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

[Kenbo Slice]

You guys keep using Bring Me The Horizon as a example of a bad metalcore band, okay their first cd wasn't that great but now here's something off their latest cd that is really amazing:


Yes I love screaming. I love metalcore and post hardcore.

 

[default]

It also depends on the sound of the song. Most of the popular bands in metal nowadays are shitty genericore bands that scream because its cool & for their br00tal breakdowns. Its sickening. Screaming should be natural and used to accentuate the feel of the part of the song properly. Not just because you can do it and its "cool."

 

[technoted]

I'm assuming you don't mean in the Rob Halford sense but more Bring Me The Horizon.

I cannot stand screamo, it's talentless drivvle that has no general theme other than to pine at attention. However if you give me a band like Burzum in which the singer Varg Vikernes literally just screams I like it, so it all depends on the context of the screaming and the music in general.

 

[lacktheknack]

Not voting due to no "Other". It totally depends on the music.

1: Unstructured

If you are going to scream, don't make it sound too chaotic - make it sound like it was MEANT to be there, not tossed in as an afterthought.

For instance, we have "Surrounded by Silence" by Design the Skyline - all the screaming just plain old doesn't work, due to being set up wrong. The first part of the song is borderline pretty... and then... well. Just listen.

<spoiler=Surrounded by Silence - Design the Skyline><youtube=ViSZI6UJEUQ>

Also note that the chorus has different structure entirely from the verse, which would be OK (if not kind of amateur)... and then the screaming comes back and changes the structure again. Not cool, guys! And then the ending. Oh the ending. This is how you don't do "intense screaming song". ("buuuurrrrrp bur burp burp burp buuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrp")

This kind of music has its fans, and freeform screaming has its appeal, but I'd much prefer...

2: Semi-structured

Now, some would say that Design the Skyline just can't scream. That may be the case (I'm no expert), so let's look at a song I actually kind of like...

<youtube=KDzt6yI3Dw8>

While this song is rife with thematic, stage-show and structural issues (skip to 2:40 for my personal favorite musical WTF ever), but at least they knew what they were doing with their screams! While they can't seem to knit two musical ideas together, the screaming actually meshes with the nearest surrounding music (mostly, via black magic), so it's certainly more listenable than Design the Skyline. I'll call it a guilty pleasure.

3: Proper

I'm positive that everyone here reading this has their own collection of screaming music that they adore, so I don't think I need to cover it, I can't possibly cover everyone's taste in the general "hardcore metal" screaming area, and I don't want to analyze it all. Tons of great artists do it, like Pantera, or Nine Inch Nails. It's just that I don't really care for that kind of music. Specifically, it has verse-chorus structure with some/many/all of the words screamed instead of sung. All it has to do is follow ONE musical idea (or several if they can do it right) without terrifying breaks in tone to be structured. It can be good music, I just don't really care for it, as it's not as interesting as semi-structured (PERSONAL OPINION ALERT), and not as effective and hair-raising as...

4: Primal

Typically, For something to be primal, it has to be ALL ABOUT THE SCREAM in the moment. THAT'S the kind of screaming I can truly appreciate. Interestingly, it doesn't come from metal very often (as far as I can tell). I've had most luck finding primal screaming in industrial music... and electronica.

<youtube=QT8zdnaxyME>

(Note: The song is not actually from the Embryodead album, from what I can tell. Unless it's the bonus track.)

Hear the chorus? Particularly the last one? It's not screaming words of anger and rebellion... it's just SCREAMING.

Just... AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGH! The ending is by far my favorite screaming moment in music, it's one of the two screams that consistently makes me shiver.

The other is held by Aphex Twin, of all people.

<spoiler=Come to Daddy - Aphex Twin><youtube=tWDAtMPoBHA>

4:10 is relevant. Same thing - it's all about the WAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH. It also appeals to me that on the official lyric sheet, the entire thirty seconds of primal aggression is denoted by "Argh".

So, to sum up, I like barely structured screamers if only for the novelty, but if you want to truly IMPRESS me with your screaming, you have to make it as primal as possible.

 

[TonyVonTonyus]

I chose "its the devils sound" mainly because it sounded pretty cool. It works in some cases when the singer knows how to do it. A good example being...


a bad example being

 

[Xardion]

Screaming/growling is great in music. Personally I can't stand when it's just one guy making one monotone noise the entire song. There needs to be something to mix it up, be it a pitch or style change, or clean singing.

Personally, I think the band who has THE perfect mix (at least for me) is Scar Symmetry. Especially if you consider all of the vocals are the same guy (at least for the first 3 albums)


Tracedawn also has a pretty good mix as well.

 

[shadow_Fox81]

Hate it. If you're going to make music, make it sound good, not just some twat trying to deafen me.

so I'm wondering if a twat trying to deafen you with music that may have emotional,political and philisophical depth is less appealing than a pretty sounding pop diva who "sounds good" but for all the world has the depth of a dessert spoon.

just wondering is all, not that theres anything wrong with a little sugar in your coffee.

If I want to hear political debates I'll go onto political forums or watch the news or some such.
If I want to listen to some music that I'll enjoy while walking to school everyday I will. In fact, I wouldn't mind have more depth to music, but if I all get is some talentless berk shouting into the microphone, then I'll stick to the "simpler" stuff thanks.

ok i get that (begrudgingly).

but does this extend to Bob Dylan (or similar musicians) who can't sing to save themselves. (also i was insinuating it was shallow not simple but its all peaches and gravy baby)

 

[Yopaz]

I hate it that sort of music. It's just noise.

Then you haven't heard how it is when it's done well. Screaming as a way to break the pace can actually be quite good. Screaming all the way ruins the song in most cases.

[
Some screaming, but not through the entire song. However if you don't like hard rock then it's understandable.

Sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree. It still sounds like noise to me. Some people just happen to not like that sort of thing, and I'm one of them.

I can understand how you can't like it, but as I said, if you don't like it then you simply don't like it.

 

[PleaseDele]

I voted I love it, but ofcourse it has a few conditions for me too like it.

My ears are used to it by now, but if I can't even make out words something is amiss. Sometimes I even grab the lyric and go: THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING? WUT NOW? Yeah... not good.

Screaming doesn't have to be pitchless. Anders Friden proves this on Sounds of a Playground Fading and Randy from Lamb of God did a good job on Sacrament with small melodies using his screams. This more melodic kind of screaming is tons more accessible.

It can be used for an entire song or even album if it meets this criteria, however, when it's mixed with clean vocals it gets bonus points. If done right I feel it can empower some bits of lyrics/music. Kind of like playing a nice melodic riff and ending on a powerful diminished chord too give it some punch.

Now, as for the "no-skill argument" I've seen flying by. Screaming properly isn't easier or harder than regular singing. Both share the principle of basic pitch control and breath support. Once you have both of those down different techniques come into play. These techniques are often like a light bulb going off when you suddenly "get it". To get a proper sound you have to experiment a lot till you can do it in a relaxed state.

When you get it, both need a shitload of work to keep the quality improving over the years.

But here's the thing. Any idiot can do both POORLY. It's easy to glide off pitch, when you sing normally you can still mess up emphasis on vowels so words are still unidentifiable etc. Using auto-tune can result in a bad singer hitting correct pitches. Compression can help with any volume issues a singer might have. So both area's have enough stuff to work around a substandard quality.

So the no skill argument, to me, is utter bullshit. However, I really can't argue with the people who say they just don't like it. I just happened to find some bands that mixed up with great musicianship and clean vox, so it kinda grew on me. If you refuse to listen to screamers, you'll never like it. That's just how our brain works. If it weren't for those other bands I'd still be an anti-screams guy myself!

Well this wall of text is now over. Cheers!

 

[TacticalAssassin1]

Hate it, except for one song.

I thought this was going to be a point about the sampled screaming in 'Downward Spiral' era NIN songs, which is fucking awesome.

Yeah, when it's done to add atmosphere to the song, it's fine. I don't like it when it's actually used to sing songs, is all.

 

[hazabaza1]

Hate it. If you're going to make music, make it sound good, not just some twat trying to deafen me.

so I'm wondering if a twat trying to deafen you with music that may have emotional,political and philisophical depth is less appealing than a pretty sounding pop diva who "sounds good" but for all the world has the depth of a dessert spoon.

just wondering is all, not that theres anything wrong with a little sugar in your coffee.

If I want to hear political debates I'll go onto political forums or watch the news or some such.
If I want to listen to some music that I'll enjoy while walking to school everyday I will. In fact, I wouldn't mind have more depth to music, but if I all get is some talentless berk shouting into the microphone, then I'll stick to the "simpler" stuff thanks.

ok i get that (begrudgingly).

but does this extend to Bob Dylan (or similar musicians) who can't sing to save themselves. (also i was insinuating it was shallow not simple but its all peaches and gravy baby)

Never listened to Bob Dylan, so I'm not really getting what you're saying.
If it helps most of the stuff I listen to is from game soundtracks.

 

[Wherethefuckiswally]

Sooo many bands mentioned but there is only one King of the Scream, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. His 15 second long scream in Given Up (look it up on Youtube) is some sort of record I think. I agree with the general concenus on here, it only works when it's real. Bands that do it all the time like BMTH, etc only do it because they can and it donesn't work. Bands that mix it up with screaming, singing, rhythem, feeling, etc are the best sort of music. Anyone that says it's shit and "just screaming", imagine how many times a lead singer has to scream per night while on tour, they then have to do that night after night and do it so they don't destory their voice box, it is a skill.

 

[xplosive59]

Depends what you mean because i love Chick Schuldiner's banshee-esque death scream and Rob Halfords high pitched melodic scream as well as other guys that use these techniques (eg Possessed, Nevermore, Ayreon, Devin Townsend etc) but i cannot stand stuff like bring me the horizon or Suicide Silence or even Cradle of Filth for that matter, it really does depend on what screams they are and how they are used, but even then screaming cant entirely ruin a song, for example if a Cynic song had screaming over the top it may be annoying but it still be a great song because its fuckin' Cynic, good musicianship always prevails basically.

 

[xplosive59]

Screaming/growling is great in music. Personally I can't stand when it's just one guy making one monotone noise the entire song. There needs to be something to mix it up, be it a pitch or style change, or clean singing.

Personally, I think the band who has THE perfect mix (at least for me) is Scar Symmetry. Especially if you consider all of the vocals are the same guy (at least for the first 3 albums)


Tracedawn also has a pretty good mix as well.

Oh thank you btw, I heard that song ages ago (Tracedawn one) but i forgot who the band was and I liked the song

 

[Blow_Pop]

Depends on what it is and the mood I'm in that day. Two of my favourite bands are Atreyu and Avenged Sevenfold but I wouldnae classify either as more screaming than not. Then again my music taste is quite eclectic

 

[hooksashands]

At first, no. Over time, I came to embrace it.

Some metal bands scream just to scream, but I think most singers on some level realize their audience is selective to eardrum-shattering. Some songs just wouldn't sound as good without yelling, growling, etc, but I also notice musical passages being ruined by singers who want to scream all the time like a motor that can't shift gears.

For good examples of screaming and clean vocals intermixed, I recommend these metal bands:
Dillinger Escape Plan (Schizophrenic highs and lows)
ISIS (comparable to Tool)
Hopesfall (think Deftones on uppers)
Intronaut (the newest album, Valley of Smoke, introduce hymning monk-like parts for the more complex poly-rhythms instead of the usual aggressive growling every track)

 

[Hookman]

It depends on the amount of screaming and the band itself. I don't mind if the song is part screaming/part singing. Its why I like Mushroomhead and Judas Priest so much!

All-screaming just gets on my nerves, which is worrying as too many modern metal bands do it now.
*cough* BMTH *cough*

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Eh, I guess it depends on if it's in a song I like...