POLL: The Best Vocal Performance at PPVII

[DarkOne]

Well, with 126 votes, we have Luppi running away with 46 votes, as I expected. No one can argue with the sheer power of that performance.

Jorn and Mike Eriksen are tied for 2nd with 18 votes each, possibly splitting the votes and causing havoc, just like a Green Party presidential candidate

Usually there's a lot more argument, but this one seems pretty clear cut.

Steve in Philly

 

[harvesteromega]

my god help us if the green party wins

 

[Tuflus]

But still....best vocalist of the show (not of all the ProgPowers combined, that still goes to Daniel Gildenlow at PoS's 1st USA gig PP1 in Chicago- best concert experience of my life!)

Agreed on that as well... that PoS set was still THE most magical experience I've ever had at any ProgPower event to date.

 

[Ascension]

Helloween is one of the greatest power metal bands of all time and they redefined the genre with the amazing Keepers 1 & 2 albums. 99% of all power metal bands owe something to them

100% owe something to Iron Maiden

 

[MysticX9]

There's SO much to reply to in this post I'll just start at the top and work my way down.

1) It takes a lot more than technical brilliance and all the latest toys to make a great guitarist. Jimi Hendrix played with a passion and feeling that put him in a legendary class all by himself. He redefined what could be done with a guitar and if not for his untimely death, I'm sure he would have continued to do so. There's no doubt the guitarists you mentioned are incredibly talented. But saying they are "better" than Hendrix is like comparing apples to oranges. Who knows what Hendrix could've accomplished with today's technology or after having been exposed some of today's guitarists. In the end it's a safe bet 100 years from now, people will know who Jimi Hendrix was. The jury's still out as to whether or not anyone will remember a Romeo or Petrucci.

"gritty, non-versitile, repetetive, lackluster singing that reflects more of a grunt, growl or talking voice" Have you ever listened to Ronnie James Dio or Joe Lynn Turner? Find me a song where JLT "grunts" or Dio "growls." These are two world class SINGERS, clean and soaring vocals is what they do. Excellence and Timeless Quality is what most metal/hard rock fans think of when they think of Dio or JLT.

I'm also guessing we both read differant interviews in the program with Jorn. Nowhere did I read that he was "intentionally lowering the quality of his voice and singing." In my book it said that in the begining of his career, he basically tried a bunch of different things and styles of singing until he found what worked best for him. Now he's developed his own style and identity and is comfortable with what he does.

I've stated before that Jorn's set was not "progressive". But this festival is ProgPOWER and what I saw definately falls under the power metal catagory. Obviously we have very differant ideas of what power metal is. To me power metal is simply that, powerful metal. Powerful vocals, powerful guitars, powerful music. It's the next evolutionary step of the hard rock/heavy metal of the 80's. You can't tell me Jorn Viggo and Tore were not powerful guitarists. You can't tell me Jorn does not have a powerful voice. We're just gonna have to disagree on this one.

Helloween is one of the greatest power metal bands of all time and they redefined the genre with the amazing Keepers 1 & 2 albums. 99% of all power metal bands owe something to them - but all power metal does not have to sound exactly like them! Power metal is not all dungeons and dragons and every other cheesey steriotype associated with it. It's that and SO much more.

Very well put, hear hear!

 

[harvesteromega]

i dont thing evergrey got enogh credit on the poll htey were awsome
that being said i voted for mike from circus maximus

 

[No-Mercy]

the best voices, i think, are

Michele Luppi (Vision Divine)
Pasi Rantanen (Thunderstone)
Simone Simons (Epica)

They all are fuckin amazing and unique. also great showmen(or women.) while Epica is my favorite band there this year, and then thunderstone...i must give mention to Michele Luppi. he was a very great frontman and looked like hed be there to play for an hour even if the band wasnt.

 

[sarawi]

a very tricky poll...

To me, there are 3 components that make a great singer:

1. a voice that gives me goosebumps all over.
For this effect, they do not necessarily need to sing good, have a wide range or whatever skills (although many of them do).

2. to make the best of their abilities.
There are those who maybe don't have spectacular voices, tone color or sonority, but work hard on their abilities to use them with awareness and even remarkable success, yet never coming close to the first group. Still, don't they deserve more credits?

3. to be a great performer
There are those who are natural born performers. You love them because they get a grip on you, no matter if their voice is powerful or not, if there's some false tone or not. They simply make you have a great time! And that's an important thing, too.

So how could I say who's the best?

I really love Jorn for his voice, and he did sing better than I ever saw him. But as a performer, I'm sorry to say he didn't get me. Hiding behind sunglasses, turning his back on the audience, running from the stage whenever possible - this needs improvement! (And believe me, I'm a dedicated fan!)

Zak Stevens, imho, is the very opposite. He comes onstage, immediately rushes to the front to approach the people - and has got them all on his side! And he's got a "goose bump voice", too.

Michele Luppi - I didn't know Vision Divine before, but he impressed me. What a performance, what an energy! Maybe the most passionate singer of the evening. Yet, his voice doesn't have that special thing that touches me.

Tom Englund's has. His voice may not have as wide a range as some other's have, but what he does, he does brilliantly. Would it have fitted the Evergrey music if he had acted as lively as Michele did? I don't think so. It's a different kind of music. And whether I see Tom on a regular set or an acoustic set - he never fails to move me.

I give it up, I really can't make up my mind. So I chose to vote for Carina Englund, for -as short as her performance may have been- she gave me goosebumps, her voice is adorable, she never sings a false note, and only with her, Evergrey can perform some of their greatest songs, which -for me- made the PP so special that we went all the way from Germany just to be there.
And never had to regret it.

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

Very well put, hear hear!

And a second to that!

 

[llorenth]

I will defend DIO till the end, and if you ask ANY Prog/Power vocalist, I'll bet a months paycheck that he was a driving inspiration in their career.... There will NEVER be another DIO..... Case closed.....

Dio DEFINES timelessness in a great vocalist. After almost half a CENTURY of singing in rock and metal bands, that priceless, perfect tone is still crystal clear (unless he has a cold like on the live Holy Diver album DAMNIT). If he wants to sound mean and growly, he does it better than anyone. If he wants to sound clean and sweet, he does it as well as anyone. He seems to improvise EVERY show in an Aretha Franklin level of vocal mastery - he never sings it just like the CD, and his performances often vary, but he is NEVER off, ALWAYS amazing. He IS the godfather of metal vocals, PERIOD.

On the other hand, I have to agree that Jorn was a bit disappointing. Not NEARLY metal enough, and I'm someone who really loves Ark, and I seem to like Masterplan too. He's on a nostalgia trip that is not only regressive, but also practically disqualifies him from playing a show like ProgPower. Like Leatherwolf, I was kinda scratching my head, especially during the Whitesnake medley! uke:

My vote? Luppi. Chris Salinas, Zak Steven, and Mike Eriksen are CLOSE behind, though! Luppi wow'ed me as I have seldom ever been wow'ed before.
Matt

 

[The Jediking]

Lance King rocks!!!

 

[swayn3rd]

Luppi.

 

[The Jediking]

I SAY LANCE!!! lol http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/images/smilies/firedevil.gif

 

[ThXinc]

I can live with my vote....since it seems to be PoPular this time around....LOL!

 

[Andy Laudano]

On the other hand, I have to agree that Jorn was a bit disappointing. Not NEARLY metal enough, and I'm someone who really loves Ark, and I seem to like Masterplan too. He's on a nostalgia trip that is not only regressive, but also practically disqualifies him from playing a show like ProgPower. Like Leatherwolf, I was kinda scratching my head, especially during the Whitesnake medley!

Hey Matt!

I agreed with everything you said about Dio, but I really have to disagree with the above quote about Jorn and Leatherwolf.

Part of the beauty of PPUSA is the diversity of the bands that play every year. It's not 5 strictly power metal bands and 5 strictly progressive metal bands. There's room for bands like Evergrey who incorporate some dark, gothic elements, for bands like Nightwish, Epica and Therion who blend in symphonic and gothic elements with female operatic and death metal style vocals, for melodic death metal bands like Mercenary, Orphaned Land and Into Eternity, for melodic hard rock bands like Pink Cream 69 and Circle II Circle, bands like Freak Kitchen who completly defy descrption and yes, there's room for a world class singer with old school influances like Jorn and the occasional old school heavy metal band like Leatherwolf.

While this might mean that everyone may not love every band on the roster 100%, many of us have been introduced to styles and artists that we never would have known about or given a chance otherwise. I came into Prog Power a straight up hard rock/power metal guy. If not for PPUSA I never would have bought CDs by Nightwish, Evergrey, Orphaned Land, Conception, Therion and others. PPUSA has really opened my mind and broadened my musical horizons because I've given each and every band a fair chance. Have there been some misses? Sure. But there's more to the overall experiance than just the bands. The people I've met - fans and bandmembers and the shopping in the vendors room more than make up for any band that I'm not into.

I realize how Jorn's set was a bit disappointing for hardcore ARK fans. I don't expect all of them to enjoy the direction he's chosen to take his career. But dismissing what he does as as "regressive" and a "nostalgia trip" is a bit much. Why does something that has an older feel or sound have to be regressive or considered a step backwards?

I'll never understand how some people (I'm not directing this at you, but speaking in general here) will dismiss a song or an artist because it's old or it has a sound that's remimiscent of something that came before it. "Jailhouse Rock," "Yesterday," "Purple Haze," "Stairway To Heaven," "Smoke On The Water," "Paranoid," "Detroit Rock City," "Runnin' With The Devil," "Comfortably Numb," "Rainbow In The Dark," "Run To The Hills", "Fade To Black," "The Lady Wore Black," "I Want Out," "Welcome To Dying," "Tears Of A Mandrake," - a great song is a great song no matter what year it came out!

 

[Dustro25]

This is easy Luppi is the answer. Mike (CM) close second.

 

[MEGALOUD]

A very big thank you to those that voted for my performance, I feel that that there was an amazing amount of talented vocalists here, as usual! This pole is sort of a double edged sword for us vocalists, I think everyone did a fantastic job with little or no sound checks and some with little rehearsal time, and where is my boy Chris from Zero Hour, he ripped it up!!

 

[DarkOne]

A very big thank you to those that voted for my performance, I feel that that there was an amazing amount of talented vocalists here, as usual! This pole is sort of a double edged sword for us vocalists, I think everyone did a fantastic job with little or no sound checks and some with little rehearsal time, and where is my boy Chris from Zero Hour, he ripped it up!!

Hey Lance. I was waiting for you or Mike E to show up on this thread!

You're right that there were tons of great singers this year (and every year). I realize that no one likes to see themselves trailing in the polls, but it is a good thing to track the mob mentality, right? I'm curious who you voted for. I like to get a range of perspective, from musicians to pure fans.

Oh, yes, I know I screwed up the name of ZH's vocalist. Blame that one on me!

Steve in Philly

 

[shreddy]

Simone singing Solitary Ground was the most amazing thing ever. I wasnt even a fan of that song, now I am.

 

[livingwithwolves]

Hey Matt!

I agreed with everything you said about Dio, but I really have to disagree with the above quote about Jorn and Leatherwolf.

Part of the beauty of PPUSA is the diversity of the bands that play every year. It's not 5 strictly power metal bands and 5 strictly progressive metal bands. There's room for bands like Evergrey who incorporate some dark, gothic elements, for bands like Nightwish, Epica and Therion who blend in symphonic and gothic elements with female operatic and death metal style vocals, for melodic death metal bands like Mercenary, Orphaned Land and Into Eternity, for melodic hard rock bands like Pink Cream 69 and Circle II Circle, bands like Freak Kitchen who completly defy descrption and yes, there's room for a world class singer with old school influances like Jorn and the occasional old school heavy metal band like Leatherwolf.

While this might mean that everyone may not love every band on the roster 100%, many of us have been introduced to styles and artists that we never would have known about or given a chance otherwise. I came into Prog Power a straight up hard rock/power metal guy. If not for PPUSA I never would have bought CDs by Nightwish, Evergrey, Orphaned Land, Conception, Therion and others. PPUSA has really opened my mind and broadened my musical horizons because I've given each and every band a fair chance. Have there been some misses? Sure. But there's more to the overall experiance than just the bands. The people I've met - fans and bandmembers and the shopping in the vendors room more than make up for any band that I'm not into.

I realize how Jorn's set was a bit disappointing for hardcore ARK fans. I don't expect all of them to enjoy the direction he's chosen to take his career. But dismissing what he does as as "regressive" and a "nostalgia trip" is a bit much. Why does something that has an older feel or sound have to be regressive or considered a step backwards?

I'll never understand how some people (I'm not directing this at you, but speaking in general here) will dismiss a song or an artist because it's old or it has a sound that's remimiscent of something that came before it. "Jailhouse Rock," "Yesterday," "Purple Haze," "Stairway To Heaven," "Smoke On The Water," "Paranoid," "Detroit Rock City," "Runnin' With The Devil," "Comfortably Numb," "Rainbow In The Dark," "Run To The Hills", "Fade To Black," "The Lady Wore Black," "I Want Out," "Welcome To Dying," "Tears Of A Mandrake," - a great song is a great song no matter what year it came out!

VERY well said dude!!!

P.S also Jorn only recorded 2 albums with ARK(with only 1 being really great), while he has about 20 albums he has sung on that are all amazing in their own right!