Irreplaceable singers...

[OrbWeaver]

I'm not the only one who feels this way? Thank god... It seems everytime I mention my thoughts on this, I am made to feel like I should grab some nails and crawl up on a cross.

Granted, I do like the new Nightwish album, and Anette is a fantstic vocalist, but now they sound like all the other Evenesance/Within Tempations/Epica's out there. Tarja indeed gave them an element that was unique to most epic female fronted bands.

I know EXACTLY how you feel. Most NW fans tend to start foaming at the mouth the minute I say "I don't like Anette in Nightwish."


@booB: Your dislike of Mathias Blad means that I shall have to harm you at this years' ProgPower. Prepare for battle, booB. PREPARE!!! Kidding!

 

[DTJeff]

Nils Patrick Johansson - Wuthering Heights

While I enjoy the first two albums, Nils vocals are the perfect fit with the music and would be very difficult to replace.

Agreed, 100%

Other nominations:

Tom S. Englund (Evergrey)
Steve Lee (RIP) (Gotthard)
Johnny Lundquist (Nocturnal Rites) (He's not the greatest singer out there, but I would definitely lose interest in this band if they had a different singer)
Russell Allen (Symphony X)
Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian)
Nils K Rue (Pagan's Mind)

 

[DTJeff]

John Corabi-Motley Crue. They go and replace him with some tool named Vince Neil? WTF???
Seriously though, the Corabi fronted Crue disc was awesome compared to everything that came after "Too Fast For Love"

The self-titled Crue disc is by far my favorite album of theirs. Actually, I'd go so far as to say it's the only one I like.

 

[adaher]

I'd say the only way a band could abjectly fail replacing a vocalist is if the vocalist is also the main songwriter. Edguy would have a very hard time without Tobias Sammett. And if Khan is the main songwriter of Kamelot and their current songwriting talent without Khan consists of Siege Perilous as their shining moment, then Kamelot is pretty screwed too.

 

[Creeps]

Warrel Dane (Nevermore/Sanctuary)
Matt Barlowe / Ripper (Iced Earth) - yes, neither should have been replaced
Jon / Zak (Savatage) see above, but Jon more so
Blitz (Overkill)
Eric Adams (Manowar)
Angela (Arch Enemy) - I loved AE before her, but now forgetaboutit

Ray Gillen unless and only if Badlands reformed with Paul Shortino on vocals, no other will be accepted

 

[TheLongshot]

I'm not the only one who feels this way? Thank god... It seems everytime I mention my thoughts on this, I am made to feel like I should grab some nails and crawl up on a cross.

Granted, I do like the new Nightwish album, and Anette is a fantstic vocalist, but now they sound like all the other Evenesance/Within Tempations/Epica's out there. Tarja indeed gave them an element that was unique to most epic female fronted bands.

I think it mostly comes from people who didn't like Tarja in the first place. Personally, I think Annette is only an OK vocalist and was a disappointment as a replacement.

I think the only reason why we talk about singers as irreplaceable is because we can't imagine the band with another singer. Certainly it is a defining aspect of many bands. Those who make a change, for whatever reason, face a challenge. For example, I personally think it is impossible to really replace Anneke from The Gathering, but I thought Silje did a solid job on the last album.

On the other hand, Pyramaze replacing Lance King with Barlow was just odd. That's perhaps the opposite: some vocalists are hard to listen to in contexts outside of the band that defined them.

 

[adaher]

I don't think Nightwish sounds anything like those other bands. For one, they play at a variety of tempos, whereas most female-fronted goth bands just have one speed: slow. Could you see a band like Evanescence doing the Poet and the Pendulum, or even Bye Bye Beautiful?

Secondly, Annette's voice is light and breezy, whereas most female-fronted metal bands of all types have vocalists with deeper, more dramatic voices. I think the main legitimate criticism of Annette is that her poppy voice doesn't really fit Nightwish. I think she ends up pulling it off because she's just that damn good, but I can see why some fans wouldn't be happy with a lady who is more of an AOR vocalist. But you can't say it's not unique.

 

[kingdomgone86]

David Vincent
Lord Worm
Nils K. Rue
Tommy Karevik

 

[DouglasD]

I think this rule works for me!

For instance (and from my subjective perspective), Bruce Dickinson was an integral part of Iron Maiden's sound and success and co-wrote many of the songs I love.
Still, I definitely always went to see IM with Blaze on vocals and didn't go to any Bruce gigs, whether he was playing Maiden songs or not.
Using the logic of this reasoning then, I guess Bruce would be replaceable, albeit I do prefer then with Bruce in the band.

I guess it to some extent has to do with how much interest you have in the other players.

For instance, Jeff Scott Soto is one of my favourite singers, but i can't stomach him doing Talisman songs without Marcel (R.I.P.) on bass, because to me that is a so big deal. Would I like Talisman without Jeff? Less, but I'd go to their show assuimng they found an awesome singer prior to going to a Jeff gig. But this more than anything is a testament to my love of Marcel...

I personally do not agree with the comments regarding chief songwriters though. That would be of immense importance (if the main song writer left) when talking about a new album being written, perhaps much more so than the singer leaving (assuming he isn't the chief songwriter).
However, I was focusing more on the question at hand "would you rather see the band live with a new singer, or see the original singer perform the band's song with some different guys". In that case the song writing doen't matter, but it would be more a question of how important the other guys in the band are to you.

 

[Bryant]

I used to say there were certain bands that the singer could not be replaced in. After Accept's release of "Blood of the Nation" there aren't many I say are irreplaceable now. Udo is about as "unique" of a vocalist as you can get, but Accept still managed to sound like Accept without him.

Having said that, I can think of a few.

Andy B. Frank - already mentioned, but KEY to Brainstorm.
Urban Breed - Tad Morose..... they aren't going anywhere without Breed.
Mike Howe - Metal Church - Talk about a band that fell from grace after losing their singer. They trudged on for years, but it was never the same.
Paul Stanley - Kiss...... who could listen to a whole CD of Gene singing ? Ha ha ha


Bryant

 

[The_Metal_Messiah]

Sebastian Bach, James Labrie, Joe Elliot, Ray Gillen, Mikael Akerfeldt, Dave Mustaine, Klaus Meine, Vince Neil (although I do like the self-titled Crue disc. I just don't think of it as a Crue disc lol)

 

[JenniferLynn]

Second the Daniel Heiman

Andy Kuntz - Vanden Plas
Mickael Erikson - Circus Maximus
Nils Rue - Pagan's Mind

I'm on the Daniel Heiman wagon too - I was looking foward to hearing more from Heed's 2nd...

I'd like to add:
Tommy Kaverik - Seventh Wonder

 

[5150]

There are some extreme examples of a band that carries on without any original members, such as Molly Hatchet. And you could rightfully argue they now suck. But vocally, they carried on without Danny Joe Brown (twice). And in the past ten years they put out some good and then bland albums.

I'd have to say Ian Anderson is example of a crucial singer. But he is also the main (if only) songwriter for Jethro Tull. Today, he's pretty used up both musically and vocally. Unless you like the jazz band that Jethro Tull has become. But his legacy can't be denied.

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

There are some extreme examples of a band that carries on without any original members, such as Molly Hatchet. And you could rightfully argue they now suck. But vocally, they carried on without Danny Joe Brown (twice). And in the past ten years they put out some good and then bland albums.

QUOTE]Dave Hlubek has been back for a few years now. Why would you say they possibly could suck? Just because you thought no original members were left in the band doesn't mean they suck. Strange logic.

 

[5150]

Dave Hlubek has been back for a few years now. Why would you say they possibly could suck? Just because you thought no original members were left in the band doesn't mean they suck. Strange logic.

I happen to like Devil's Canyon and Silent Reign Of Heros. The albums after these two were a big drop in quality songwriting. But you are right, Dave has been back for a few years and sucked is too harsh a word to infer. Notice I didn't actually say they sucked. The better word is bland.

 

[mel_progson]

Its hard to say who's irreplaceable until a vocalist change actually happens. Based on that occurance, two bands that I was a fan of since their creation and have really fallen off my radar due to the singer change;

Gamma Ray. Gamma with Ralf Scheepers was amazing. I've never dug Kai's vocals. I gave Rebellion a shot because well it is a damn fine album for what it is, but after that I wouldn't know a Gamma Ray tune if it came n bit me on the arse.

Angra. Andre is too good to even talk about. They sorta changed their style after he left. I guess it was his compositional skills as well as his vocals that I miss in that band.

 

[OrbWeaver]

I've never dug Kai's vocals.

I'm the same. I was starting to think I was the only one! Most people look at me like I've grown a second head when I say I don't much like Kai's vocals.