A question for metal fans.

[Korenith]

Any yahoo can scream.

Very much not true. That's like saying anyone can sing. Anyone can do it, but it takes skill to do it well. And if you can do both well and transition between the two well, than your awesome in my book.

Very true indeed, for instance I've become rather good at the highs but my lows still need a lot of work. It's all about practice.

Agreed. Plus the number of vocalists who have wrecked their voice boxes trying to growl for extended periods because they haven't trained them properly is pretty high. These people are risking their health people, show some respect!

 

[SeksEin]

I agree 95%... A lot of really good metal songs are ruined by almost unnecessarily throaty vocals. Example:
<youtube=1DND8S_CF_g>

If the band has good singing, scream all you want, but if you only have the screams it starts to sound shitty.

 

[Karma168]

I dont like all out grunting/w.e like the 1st OP's song but bands who use a mix of clean and harsh vocals are some of my favourites. If you listen to the agonist you notice the singer uses both styles to great effect.

<youtube=FxVWLF6issk>

 

[rockingnic]

The hardest metal I listen to is All That Remains and they have some screaming songs which I d enjoy but I very much prefer sung lyrics over screaming lyrics 90% of the time.

Here are 2 examples of songs I can like the screaming lyrics but I can't tolerate screaming that completely impossible to understand.

<youtube=VsnbnuquaHY>

and

<youtube=Z72hQtopdAs>

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Any yahoo can scream.

This is so utterly incorrect.

Anyway, most of my metal has screaming in it, so I have to disagree with you OP.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

I hate screaming. Any yahoo can scream. I want to hear singing. No, I don't care if the sound guy has to turn the volume on the vocals up just so we can hear them, that's what he's there for.

then you do it. for an extended period of time (say... a whole concert, perhaps?) and see how easy it is. trust me... i've tried it and it practically leaves your throat bleeding by the end.
it takes special talent to do Death and Black metal screaming.

only Hardcore and Emo screaming is skilless, because plenty of people anywhere can do it for hours on end and never get tired.

Screaming IS singing, but it's more like a percussive than melodic singing, more about rhythm and feeling than harmony.

if you still think it's just skilless, pointless screaming, then you are an ignorant troll and should just go away and listen to your Ke$ha and Bieber.

OT: Have you tried Iron Maiden? What about Megadeth? or Anthrax? here are some examples:
Their bassist, Steve Harris REALLY knows how to compose music.

Again, another great composer. Dave Mustaine man...

or what about folk metal...?


now THIS you HAVE to love if you like Metal but don't like the screaming...

 

[Evil Moo]

Yeah, bands that feature only almost monotone growling vocals throughout their songs tend to annoy me. As others have said, a bit of screaming or a more guttural emphasis now and then is alright, it can add very nicely to whatever emotion or message they are trying to convey, but having it being a constant drone on top of some potentially nice music just ruins an otherwise good song.

I've taken to listening to generally more elegant vocals in my metal, such as those of Karnivool.
Like this:

Spoiler: Karnivool - Mauseum

<youtube=iar4aaYTaF8>

And this:

Spoiler: Karnivool - Synops

<youtube=6o3q2TjdlBM>

 

[ArcWelder92]

I'm going to be paid by Blind Guardian soon with how much I've been posting this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvZEzEOPRfw

This is what I would consider metal, specifically "epic metal," which features fantastic music and words that anyone and their grandmother can understand. See also Dragonforce, Sabaton, Savatage. Although I think Motorhead is one of the greatest bands ever created, and Lemmy has a pretty good grunt.

 

[carpathic]

I'm finding most metal far too heavy for my tastes at the moment. If the throaty vocals are in a song, I won't be listening.

I generally agree. I'd take master of puppets over almost anything put out in the past 5 years (though "The day that never comes" rocks pretty hard).

Slipknot is a good bet too.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

I don't believe a metal fan would be able to answer your question. It's a metal fan, after all.

But I'll try to answer. I think sometimes they're good. Such as with Insomnium.


Frankly though, I prefer not to have them.

 

[Xenomemphate]

See I prefer Symphonic or Folk Metal (Eluveite are awesome! Seen them and Alestorm live.)

 

[Azaraxzealot]

then you do it. for an extended period of time (say... a whole concert, perhaps?) and see how easy it is. trust me...

It hurts the pro's voices too. Note how screamers tend to, umm, stop with the fucking screaming around age 30-35. You can see that happen in Slipknot's stuff, Corey dropped the screaming as he aged. Incidentally their stuff started sounding better about that time as well.

if you still think it's just skilless, pointless screaming, then you are an ignorant troll

Perhaps you should stop to think that maybe I just have an opinion that's different to yours?

and should just go away and listen to your Ke$ha and Bieber.

Fuck them both. The only thing I'd listen to them do is scream when their tour buses crash into each other and pin them in place.

Nice wrong assumption, though. Shows a lot about your character, assuming someone who doesn't like screaming and thinks it's easy as hell to do must like some talentless interchangeable femboys that the RIAA parades around in between cocaine binges and file sharing lawsuits. It's quaint.

OT: Have you tried Iron Maiden?

Didn't like any of it.

What about Megadeth

Symphony of Destruction is good, nothing else appeals. Too screamy.

those songs weren't for you they were directed at the OP. and even then, you just completely ignored more than half of the songs to suit your purposes.

 

[Death_Korps_Kommissar]

To each his own really.
But I'd honestly like to see someone who thinks anyone can scream, do a death growl without blowing his voice.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I hate screaming. Any yahoo can scream. .

That's absolutely not true.

Anyone can scream like a ***** but very few people can do proper metal vocals like the ones in Meshuggah. It takes a lot of practice and technique to get that sound.

Personally I love metal screaming, all down to taste.

 

[Ashz0r]

Usually no, unless it sounds good, like Job For a Cowboy.

The likes of Dream Theater can make something sounds as dark without screaming though...

 

[CNKFan]

I love those kind of lyrics. It adds to the song depending on the genre, if I heard death growls in an old Metallica song, I'd be a little annoyed. However in a Cannibal Corpse song it fits right in.

 

[Haydyn]

I stoped listening to meatl because of the croaking in death metal. As a blonde I like high pitch screams like in Judas Priest's Painkiller.

 

[Uncreation]

I think that harsh vocals can be superb in the right context. There are bands that i would never listen to, if they had clear vocal.

@direkiller: Cradle of filth is not death metal though, just to nitpick. And it just so happens that this is one of the bands i was talking about. I wouldn't listen to Cradle if they used clean vocal for all of their songs. But yes, i do like the original played by Iron Maiden more.

 

[Syntax Error]

I'm going to be paid by Blind Guardian soon with how much I've been posting this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvZEzEOPRfw

This is what I would consider metal, specifically "epic metal," which features fantastic music and words that anyone and their grandmother can understand. See also Dragonforce, Sabaton, Savatage. Although I think Motorhead is one of the greatest bands ever created, and Lemmy has a pretty good grunt.

Robot unicorns!!!

Anyway, I'm probably on the same boat as the OP... That's the reason why my favorite band is Kamelot. The vocalist was an Opera singer (studying to be one, at least) before he decided to go that route. Seriously, look up "Karma" (the album). It only gets better from there.

 

[Satosuke]

Metal grunts (often humorously called cookie monster vocals) are good in small doses, or when utilized well in a band like Amon Amarth or Atheist. My personal favorite application of grunts is in this particular song: (starts at 3:26)

What I can't stand, however, are these lame, uninspired deathmetal/grindcore/goregrind/porngrind bands that do nothing but play as loud and atonally as possible while making the most indecipherable grunts, growls, and gurgles they can. Oftentimes, the lyrics are entirely pointless, as it's obvious the 'singer' isn't even bothering to try and vocalize any of them. That, and their subject matter gets old quick. Ok, I get it, you like to pretend to sing about blood and gore. It's not shocking anymore, it's BORING. Unless you're trying to be funny or legitimately scary, like a good horror or exploitation flick, you're not impressing anyone except your 13-year old, pimply-faced fans. This below is a prime example of the bland, monotonous shit I speak of. Don't listen to it unless you want to be bored to death by a wall of sound.

And yes, I know many of them are joke bands, like Anal ****. They may be a joke, but their joke's not funny.