Jump to content

Screamo vocals - for or against?


MourningOblivion

Recommended Posts

Hey all! So I thought I'd put this little question to you people : Screamo vocals or clean?

 

Personally I'm for screamed vocals, but I particularly enjoy it when it's mixed with clean.

For example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suhuQlYZwtE

 

I find you can write with screamed vocals quite differently to clean, and it can add more complexity and passion to a song.

 

What'ya all think about them? 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always liked bands that can nail the contrast between harsh and clean vocals - Opeth, Enslaved, My Dying Bride, Edge Of Sanity, Akercocke, Voices, Emperor, early Borknagar and Ulver, even early Fear Factory, all that stuff makes me really happy. Replacire's new album is a good example of well-integrated cleans. It's unfortunately easy to screw up IMO. I love early Dark Tranquillity, but I always thought their incorporation of clean vocals was awkward, sometimes painfully so, and I don't care for their musical direction after the late 90s. This song kind of turns me off.

As far as writing goes, I've always felt more free and inspired when I can make use of that harsh/clean dynamic, but for the past few years, I've been more interested in using clean voice as a backing instrument/sound effect than I have in writing melodic lead vocal lines. I have several sections on my latest recording with medieval-style chanting. Lyric writing has always felt like a different animal when I'm singing vs. screaming, and it's usually much easier for me to write lyrics with harsh vocals in mind.

A semantic note, to avoid confusion - "screamo" is a particular outgrowth of hardcore, not a catch-all term for harsh screamed vocals. Here's some screamo I enjoy:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

So when the word 'screamo' is used here, it's not the genre, it's just growled vocals? 

I'm with FatherAlabaster on this one, especially when it comes to really well executed combinations of cleans with growled. Bands like Amorphis, Moonspell, Rapture and Saturnus use cleans and growls to amazing effect, so the combination really suits dark/doom/gothic metal. I tend to like a lot of metal and dark rock bands that use all cleans as well. 

Growled vocals are so important though to my listen experience, but at times I can find bands, especially death metal bands, that use simply the same style of growl for a whole album a little tiring. This is part of the reason why I'm not a huge death metal fan, I don't find enough variety a lot of the time.

Also, singers like Satyr on the last few Satyricon albums is just too straight forward, locked into that same rasp. It's great in short doses but I would prefer more variety even within the growling scope. Vocalists like Thomas Vanaanen (ex Thyrfing) and Ville Sorvali (Moonsorrow) are much more to my taste, with that subtly and expressiveness. 

But yeah, some of my favourite vocalists are growled/screamed singers. It's a beautiful part of the metal landscape. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Join Metal Forum

    joinus-home.jpg

  • Our picks

    • Whichever tier of thrash metal you consigned Sacred Reich back in the 80's/90's they still had their moments.  "Ignorance" & "Surf Nicaragura" did a great job of establishing the band, whereas "The American Way" just got a little to comfortable and accessible (the title track grates nowadays) for my ears.  A couple more records better left forgotten about and then nothing for twenty three years.  2019 alone has now seen three releases from Phil Rind and co.  A live EP, a split EP with Iron Reagan and now a full length.

      Notable addition to the ranks for the current throng of releases is former Machine Head sticksman, Dave McClean.  Love or hate Machine Head, McClean is a more than capable drummer and his presence here is felt from the off with the opening and title track kicking things off with some real gusto.  'Divide & Conquer' and 'Salvation' muddle along nicely, never quite reaching any quality that would make my balls tingle but comfortable enough.  The looming build to 'Manifest Reality' delivers a real punch when the song starts proper.  Frenzied riffs and drums with shots of lead work to hold the interest.


      There's a problem already though (I know, I am such a fucking mood hoover).  I don't like Phil's vocals.  I never had if I am being honest.  The aggression to them seems a little forced even when they are at their best on tracks like 'Manifest Reality'.  When he tries to sing it just feels weak though ('Salvation') and tracks lose real punch.  Give him a riffy number such as 'Killing Machine' and he is fine with the Reich engine (probably a poor choice of phrase) up in sixth gear.  For every thrashy riff there's a fair share of rock edged, local bar act rhythm aplenty too.

      Let's not poo-poo proceedings though, because overall I actually enjoy "Awakening".  It is stacked full of catchy riffs that are sticky on the old ears.  Whilst not as raw as perhaps the - brilliant - artwork suggests with its black and white, tattoo flash sheet style design it is enjoyable enough.  Yes, 'Death Valley' & 'Something to Believe' have no place here, saved only by Arnett and Radziwill's lead work but 'Revolution' is a fucking 80's thrash heyday throwback to the extent that if you turn the TV on during it you might catch a new episode of Cheers!

      3/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 10 replies
    • I
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/52-vltimas-something-wicked-marches-in/
      • Reputation Points

      • 3 replies

    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/48-candlemass-the-door-to-doom/
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • Full length number 19 from overkill certainly makes a splash in the energy stakes, I mean there's some modern thrash bands that are a good two decades younger than Overkill who can only hope to achieve the levels of spunk that New Jersey's finest produce here.  That in itself is an achievement, for a band of Overkill's stature and reputation to be able to still sound relevant four decades into their career is no mean feat.  Even in the albums weaker moments it never gets redundant and the energy levels remain high.  There's a real sense of a band in a state of some renewed vigour, helped in no small part by the addition of Jason Bittner on drums.  The former Flotsam & Jetsam skinsman is nothing short of superb throughout "The Wings of War" and seems to have squeezed a little extra out of the rest of his peers.

      The album kicks of with a great build to opening track "Last Man Standing" and for the first 4 tracks of the album the Overkill crew stomp, bash and groove their way to a solid level of consistency.  The lead work is of particular note and Blitz sounds as sneery and scathing as ever.  The album is well produced and mixed too with all parts of the thrash machine audible as the five piece hammer away at your skull with the usual blend of chugging riffs and infectious anthems.  


      There are weak moments as mentioned but they are more a victim of how good the strong tracks are.  In it's own right "Distortion" is a solid enough - if not slightly varied a journey from the last offering - but it just doesn't stand up well against a "Bat Shit Crazy" or a "Head of a Pin".  As the album draws to a close you get the increasing impression that the last few tracks are rescued really by some great solos and stomping skin work which is a shame because trimming of a couple of tracks may have made this less obvious. 

      4/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 4 replies
×
×
  • Create New...