Metal vocals require immense pressure in order to produce sound. Learning proper techniques of screaming singing means less strain on the vocal cords and greater control of your sound.
Screaming and growling may appear like mere shouting, but there is actually an artful technique behind these vocalizations that involves training and warmups – this article will explore these techniques in further depth.
Type 1
Heavy metal music singing often uses harsh vocal effects that elicit powerful reactions in its listeners, which is most commonly associated with harder subgenres like black metal and death metal, but may also appear in melodic metalcore tracks. Screams may also feature other vocal effects like distortion or pitch manipulation to add an emotional edge or for effect.
Metal vocalists use harsh vocal techniques for various reasons. Screams, growls and harsh vocal techniques often emphasize emotion – such as anger and rage – while providing more aggressive and raw tones in their music. Achieving such effects may take some practice but many metal vocalists can do it well.
Screaming can add an intense and aggressive edge to metal music, as well as emphasising its dark feel. Screaming also puts emphasis on emotion while fitting perfectly into its style of composition.
Screamed vocal techniques are typically associated with extreme music genres like metal and punk rock, though they’re also found in some avant-garde and experimental genres – particularly black metal and sludge music genres.
Metal growling involves an elaborate technique involving modulating of vocal cords to produce a deep guttural sound, known as “the scream.” Artists such as Ihsahn, Dani Filth, Mikael Stanne and Attila Csihar use this style.
There are numerous elements that contribute to the success of this form of singing, including vocal tone and range; using a quality microphone; being at ease using it; as well as having an appropriate warm-up routine so as to safeguard vocal health and quality sound output.
Type 2
Metal music is hard and aggressive, so it comes naturally that its singer would scream and growl to complement its sound. This style of singing amplifies distortions to produce an aggressive tone, fitting perfectly with the dark, overwhelming atmosphere of metal music. Singing of this kind can also be found in punk rock and noise music genres; more extreme versions can even include death metal and black metal music genres.
Screaming and growling incorrectly can damage vocal cords, so to protect them it is crucial to practice good technique and warm-ups, eat a nutritious diet, avoid smoking or drinking excessive alcohol consumption and get plenty of rest as well as regular physical exercise – these activities can all help protect the vocal chords against damage caused by metal music screaming.
Some bands excel at metal screaming more than others, such as early Metallica which was heavily influenced by hardcore punk and used screamed lyrics; other bands, including Slayer and Anthrax used menacing growls instead. Thrash metal is a combination of heavy metal with hardcore punk; therefore thrash vocals often used screamed lyrics (Jonathan Davis screamed in most early Korn songs while Serj Tankian did the same in Limp Bizkit).
Pantera’s Phil Anselmo and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford are perhaps two of the most well-known metal screamers, while metal bands often incorporate deep croons alongside harsh screams into their songs. Another excellent metal singer is Finland’s Ville Valo from HIM who boasts an extremely deep yet soothing voice perfect for metal.
Metallica, Otep, Slayer and System of a Down are also known for having powerful vocalists who are adept at screaming loudly yet clearly while also having great control of their singing voices. All four bands’ singers are known to scream loudly while still maintaining clarity of tone when singing with these bands.
Type 3
Metal vocalists use various techniques to emote their music. Screaming is often featured in many genres of metal music, particularly black and death metal. Screaming often produces high-pitched noise that can be difficult to sing. With practice, however, metal vocalists can produce an array of suitable screams which enhance their music.
An effective way to scream is pronouncing vowels with a glottal stop, as is common in standard English pronunciation of words like “Amy,” “is,” and “intelligent.” A Metal vocalist might begin each word with an audible lip “w” or spread lip “y,” in order to ease their glottis into harsh vibrations that produce harsher tones than usual – this technique is known as screaming as it can sound very harsh.
Some bands primarily employ screamed vocals while others blend it with melodic singing. Pantera used both forms to create their trademark metal sound; Metallica’s Phil Anselmo often utilizes both forms to add drama to his songs.
Black metal bands use screamed vocals to convey an evil and menacing atmosphere, much like Watain did during their 1990s performances by dousing crowds with buckets of pig’s blood and carrying pitchforks onstage to promote their Satanic message. Today, bands such as Skinflint, Vulvodyinia and Wrust perform in postcolonial Africa bringing the genre back to its roots while providing fans with something relatable to listen to.
Metal music vocal style is distinct in that it requires practice to master it fully. Anyone can sing at a basic level; only true metal fans possess enough energy and intensity to scream with power and intensity like that of true metal fans. Metal musicians may spend months or even years honing their craft before hitting the stage for performances.
Metal music is a fusion genre, drawing influence from diverse musical sources such as hardcore punk and folk music. Due to this influence, Metal has many subgenres which reflect its original roots; for instance screamed vocals can be found in Sludge Metal, Black Metal and Deathcore while other variants may feature Melodic Death Metal or Hardcore Metal influences.
Type 4
Heavy metal vocals often take the form of screaming in various styles that vary in terms of sound and pitch, such as low, beast-like sounds to emphasize aggressive, darker themes of the genre or high and screechy sounds that stand out against distorted electric guitars. This paper investigates methods for detecting and classifying extreme vocal techniques used within heavy metal music genre.
Screaming in metal music can be a pivotal element of the listening experience for many listeners, often being the deciding factor as to whether they enjoy or disdain the genre. Furthermore, one type of screaming may appeal more than another or they may prefer certain singers over others with regard to how they scream out their lyrics.
Black metal music has experienced an immense surge of popularity since the turn of the millennium, driven by bands such as Cradle of Filth who use gothic overtones and frontman Dani Filth’s distinctive teakettle wail to provide their take on black metal music. Since their formation, Cradle of Filth have released several critically-acclaimed albums such as Jane Doe (1996), Midian (2013) and Hammer of Witches (2015) – with critical acclaim being awarded each time.
As I Lay Dying have taken full advantage of this musical boom by blending hardcore elements with more traditional melodies in their work to produce songs with an edge. They are among many artists that have brought black metal back into mainstream audiences, helping revive an aging scene.
Power metal has experienced a revitalization due to bands like DragonForce, who used their fight-ready anthems to conquer U.S. gaming scene with their eye-catching guitar antics and explosive guitar theatrics. Swedish power metal band Sabaton have also capitalized on this trend with military-themed material.
Screaming metal music requires specific techniques and warm-ups, in order to minimize throat discomfort. Knowing how to correctly perform these singing techniques is imperative, since any mistakes could potentially damage vocal cords much more rapidly than with traditional methods, leading to long-term vocal issues that might not suit every musician.