Question about my Death Metal voice (record included)

Jun 23, 2004
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Hi, I am new to this board and... *talks introducing crap*

whatever...

I and two friends want to start a Melodic Death Metal band, kind of.
One of my friend plans to play guitar and I would like to sing. But I really don't know whether my singing voice for Metal is good enough for a little band. Or even a little "just-for-fun" band.

So I decided to put a record online and ask some people about my voice. I didn't take any singing lessons and my only practice is, that I sing from time to time at home to my In Flames albums. That's maybe 2-3 times a week for 30-45 min. I started singing fun-wise about 2 months ago.

But because I don't have any webspace you have to download it a bit more complicated. But I would really like it, if you would take this 2 min.

- Download the Files with "Save target as..." all in one directory
- remove the ".jpg" extension
- unpack the first file with winrar, the rest should work automatically and you end up having one file "record.mp3"

On this File I sing to parts of 2 songs of In Flames. The Refrain of "Borders and Shading" and a part of "Dial 595-Escape". You barely hear the original music in the background.
But I'm only 16 yet and haven't had much practice, so please don't laugh at me... Probably you will :grin:

Here are the Files:
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-Record.part1.rar.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-Record.part2.rar.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-Record.part3.rar.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-Record.part4.rar.jpg

Please tell me who good/bad my voice is and most important what to improve.
 
I'm not a vocalist myself, well not yet anyway.. going to buy some equipment soon and try my chances.
Anyway, if you still want my opinion I would say that it's hard to tell since your 'screaming' is more or less whispering.
I know you get that after singing along with your mp3's for awhile and it took me a few days to really get used to screaming/singing out loudly.
To be honest I still lower my voice alot when the higher notes or the screaming part comes since you're used to do that infront of your computer/cd player.
Either because you don't think you can do it or because you don't want people to hear it (both for me).
So my advise would be to practice on really getting it out and then record something new and upload it again, and this time just a simple .mp3 or .rar file. ;)

Gotta give ya heads up though for uploading it when you haven't taken any classes before, I'm quite nervous to do that myself but now I got a little inspiration from you. :)
 
I would really like to put just ONE mp3 files up, but neither I, nor the friends I would show this record have webspace.

@ chazz:

Thank you for the tip with being louder. Usually I think I'm louder than on the record. It's like this:
I'm not afraid that someone could hear me, because I only sing when I'm alone at home. The reason I do not sing really loud is: My microphone is an asshole and I would have to put it a bit away from my mouth, otherwise it would be too loud and the qualitiy would suck. But if I take it away the sound isn't as clear...
But I'll give it a try anyways. Then I will probably put up some other records from me, when I'm kind of trying to growl. But I don't really care that much for growling


And why are you afraid to upload your own records? I guess no one at this board knows you personnally.So, who cares?

BTW: Thank you guys for your advices, finally! :grin:
 
I know ya situation got a lousy mic myself, altough I'm going to invest some money on a real mic so that I can record with better quality and really hear what I sound like.
Figure it wont't be hard to sell anyway if I need to.

True, noone here knows me and that definatley helps, however I'm like you and have never taken any classes before, as the matter of fact I rarely ever sing together with my mp3s either.
Singing is just something I'm dreaming to do and I believe that you shall never say never and always take your chances and try to go as far as you can.
So that and the fact, like you mentioned, that noone here knows me will make me upload some recordings later when I got my equipment.
 
Okay, I recorded something again and I sang louder this time. As loud as I could, nearly.
Okay, in the record are parts of two songs and the only one who sings is me. However, you can hear the music of the original song in the background, but it's silent.

This time you don't have to do unpack shit and I made it a little less complicated, however, it isn't as easy as download just one mp3 files. But I hope you guys will listen to it and post your opinions nevertheless.

Just download the files, remove the ".jpg" extension and put it in order in your playlist. If it plays from 1 to 5 in order, you will hear it all in one piece.

http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-1.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-2.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-3.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-4.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-5.mp3.jpg

BTW:
Thank you chazz for your advice to sing louder. It took me about half an hour to get used to and do it correctly, but I think it sounds better now.
 
a couple of things you need to do

1) put more air in your voice. you will sound a lot clearer and a lot louder
2) stop singing so much from your throat. when you learn how to push air out from your stomach, your voice will sound a lot more powerful

theres more, but i gotta run so ill post them up when im back
 
Hmmm, I think I've read that on screaming you have to use your throat a lot and your stomach when you growl. So, what is the right technique?

Anyways, thank you for your advices, but I'd also like to hear some opinions about the voice...
 
its not that good an idea to mainly use your throat, unless you dont mind losing your voice for good after a while. i mean, you obviously are going to have to use your voice, but try to push the air out more with your stomach. it makes for a more powerful sound, and it wont sound like your hocking a loogie.
 
Okay, next time I will try to let the air come from my stomach, but the actual sound HAS to be made with the throat, right? I will also use MORE air.

But what the hell did you mean with "hocking a loogie" ?
I'm not very good in english, you know :p
 
Hey, I just said that I'm not very good in english. I don't even know what you mean with "sounding like hocking a loogie".
Do you mean that I sound like having an orgasm or what :grin:
 
orgasm? loogie? wtf??????

hocking a loogie is like spitting, but you get all the mucus from your throat and nose and spit that out. its pretty gross for the recipient, but fucking funny as hell when you do it to someone, usually at a mall or somethin, when your on the upper level and you see people underneath you haha
 
Ah, okay. It spitted like that someday, yes. But I didn't aim for someone :grin:
I'm alone at home today for like half an hour. I will then try out letting the air come from the stomach and using lots of it.
I'll post it here when done.
 
try doing the low growling as well as the screeming, It you to practice using your gut, and I genrally do growls in kind of an opeth syle but usually lower, because of it though, when I sing children of bodom or in flames it gives me a much more solid sound
 
Okay, I've uploaded something new. I tried to let the air come from my stomach and to use more air. I also changed my technique to make the sound a bit.
You have again to download all five files, remove the .jpg extension and put them in order in your playlist, sorry.

I'm open for new tips and would REALLY like to hear an opinion how good or bad my voice is.

http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-A1.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-A2.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-A3.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-A4.mp3.jpg
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/RavagingDragon-A5.mp3.jpg