1 rule that all singers (who are still singing at least) learn is "IF IT HURTS, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG". I'm not making this up. You've broken the most important and basic rule and are trying to tell me your way is right? You say it doesn't hurt now, which is good, but it shouldn't have ever hurt. And that means your voice is fucked up, but it needs to be fucked up to make the kinda singing you seem to like.
Sorry, diaphragm and stomach are not the same. Your diaphragm is above your stomach and a completely different thing. Saying they are the same is ignorant and dangerous. You have to make an "air dam" with your diaphragm so your air doesn't escape, and as the air slowly escapes from your mouth, you form and project your singing with your throat. A lot of ppl, ESP. when they are growling, force with their stomach and it causes serious problems for your vocals. Pushing with your abdominal muscles is a good way to ruin your voice for a week or two in a minute or two. I've done it before, and I hope I won't ever do it again. With growls, it's very easy to rip muscles and tendons in your body while you're trying to sing/scream. You have to be careful and learn your body.
Ugh... I didn't say scream like a dog, I said try growling like one. Dogs don't scream, humans do. One thing not even most growlers know is that GROWLING ISN'T SCREAMING. Growling can be applied to EVERY type of singing, country, rap, whatever, if you want. Screaming is a seperate thing that is very very bad for your voice but can sound really great (and feel good too). Contrary to most ppl's beliefs again, you cannot growl and scream at the same time without years of practice. I really don't care if you think you're doing it right, because you're not (unless you've had AT LEAST a few years practice). When you scream loud enough your voice sorta breaks apart anyway and it sounds like a growl (here's where your voice starts taking incredible damage). Too bad you can't force screams out for an hour live set. That's why vocalists rarely do big screams live (Bodom is a perfect example, Alexi NEVER does any actual "screams" live, he just does a growl and goes up an octave or so, and yes those are completely diff things). Chris Barnes used to always do huge screams/growls live... and now he sucks and can barely make a death metal voice anymore.
If you remember that growling is not screaming, and that you must not scream but figure out a way to growl and sing at the same time, and then you practice for years, you will be able to sound like Alexi. If you want to sound like Dani Filth, go right ahead and force the most guttural growls you can... that's how Alexi started out with growls, and he sounds great now... but that's cause he melded his singing training from school with his screaming and found a medium that doesn't ruin his voice.
The bottom line is that you have to figure out techniques for yourself. You can't just ask someone to tell you how to do it. Noone can show you how to move your vocal cords. It takes a lot of trial and error, but always remember: if it hurts, stop doing it and try a different way... I can't seem to stress it enough that singing should never hurt.
EDIT: It's disturbing how many ppl appear to believe that alcohol and/or cigarettes can do anything but ruin your voice. The idea that cigarettes could ever help your singing is amusing and a little scary. Smoke = seared and ripped, dry tissue. Alcohol = loose but dry tissue. Alcohol can really loosen up the cords for singing and put you in a great mindset too, but it tends to dry your throat a lot, and you might not even notice if you tear your cords. Smoking is never, ever a good idea... and singers' voices usually aren't just raspy from drugs, it's from their style of singing... you can make your voice sound like whatever you want it to with practice. Btw Alexi has said more than once that he rarely gets grunk before shows anymore... just a drink or two to loosen up (anymore than that usually hinders more than helps).
Sorry, diaphragm and stomach are not the same. Your diaphragm is above your stomach and a completely different thing. Saying they are the same is ignorant and dangerous. You have to make an "air dam" with your diaphragm so your air doesn't escape, and as the air slowly escapes from your mouth, you form and project your singing with your throat. A lot of ppl, ESP. when they are growling, force with their stomach and it causes serious problems for your vocals. Pushing with your abdominal muscles is a good way to ruin your voice for a week or two in a minute or two. I've done it before, and I hope I won't ever do it again. With growls, it's very easy to rip muscles and tendons in your body while you're trying to sing/scream. You have to be careful and learn your body.
Ugh... I didn't say scream like a dog, I said try growling like one. Dogs don't scream, humans do. One thing not even most growlers know is that GROWLING ISN'T SCREAMING. Growling can be applied to EVERY type of singing, country, rap, whatever, if you want. Screaming is a seperate thing that is very very bad for your voice but can sound really great (and feel good too). Contrary to most ppl's beliefs again, you cannot growl and scream at the same time without years of practice. I really don't care if you think you're doing it right, because you're not (unless you've had AT LEAST a few years practice). When you scream loud enough your voice sorta breaks apart anyway and it sounds like a growl (here's where your voice starts taking incredible damage). Too bad you can't force screams out for an hour live set. That's why vocalists rarely do big screams live (Bodom is a perfect example, Alexi NEVER does any actual "screams" live, he just does a growl and goes up an octave or so, and yes those are completely diff things). Chris Barnes used to always do huge screams/growls live... and now he sucks and can barely make a death metal voice anymore.
If you remember that growling is not screaming, and that you must not scream but figure out a way to growl and sing at the same time, and then you practice for years, you will be able to sound like Alexi. If you want to sound like Dani Filth, go right ahead and force the most guttural growls you can... that's how Alexi started out with growls, and he sounds great now... but that's cause he melded his singing training from school with his screaming and found a medium that doesn't ruin his voice.
The bottom line is that you have to figure out techniques for yourself. You can't just ask someone to tell you how to do it. Noone can show you how to move your vocal cords. It takes a lot of trial and error, but always remember: if it hurts, stop doing it and try a different way... I can't seem to stress it enough that singing should never hurt.
EDIT: It's disturbing how many ppl appear to believe that alcohol and/or cigarettes can do anything but ruin your voice. The idea that cigarettes could ever help your singing is amusing and a little scary. Smoke = seared and ripped, dry tissue. Alcohol = loose but dry tissue. Alcohol can really loosen up the cords for singing and put you in a great mindset too, but it tends to dry your throat a lot, and you might not even notice if you tear your cords. Smoking is never, ever a good idea... and singers' voices usually aren't just raspy from drugs, it's from their style of singing... you can make your voice sound like whatever you want it to with practice. Btw Alexi has said more than once that he rarely gets grunk before shows anymore... just a drink or two to loosen up (anymore than that usually hinders more than helps).
