Panthera said:
First of all, there isn't exactly any sort of "accepted norm". Metal of all kinds has continued to be produced through the 90s and 2000s. If you want clean vocals, there's no lack of it to be found.
Second, coherent vocals are not exactly important. Most lyrics in metal (and music in general really) aren't all that great anyway, so it's not like you're missing out on much, and the actual sound is far more important than the clarity of the words being said. Harsh vocals (obviously) sound entirely different than conventional singing, so they bring a different sound to the table. Something that works with one vocal style is probably not going to work with another. The analogy people often use is that in most genres, the vocals are playing a role similar to a guitar, while harsh vocals are playing a role more similar to the drums. I don't know how accurate that really is but a lot of people like looking at it that way. In any event, when your music is trying to be rough and abrasive, you want vocals that are like that as well. There's certainly a ton of music I love that could never have had the same intensity, impact or emotional appeal had it not used harsh vocal styles.
Of course there is not an accepted norm. I think you missed the point that I wasn't really being critical, I was asking an honest question. I am aware that there is still clean vocal metal, it's just that a lot of what I run across being trumpeted by the fans (fans, not fanboys) is usually often stuff like this:
I can't understand it. Literally, I have no idea what (she... apparently) is saying. So, the idea of emotional appeal or impact is lost on me, completely. I understand that it isn't on others, but what I'm asking is it about this that speaks to you?
I don't mind harsh or gravelly, so long as I can understand it. One of the responses to my previous post gave a great list of gravelly screamers that were also actually coherent. Since I have always liked Dave Draiman since I first listened to Disturbed (a long time ago when I was in the army), he's a good example, for me, of shouty/screamy gravelly.
I get him. I don't get Abnormality or Galmat. Not saying they are bad, but sorta wondering what it is that drives people to like this vocal style... if anything specific or that can be articulated.
Also, you can save the lectures on how good lyrics are. I came back from an extended break in the 80s on classical and jazz during the post-punk and grunge. Except for Pearl Jam and Eddie's need to be politically relevant (other than wimping out on Yellow Ledbetter), no one ever really accused grunge of having coherent, intelligent lyrics.
