Clean Vocals or Death Growl? (Modern Prog)

 

You have the power of LOCK THREAD, use the Force Obi-wan!

 

Yet we've had some interesting discussion since the topic was revived.  This topic needs to be discussed because it's relevant to modern progressive music and hinges on the basic question of the definition of music.  After 300 days have gone by since the last discussion, I think it's good to have another, since the topic is so important, and to have it added on to the last discussion is even better, as it provides even more material to discuss.  That's what this forum is for: stimulating musical discussion that forces everyone to think about musical ideas and defend their opinions.  Hopefully we can all learn something about prog, and music in general, through converse with one another on issues like this.

 

And people do change their opinions on growls.  I did myself only a few months ago, going from a mostly hostile position to an acceptance (with the help of our good friends, maudlin of the Well!).  Hopefully, we can all benefit from this discussion by learning to open our minds to other musical ideas on either side of the spectrum.

 

That being said, I've thought about growls, harsh vocals, and metal music in general and I'm thinking that one of the reasons people like harsh vocals and extreme metal is merely the brutality, loudness, and distortion of the music.  This creates a wall of sound that provides the listener with maximum sensory stimulation from his music, which transports him into another world of musical experience beyond his own (like getting lost in a story).  This effect is compounded in progressive metal, which adds a web of complexity to the wall of sound, rendering the experience even stronger.  I think that this is very cathartic for some people; it takes them out of themselves and impresses emotions and ideas upon them that affect their everyday lives.  Others can't handle that strong of a sensory input, and that's okay because we're all created differently and experience catharsis in different ways.  Some people can handle the sensory immersion of extreme metal, and some need music that is less radical in order to soothe their souls.  But everyone can learn to appreciate types of music that don't anything for them, focusing instead on what the music can do for others.

 

I understand where you're coming from, but I'd encourage you to try and look past the growls and try and appreciate the music behind it (I don't know to what extent you've tried this before, so this might not help, but I'll try).  I used never listen to anything with more than the occasional growl, but that all changed when I got into maudlin of the Well.  The music was so amazing that I was able to overlook the growls and eventually accept them as part of the music.  This opened the door for me to listen to other extreme metal bands.  The growls still aren't my favorite part, and I'm not sure about the musical implications of the frequent use of harsh vocals (as in where to draw the line between music and noise), but I've learned to at the very least, tolerate the growls, and to appreciate the emotional content of that vocal style.  Maybe if you listen to some more UneXpect and other similar stuff that you like, it will open the door for you to tolerate growls in other artists' music.

 

By the way, what is it about UneXpect that makes you tolerate their growls but not other bands'?  Because UneXpect uses growls quite a bit.  I would ask about SGM but I haven't heard them so I don't know what their music is like.

I have no comment to make about the rest of your post, sorry.

 

Just asking....

 

I like the way UneXpect juxtiposes death growls with the girl singer's melodious voice, in that crazy counterpoint thing they do so well.  As for SGM?   They are probably UneXpect's greatest influence.  SGM are an amazing band.  For one thing,  they make many of their instruments from scratch.  I saw Tony Levin in an interview this summer say,  That Sleepytime Gorilla Museum was easily his favorite band to listen to.    

 

I've kept my mind open to exploring the wild world of "Death Growl."   I am a hedonist, so I will wade through a bit of Cookie Monster, for a Big Bite of ear candy music.  Oh and I like Riverside and Opeth.  

 

 

 

Sorry I was not clear at first.