James Herbert

I’m hell in Dyscord, eh.Where we are at as a band

Why should you listen to me?

Davey Havok, lead singer of AFI, suffered from vocal nodes, which forced AFI to cancel several shows on their Spring '04 tour as well as changed the style of his singing from a raspier style to a clearer style.

Bert McCracken, vocalist of The Used, developed a nodule in his vocal cord, and underwent surgery during the summer of 2007. The nodule was successfully removed.

Angela Gossow, the lead vocalist of Arch Enemy, also suffered from a vocal fold nodule.

Yelling for meat piesSounding evil.... But still very soreWorking some things out on my ownSinging LessonsHe-he HAY HAY

Not quite throaty, but raw and powerful.

Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Who

Very throaty and aggressive but not a scream or a yell

Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, He is Legend

A throaty and aggressive sound but with limited melody and rap phrasing

Bickies, Papa Roach, Machine Head (Burning Red Era),

More a yell than a husk, with discernable pitch and melodies

Machine Head, Pantera, Sevendust, Strapping Young Lad, Filter

Harsh, abrasive yell with little pitch variation, associated with Punk/Hardcore Bands

Hatebreed, Atreyu, IKTPQ, Unearth

Very broad and diverse, aggressive sound with some pitch variation but not melodic

Arch Enemy, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, Chimaira

Predominantly clean singing, some husk, usually a very high pitch with lots of Vibratto

Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Dragonforce

Very low pitch, demonic sounding

Nile, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Bloodduster

Extreme Lows contrasted with extreme highs

The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel

The false cords allow us to make loud and scary noises

The most problems seem to be with singers who try to get an aggressive sound with their true cords

The human body is frail The human body is good at healing

itself Minimise damage and allow your

voice to rest Metal vocals are like exercise

Warming up Good Technique Allow for rest and repair

Warm ups are more for the day after

It may seem un-metal but it’ll keep your voice working

Any more general singing warm-up tape will do, or sing a song comfortable for your range to warm up

I use ‘The Zen of Screaming’ warm-up tape

ZZZEEEMe-Ge MonkeysWhe he- HEY HEY!

Air managementVoice PlacementKnowing your voice

More important than you’d thinkYour body does things

automaticallyA lot of singing is learning how to

make unseen parts work togetherBreathing is central to having all

the parts workBlowing out a candle, except your

vocal cords are your lips

Strength comes from your lungs not your throat or cords

As the trumpeter and the accordionist knows, top it up

Reserve breath comes from topping up

Develop an awareness of your stomach muscles, isolate them from your breathing

Above the pencilProject to the spotTrust the P.A.

Know your range, what is comfortable and what is an effort to hit

Imitating someone is likely to do some damage

Make the most of what your voice is built to do

Where do the gears kick in? Head Voice and Chest Voice

Know when to stop and when to ease back

A sore voice is like a sprained ankleDon’t whisper or speak gingerly,

that makes things worseThroat sprays, lollies, and drinking

waterThe flu, colds, and infectionsA good nights sleep and silence

Minimise damage, allow for damage to repair

The aim is to be able to do your set without any real effects, and to be able to do it day after day, even with limited sleep and opportunities to party

Metal Vocals aren’t about getting aggressive with your voice

Talking in loud environments can cause strain

Rehearsing can cause strain where you can’t hear yourself properly

Do things quiet when trying new things