OK, Larry mentioned that the other band member may chime in with this thread, and I think this is a great idea to set the influence record straight, so here's mine. As I respect and love a lot of great vocalists, there were only a very few people who REALLY influenced me. Most were more inspiration.
Duane Rasmussen (Devastation [Chicago]) - Duane was one of the first vocalist I heard in this style, way back in the mid 80's. The video I posted was from 1987. He simply blew me away, and it was the first spark to my thoughts on a vocal style. I loved the brutality of his voice, and knew it was an element I wanted to capture.
Troy Dixler (Sindrome) - Sindrome possibly had the biggest impact on me. When I heard their demo "Into the Halls of Extermination" and heard Troys voice, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Troy always had a great aggression in his voice, but was always so clear and audible, I knew I needed to work as hard as I could to pronounce every lyric as clearly as possible. Troy is the reason my growls are understandable. No other singer had the same impact on me as he did, and it's a total shame this band never went on to stardom. Keep the time frame in mind, Sindrome was THE greatest demo band in the world. They recorded at Mossissound in Florida, at a time when only bigger bands like Morbid Angel and Obituary could afford to go there. They were FAR ahead of their time. Rumor has it, Troy was in the same room with Chuck Schuldner when they were both handed contracts. Death signed, Sindrome held out for something bigger. They had offers from just about every metal label in existence, but they wanted a major, and held out too long. It pains me to think what they could have done. They did however tour with Death for the "Scream Bloody Gore" tour.
Jorgen Sandstrom (Grave) - Jorgen wasn't so much an influence, as an inspiration. I was already into the growling when I heard him, but listening to his deep tone, he raised the bar for me, and I strived to be that "heavy." When people ask about my voice in interviews, I always say I strived to be as heavy as Jorgen, and as clear as Troy, and for me it worked.
Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost) - Another inspiration, Nick's voice on "Lost Paradise" and "Gothic" was exactly what I was working at achieving. I never set out to copy Nick's vocal style, it just so happens my direct influences and what I attempted to do ended up sounding so close to his voice, it's assumed he was a direct influence. Nick was amazing back in the day, and again, the quality he had made me work that much harder at my style.
Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity) - What's not to say about Dan? I had already found my style when I first heard Dan, but here is another case of someone setting the bar so high, I knew guys like this were out there, and if I wanted to be be taken seriously, then I had to push myself to get there. I'm so thankful for guys like Dan, who have really made me push myself because of how good they are.
Eric Wagner (Trouble) - Such a huge influence on me. Not in vocal style as much as presence, and the feeling in Eric's voice. In my opinion, one of the the very best metal vocalists of all time, as well as the most under appreciated bands in the world. This band should be Metallica huge. If you don't know Trouble, do your ears a favor, and get to know them!
Jim Morrison (The Doors) - What I always loved about Jim Morrison, wasn't his vocal ability. There are certainly better "singers" out there, but what he for me was a style, and so much feeling, I never cared if he was sharp, or flat on a note. He had a gift where he captured your attention, and drew you in, and you got lost in his performance. To me, he will always be the greatest front man the lived. So many have tried to copy Jim, but no one ever will.
Thomas Jensen (Saturnus) - I remember clearly, being in the recording studio recording our second CD "Of Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers" and getting a copy of "Paradise Belongs to You." It had just come out, and I had brought it with me to the studio to play for the engineer to use as a reference for my spoken vocals. Thomas has the greatest spoken voice in metal. It's so heart felt and passionate, I wanted to capture that same "feel" in our music. I always think of his style when I record, even now. If you want to hear the most blatant form of "influence" from Thomas, listen to "Silent Tomorrow" from "The Knowing." Christ, I should be sued I ripped his style off so badly!