Heavy Metal Vocals
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Transcript of Heavy Metal Vocals
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