What makes a death metal vocalist good?
- Thread starter Esteban
- Start date
Well, what really makes an ordinary vocalist good? Technicality? Hardly! If you think that way, you shouldn't be listening to metal anyways. It's all a matter of subjective taste.
Episteme
Member
Mikael Akerfeldt's death vocals in BloodBath and Opeth are godly. And newer Immolation vocals are good as well. I go more for the low and monotonous, yet I still want to be able to hear each individual word. And the guy from Immolation and Mikael Akerfeldt do that well. Other good death metal vocals are from Decapitated, Psycroptic(a must try band that's from Tasmania, Australia), etc
Raumien
Pepsi Fiend
Well, I know what isn't good, the people who take their vocals no further than "Rhwwworh Rhwwworh Rhwwworh Rhwwworh GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!"
Profanity
The Post Master
hhmm... this is a tough one really, I enjoy nearly all death style vocals. everything from the broken hope style bottomless pit of guttural darkness to the shreiking highs of blackmetal bands. (thats the only good quality about cradle of filth I like is when donni screams higher then the cymbals..)
Aside from the "sound" of vocals alone, another factor I look at, possibly more then how the vocals sound is HOW they are expressed. This is probably why I lean more towards the depressive side of metal (ie, DOOM) the more emotion I can sense the more I will enjoy it. I dont respond as much to anger or hateful vocals. but I love hearing some 18 year kid from norway ripping out his throat while moaning and wailing about lovelorn sorrow. (check out enchantments, Dance the marble naked. came out in 93, they were like 17-20yr old when it came out.) Even some newer poppy bands that come out I get an ear for now and then when it seems the vocalist is using alot of personal inflection and really pushing their voice with there feelings.
I'm currently working on laying out vocal tracks for my bands demo. being able to sit down and objectively and privately work on the vocals ofr music I've been jaming too for a while is proving to be a difficult thing. When we jam live together I've got a shitty PA so its mostly growls and mid-range screams from me. But now that I can really "listen" to it I want to incorporte everything together. and have a great varieity of vocals with many emotions pushing them. When the demo is done I'll be sure to post it on this BBS somewere. and you had better let me know if you think the vocals suck!
Aside from the "sound" of vocals alone, another factor I look at, possibly more then how the vocals sound is HOW they are expressed. This is probably why I lean more towards the depressive side of metal (ie, DOOM) the more emotion I can sense the more I will enjoy it. I dont respond as much to anger or hateful vocals. but I love hearing some 18 year kid from norway ripping out his throat while moaning and wailing about lovelorn sorrow. (check out enchantments, Dance the marble naked. came out in 93, they were like 17-20yr old when it came out.) Even some newer poppy bands that come out I get an ear for now and then when it seems the vocalist is using alot of personal inflection and really pushing their voice with there feelings.
I'm currently working on laying out vocal tracks for my bands demo. being able to sit down and objectively and privately work on the vocals ofr music I've been jaming too for a while is proving to be a difficult thing. When we jam live together I've got a shitty PA so its mostly growls and mid-range screams from me. But now that I can really "listen" to it I want to incorporte everything together. and have a great varieity of vocals with many emotions pushing them. When the demo is done I'll be sure to post it on this BBS somewere. and you had better let me know if you think the vocals suck!
Opus(sy)2
Dead and dripping
Well....i like nothing more than a good...fucking deep disgusting guttural vomit from bands such as Cock and Ball Torture 
Profanity
The Post Master
MardyAss
Member
To sound brutal, yet clean is one of them. (i.e. Ross Dolan, Åkerfeldt, and Lord Worm)
Lord Worm, for me, is the most skilled. He used a lot of techniques, such as inhaled screams.
Lord Worm, for me, is the most skilled. He used a lot of techniques, such as inhaled screams.
murderedbysound
MurderedbySound
IMO, i dont think that the singer in DT has death vox. Cannibal Corpse, Opeth, Bloodbath...etc..thats death vox. but i like the vox cause it goes along with the music quite well...i dont think i would enjoy a michael bolton singer for a metal band.
Lanterns
1 girl in her cups
In my opinion, an extreme metal (growl) voice needs to sound POWERFUL and EXPRESSIVE. Expressiveness is important to me, I can't stand it when the singer just growls away powerlessly and monotonously (e.g. Paradise Lost; okay they are not death/extreme metal, but a "good" example for bad growling vocals imo). I think Angela Gossow and Anders Friden are really good; I like the way Friden screams.
Personally I think contrast is the best way to pull off vocals in Death Metal, having both the harsh screams and the clean vocals. A great example of this is Soilwork, great vocals in all of their songs, well placed and well thought out.
And on a more personal level I have set my band up to provide even more contrast. We have 3 vocalists, the lead singer is a girl to provide sweet tones and beautiful singing, then the other guitarist and I both scream, I find that this makes for a very interesting overall effect.
And on a more personal level I have set my band up to provide even more contrast. We have 3 vocalists, the lead singer is a girl to provide sweet tones and beautiful singing, then the other guitarist and I both scream, I find that this makes for a very interesting overall effect.
I like the combination of clean and death vocals too, it can sound really goodMadManMustard said:
anonymousnick2001
World's Greatest Vocalist
I think a good death metal vocalist is capable of scaring the shit out of the listener with the eeireness and the demonic nature of his voice. Power is good, but I prefer intelligible vocals, because sometimes being able to understand what is being growled adds to the frightening aspect.
A good range helps. Rather than a monotone constipated dog growl, a good death metal vocalist should be able to bark, scream, screech, and 'rap' per se, or just rapid-fire grunt.
Any death metal vocalist who can do most of the above and also unleash gorgeous clean vocals as well should be considered one of the all time great vocalists. I'm sick of hearing how awesome Robert Plant, Rob Halford, Geoff Tate, Freddie Mercury, and Bruce Dickinson are. Singing all high pitched does not instantly make you good.
See: Mikael Akerfeldt, Frank Mullen, Mike DiSalvo, Lord Worm, Burton C. Bell, Speed Strid, Tomas Lindberg, Max Cavalera, Shagrath, Chuck Schuldiner, Ihsahn(pre-IX Equilibrium), Rob Flynn, Mikael Stanne, Barney Greenway, Dan Swano.
A good range helps. Rather than a monotone constipated dog growl, a good death metal vocalist should be able to bark, scream, screech, and 'rap' per se, or just rapid-fire grunt.
Any death metal vocalist who can do most of the above and also unleash gorgeous clean vocals as well should be considered one of the all time great vocalists. I'm sick of hearing how awesome Robert Plant, Rob Halford, Geoff Tate, Freddie Mercury, and Bruce Dickinson are. Singing all high pitched does not instantly make you good.
See: Mikael Akerfeldt, Frank Mullen, Mike DiSalvo, Lord Worm, Burton C. Bell, Speed Strid, Tomas Lindberg, Max Cavalera, Shagrath, Chuck Schuldiner, Ihsahn(pre-IX Equilibrium), Rob Flynn, Mikael Stanne, Barney Greenway, Dan Swano.
I see your point, however guys like Tate, Halford and Dickinson are great not because they sing high pitched, but because of their range and power. Take Joacim Cans from Hammerfall, or Timmo Kottipelto from Stratovarious, they sing high pitched, however compared to Tate, Dickinson or Michael Kiske, they pretty much stink IMO.anonymousnick2001 said:
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