Poll: Screaming in music. Do you like it or not?

[skywalkerlion]

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
/thread

I was about to talk about how much I fucking hate it, but this is an exception I guess. I'm not a big fan of that song either but it's not as bad as some other stuff. And yeah I guess that when Kurt Cobain does it it's not so bad either. Maybe it's just the music that goes along with it, even though I've heard some good songs ruined by screaming and growling.

 

[kommando367]

I request an "I like it in certain genres" option in the poll.

I like screaming in my metal, but no where else.

 

[dantoddd]

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
/thread

I was about to talk about how much I fucking hate it, but this is an exception I guess. I'm not a big fan of that song either but it's not as bad as some other stuff. And yeah I guess that when Keith Cobain does it it's not so bad either. Maybe it's just the music that goes along with it, even though I've heard some good songs ruined by screaming and growling.

keith cobain ??

 

[Not Lord Atkin]

Depends on who's screaming. Sometimes it's just unnecessary noise that feels completely out of place (most screaming passages in Linkin Park songs) and sometimes, when thesinger's voice is up to it, it can be pretty damn awesome (Kurt Cobain)

 

[skywalkerlion]

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
/thread

I was about to talk about how much I fucking hate it, but this is an exception I guess. I'm not a big fan of that song either but it's not as bad as some other stuff. And yeah I guess that when Keith Cobain does it it's not so bad either. Maybe it's just the music that goes along with it, even though I've heard some good songs ruined by screaming and growling.

keith cobain ??

Le sigh, I'm an idiot

*KURT COBAIN*

 

[Something Amyss]

As a rule, it's mostly ridiculous. I know metalheads gather on the internets like Ron Paul fans and conspiracy theorists, but I have to represent the rest of the crowd.

 

[theseworlds]

Screams are a skill that have to be developed, just like any other skill, including singing normally. Not just anybody can do it, at least without screwing up their vocal cords. It takes a lot of time and effort, which is, unfortunately, not truly appreciated by large portions of the community. I often hear it called 'just noise', which is far from the truth IMO.

I see screams as essential to metal music (Metal, not screaming shit for the sake of screaming). However, it has to be controlled, developed, and essential to the song. Screams offer a different sound and characteristic to a song than clean vocals would. If they're just screaming for the sake of screaming, then what's the point. I can't stand listening to those 'singers' that don't do it properly and destroy their vocal cords. You can tell rather easily they haven't put in the effort to learn how to perform a scream, and it ruins the song from a musically technical perspective, in my eyes.

Lamb of God's songs would not have the same effect on the audience if they were performed with clean vocals. That's not a dig at Randy Blythe's cleans, I really don't know how they would sound so I'm not going to comment. Their songs portray an emotion of frustration, anger, dissatisfaction at the world, that wouldn't have the same intensity with clean vocals.

That's not to say cleans are bad. I enjoy them as well, as well as a combination, such as Between the Buried and Me, or the Human Abstract, to name just two. Screams add a different layer to the music, as do growls, as do cleans, and as do other singing styles.

Here's three metal songs, each belonging to very different genres of metal. you can clearly hear the different is styles, and how the chosen vocals affect the song.

Combination of screams and growls, adding intensity to an already hugely technical song.
(Band: Born of Osiris. Song: Recreate)


Combination of screams, growls, cleans, and even a hymn-style choir.
(Band: Devin Townsend Project. Song: Planet of the Apes) P.s. Tommy Roger's vocal growls are heard from 6:36.


Screams, growls, and clean vocals for the chorus (which are really quite good, IMO)
(Band: Sylosis. Song: After Lifeless Years)

 

[vivster]

it's rather nice
i even found myself liking flee the seen

what i can't stand is this unbearable grunting(or growling... please don't hit me) in metal music
screaming has at least some emotional justification

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

Don't give a sh*t. I don't listen to much music, but I really am indifferent to anything metal.

 

[Astoria]

When it's done right it can turn a good song into a great song. When it's done poorly or is overused however it just sounds crap but I guess that's true for all types of singing.

 

[D-tritus Debris]

While I do rarely enjoy the screaming of Alexi Laiho, I absolutely freaking love the blood curdling, shiver inducing screams of Bruce "air-raid siren" Dickinson, and Rob Halford.

 

[SextusMaximus]

Like a bit of it, into some TBDM. Don't listen to it that much though!

 

[Spud of Doom]

Do I like it? I certainly do, yes. What I don't like is screaming for the sake of it. Some vocalists can pull it off and make it sound good with a nice dynamic range and a variety of tones rather than just sounding the same for 4 minutes.

I also find it's better if there is a good mix of screaming and singing in the song to give it some contrast. Or at least have some less growly, more pitch-conscious vocals in there.



Some examples of songs with a good mix of clean and screams:

Spoiler: 2 vids. Hidden for tidiness

I know it's pretty cheesy, but these guys are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine.

Pitched screams/yells:

Spoiler: 3 vids. Hidden for tidiness

From 3:40 in this one

Then there are some vocalists who would be considered screaming by some, but I like their powerful voice.

Spoiler: 2 vids. Hidden for tidiness

 

[TheAceTheOne]

Learning how to scream and growl and stuff seems like such a waste to me. If you have the potential to become a talented singer, why ruin your throat by screaming all day?

There's a few reasons: The style of music may sound better with distorted vocals than clean. Also, it could be done for effect, when there's a song like... Belle of the Ball, where clean vocals and acoustic guitar come in at the end after an entire song of riffs, breakdowns, and growls. Another reason is that screaming/growling is a way to get emotion across. Think about it: Dogs growl when they're angry. If you're doing vocals for an angry song and you're truly feeling the emotion so much that you need to get it all out, it helps to scream or sing.

Source? Personal experience as a "scream/growly" vocalist. I do clean vocals, too, it really depends on the part of a song I'm in.

 

[crudus]

I hate it was deadly passion. It is just noise that adds nothing to the music at best and makes it drivel at worst. Do you mean like heavy metal screaming or screaming just randomly during the song?

EDIT: Or maybe I'll just leave a bunch of white squares. Seriously, why the hell doesnt the Escapist have a code list anymore?

Spoiler: Fixed them for you

 

[Amnesiac Pigeon]

If a song builds up to a scream fair enough.

If it starts off screaming and continues to scream I can't stand it.

 

[KnightOfHearts]

Admittedly.... no, funnily enough I only started getting into more metal based music in the past year, I'm actually an acoustic guitarist whos favorite artists and influences are people like John butler, Andy Mckee, Tim Mcmillan and Miyavi.

I've become quite infatuated with prog and math metal bands along the lines of Tesseract and Dream Theater, neither of which really scream (Daniel Tomkins from tesseract more... yells... like a boss).


When it comes to full screams and grunts I can't really say I enjoy them
BUT!
I find it hard to imagine bands like epica, periphery and opeth without it.

At some points, for example in the song captain on by periphery; the singer (Specer Sotelo) comes straight of a scream into a rather impressive high note, I found that rather epic.

I have often wondered if I'd like the bands mentioned above more if they didn't contain screams or grunts or if taking that part of the music away would create and entirely new experience.
Either way, I can't say I really enjoy it, so long as their not ranting about spilling the blood of the innocent in the name of Satan or something then I guess I don't mind.

Friend of mine once said "just look at it as distortion for vocals".

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

If you recognise my avatar, then that should indicate that I love screamed/death growls vocals. When they are done well of course, I mean.

 

[dantoddd]

Screams are a skill that have to be developed, just like any other skill, including singing normally. Not just anybody can do it, at least without screwing up their vocal cords. It takes a lot of time and effort, which is, unfortunately, not truly appreciated by large portions of the community. I often hear it called 'just noise', which is far from the truth IMO.

I see screams as essential to metal music (Metal, not screaming shit for the sake of screaming). However, it has to be controlled, developed, and essential to the song. Screams offer a different sound and characteristic to a song than clean vocals would. If they're just screaming for the sake of screaming, then what's the point. I can't stand listening to those 'singers' that don't do it properly and destroy their vocal cords. You can tell rather easily they haven't put in the effort to learn how to perform a scream, and it ruins the song from a musically technical perspective, in my eyes.

Lamb of God's songs would not have the same effect on the audience if they were performed with clean vocals. That's not a dig at Randy Blythe's cleans, I really don't know how they would sound so I'm not going to comment. Their songs portray an emotion of frustration, anger, dissatisfaction at the world, that wouldn't have the same intensity with clean vocals.

That's not to say cleans are bad. I enjoy them as well, as well as a combination, such as Between the Buried and Me, or the Human Abstract, to name just two. Screams add a different layer to the music, as do growls, as do cleans, and as do other singing styles.

Here's three metal songs, each belonging to very different genres of metal. you can clearly hear the different is styles, and how the chosen vocals affect the song.

Combination of screams and growls, adding intensity to an already hugely technical song.
(Band: Born of Osiris. Song: Recreate)


Combination of screams, growls, cleans, and even a hymn-style choir.
(Band: Devin Townsend Project. Song: Planet of the Apes) P.s. Tommy Roger's vocal growls are heard from 6:36.


Screams, growls, and clean vocals for the chorus (which are really quite good, IMO)
(Band: Sylosis. Song: After Lifeless Years)

is devin townsend related to Pete Townsend

 

[shadow_Fox81]

because one of us was bound to turn up


I'm gonna call Zach dela rocha being more hard on listening than anyhting previously mentioned, but a better example of screaming or just yelling as musically valid.

"freedom" in a breath encapsulates more meaning through Zach's vocals than any Lennon inspired hippie anthem in the tradition of "give peace a chance"in its entirety. Because in this singular lyric is brutal,forceful emotion born out in pure musical tradition of the battle cry.

this kind of power is a truth a great many musicians understand.

so yeah i like it

(white riot for the win)

EDIT: not much love for the classics on this thread

EDITED:EDIT: really? i know punks dead and all but surely not all punks are dead, surely?