Mikael Stanne's screaming technique

[Ravaging Dragon]

Hello guys,

Short question:
Does anyone know how Mikael screams and what his technique is?

From hearing him I guess is tongue is on palate. Near the upper teeth. And I also think he uses his throat alot.
Of couse, I'm not sure. Just an idea

 

[SergeantD1]

Congratulations! You are the winner of dumbest internet question of 2004!

 

[La Rocque]

@ SergeantD1 - Me thinks Your statement is questionable -

 

[rahvin]

Congratulations! You are the winner of dumbest internet question of 2004!

i disagree. there are techniques for growling, as far as i know, and i don't think they're either obvious or irrelevant.

 

[Ravaging Dragon]

Why is this such a dumb question?
I mean, there are many screaming/growling techniques.

 

[MagSec4]

It isn't, that person just probably woke up with a bad rash.

 

[Naku ist krig]

@raiskaaja draakoni: I dont really have a cluebut as we know, he is an excellent cleansinger aswell, and manages to sing even powermetal-tunes, i gotta doubt that throat using technique: using only throat fucks your voice up quickly, doesnt matter if you´re singing clean, growling, shrieking or grunting..

Like i would know.

 

[Serhk]

If he were screaming from his throat his voice would be long gone by now. Usually people who scream from the throat are gone within 2 - 3 years. I can mimick his growl simply by drinking some water and getting it sort or caught in my throat and the expelling air, as if I was singing, and can change from the growl to a clean voice without swallowing the water completely, if that helps. Another guess is that he simply uses a voice pedal (kinda like a guitar pedal) and switches it off when he needs to sing normally

 

[Delirious]

about screaming destroying one´s voice I´m quite sure I read in some interview that´s what happened during the projector tour or somewhere around that time. so possibly he did use some not so healthy technique (--> throat?) but is more careful now.

 

[alphacorvus]

There's death metal bands that use vocal processors to do that.

Usually they still growl a bit, but use the processor to lower the octave of the growl to sound similar to that of a gurgling toilet.

 

[Serhk]

Yeah, but those are all shit bands. Bands like Demilich do that "insanely low gurgling" thing without processing, so it can be done if you're a skilled vocalist.

Opeth is a shitty band? Don't think so.

Chances are that most bands do use voice pedals for their screaming. Look at Arch Enemy's female singer, I'd be really impressed if she didn't use a voice pedal and was doing it the non voice destructive way. Time will tell. More people use voice processors than you think.

 

[Northern Lights]

Opeth doesn't use any "voice effects" that I know of. I have some magazine (Sweden Rock) lying around in a cardboard box somewhere in which Mikael Åkerfeldt describes in detail the technique he uses for growling. I think he mentions his stomach as one of his primary weapons, but it's been a while since I read it so I could be wrong...

 

[Serhk]

I agree that Arch Enemy blows, but I don't see how anyone who loves metal wouldn't like Opeth. Personal perference I suppose. Everyone's entitled to thier opinon And just because someone uses a voice pedal does not mean that they are a shitty vocalist. There are plenty of sounds that pedals can make that people can't.

 

[Arch]

Yeah, but those are all shit bands. Bands like Demilich do that "insanely low gurgling" thing without processing, so it can be done if you're a skilled vocalist.

Sounds like Amon Amarth does that.

 

[Villain]

about screaming destroying one´s voice I´m quite sure I read in some interview that´s what happened during the projector tour or somewhere around that time. so possibly he did use some not so healthy technique (--> throat?) but is more careful now.

Yes, as far as I know this is true. Mikael told me about this back in Tuska (shortly before those pictures were shot, so I guess this must be taken with quite some grains of salt ) and he mentioned that he has improved his technique a lot so that it doesn't hurt his throat anymore. That change in technique is probably also the reason for the change in sound that Erik mentioned - although I disagree that it would be for the worse, as I actually like his current growls quite a lot.

Oh, and as far as I can remember from seeing Opeth live, I don't think Åkerfeldt used any pedals when changing from growls to clean vocals and back again - although I must admit I wasn't paying much attention for that anyway. Stanne for sure doesn't use any such things on stage.

-Villain

 

[Serhk]

Yes, as far as I know this is true. Mikael told me about this back in Tuska (shortly before those pictures were shot, so I guess this must be taken with quite some grains of salt ) and he mentioned that he has improved his technique a lot so that it doesn't hurt his throat anymore. That change in technique is probably also the reason for the change in sound that Erik mentioned - although I disagree that it would be for the worse, as I actually like his current growls quite a lot.

Oh, and as far as I can remember from seeing Opeth live, I don't think Åkerfeldt used any pedals when changing from growls to clean vocals and back again - although I must admit I wasn't paying much attention for that anyway. Stanne for sure doesn't use any such things on stage.

-Villain

Just because you don't see the pedals doesn't mean that they aren't being used. I'm not accussing anyone, just saying.

Like I said before, I can mock his voice exactly by getting some water caught in my throat and expelling air. Can swtich between the growl and the clean voice with no trouble at all and still maintain the growl.