| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Pekka 
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 03 2006
Location: Espoo, Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 6442
|
 Posted: July 28 2009 at 23:54 |
I wonder how people first reacted to distorted guitars.
I remember some ten years ago hearing an In Flames track, Dialogue with the Stars or something. What a brilliant track, I thought, instrumental as it was. I got my hands on another of their songs, Embody the Invisible, and was rocking out to the intro with a killer melody, and then the guy opened his mouth. Screaming.  I hated it at first, but the music was so good that first I got used to it and then actually started to like it. During the years to come I stumbled upon some extreme vocalists that I really really loved, like Max Cavalera on Sepultura's Roots (too bad he's much worse on the musically more interesting earlier albums) and, you guessed it, Mikael Åkerfeldt. He can articulate every word while making the most powerful growls.
Recently I've been impressed by the vocals on Kayo Dot's Choirs of the Eye, particularly on The Manifold Curiosity. I have no idea of the lyrics in the screaming part, but it sounds so good and menacing with the music that I don't really care.
|
|
|
 |
Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
|
Posted: July 28 2009 at 23:57 |
Not related directly to metal growling, I am an animal lover: This might get censored, but what the heck: 
|
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
|
Failcore
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 27 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 4625
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 01:56 |
|
|
|
|
|
progkidjoel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 02 2009
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 19643
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 02:23 |
Not anti, not for them, although, I prefer Vocals - Not Growls 
My main problem is I can't hear the lyrics - Probably not the growler's fault  , but I don't have time to learn how to hear the lyrics.
-Joel
|
|
|
|
Vompatti
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: October 22 2005
Location: elsewhere
Status: Offline
Points: 67407
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 06:29 |
|
I prefer snoring.
|
|
npjnpj
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 05 2007
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 2720
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 06:49 |
It just sounds dreadful.
I can still enjoy the music though. Usually I manage to somehow just phase out the growls and concentrate on the instruments and whatever's going on. Great stuff there, some of the most expressive and exciting music arround.
Strangely enough, I find that usually the instrumentation is enough to convey the emotions of the music, so in the end the growl are entirely superfluous.
Chucking them entirely would make things much easier on the ears and the throats.
|
|
chopper
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 13 2005
Location: Essex, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 20030
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 07:00 |
|
|
|
camilleanne
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 29 2009
Location: Philippines
Status: Offline
Points: 403
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 07:58 |
 p0mt3 wrote:
I think for a lot of people, if someone growls, it must means they can't actually sing or carry a tune, and therefore shows lack of talent.
This is sometimes true, however even when someone cannot sing 'properly', the growling noise as you said takes a lot of talent and/or skill in its own right.
I had a stepfather once who shared this false belief that all growlers couldn't sing, so I popped in an Opeth CD for him to listen to, and boy was he shocked when I told him it was the same singer on both songs (One soft and one heavy). 
|
|
|
The planet is fine the people are f**ked.
-George Carlin-
|
|
camilleanne
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 29 2009
Location: Philippines
Status: Offline
Points: 403
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 08:18 |
Growls and screams are my problem when listening to music,I really can't appreciate, so now I always listen to Opeth I can stand he's growls now but before It's really irritating to my ear, and my brother is enjoying so I'm a little jealous..
|
|
The planet is fine the people are f**ked.
-George Carlin-
|
|
Passionist
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 14 2005
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 1119
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 08:25 |
Yeah, it first seemed like this thread would only get posts from people who actually like growling, and we'd be thinking there's no objection to them. Well I don't like them. I have one album from Opeth because the musics OK, but I could listen to the music live at a festival because it was basically just mess most of the time in my ears. Don't blame me on this, it's just how it sounds to me. It's the same with a lot of music. I'm still trying to figure out when did musicians reach the point, when distortion was the only way to go about. There's basically no rock songs on radio nowadays without any distortion on the guitar. And then it was in the singing. Of course, everything can be an art, and I don't deny that, and I appreciate people who can do something well, but it certainly is not something I'd do or pay for. Just like I wouldn't pay to go see someone juggle or do stand-up comedy. And the way I see it, a lot of growling is there to express suppressed aggression. Ever listened to those Norwegian death metal bands? Yet these guys make it sound pretty ridiculous. There seems to be quite a lot of anger in the world nowadays, all these wrist cutting experiments, piercings, swearing, tattoos, showing offs, growling about satan. It's no wonder some might rather enjoy some Kansas for a change. Though a good point was made about Yes and Sigur Ros getting repetitive or about how all the pop music is filled with bass drums. That or rap lyrics. Another thing I can barely stand. 
|
|
rushfan4
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Michigan, U.S.
Status: Offline
Points: 66275
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 08:50 |
|
Bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden pulled off the dark metal songs without the growls and sound just fine doing it. In my opinion, the cookie monster vocals are too horrible sounding to listen to and I cringe every time that they come up. Even the ones on Ayreon's THE are cringe inducing and in my opinion the only weakness with that album; although admittedly they are limited enough to not reduce my enjoyment of that album.
|
|
|
|
Equality 7-2521
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15784
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 09:23 |
The sound Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden were trying to achieve was totally different than a band like say Wolves in the Throne Room or Opeth. There's a difference between dark and aggression. Sabbath is hardly an aggressive band.
I don't understand how people can listen to extreme metal and think man this would sound better if he was singing.
|
|
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
|
|
rushfan4
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Michigan, U.S.
Status: Offline
Points: 66275
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 09:28 |
|
Which is why I listen to almost no extreme metal, because I think the growling sucks. Opeth are the only band that make it difficult for me, because Akerfeldt has a great clean voice and the music is quite good; it is just the death growls that suck and make it near impossible for me to want to spin Opeth that often.
|
|
|
|
rushfan4
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Michigan, U.S.
Status: Offline
Points: 66275
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 09:30 |
Besides, this probably applies to me.
stonebeard wrote:
I assume anyone who makes that argument yells at kids on the street and has long ago gone far too deaf to have a valid opinion on anything related to music. |
|
|
|
|
Bondarus
Forum Groupie
Joined: July 29 2009
Location: Cornwall, U.K
Status: Offline
Points: 52
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 10:35 |
I think its a case of preference.
To me 'growled vocals' are just another vehicle for expressing an emotion in a song. used correctly, it can be as important in a song a say the difference between a clean and distorted guitar sound.
Each of the above is used to convey some sort of feeling or emotion and as such, to my eyes, is another string to a singers bow.
I enjoy both given the right circumstance, but personally I like my growls mixed with clean vocals such as how Opeth, Fear Factory and Enochian Theory use theirs.
i remember as a young music fan, not getting growled vocals at all. but I've come to enjoy both as i've strolled in to my thirties.  |
|
www.enochiantheory.co.uk
www.myspace.com/enochiantheoryband
"I am the coming of a new age, pass your sh*t by far..."
|
|
Eetu Pellonpaa
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: June 17 2005
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 4828
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 11:51 |
I think human voice as an instrument in all of it's different forms is a great gift.
There are vocal performances I don't personally like, but there are little styles which I would not like.
Mostly I prefer good classical vocal style, f.ex. in opera and such.
I hear many times from people they can't stand this kind of singing.
I think it's their loss, not my shame.
I am not bothered by growling vocals either. There are good growling and bad.
F.ex in Carcass "symphonies of sickess", I like the low pitched more than the higher pitched voice, and they form a solid part of the performance along with the instruments.
Late 80's early 90's Napalm Death has also fine growling style vocals, and also My Dying Bride.
I like also normal soft pop voice, like Sting f.ex., mony great jazz vocalists like Billie Holiday, also some basic rock singers like Jack Bruce, what ever.
Maybe if ears are open, mind free from prejudicies and feeling grows taste for all kinds of approaches, listeneres can enjoy nearly all kind of artistic expression.
Usually tastes are affected by values and culture, and maybe attempts to be relieved from such bounds might open out larger perspective.
A faith to own insight might be one step in this process.
|
|
nmccrina
Forum Newbie
Joined: March 27 2009
Location: Atlanta
Status: Offline
Points: 20
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 12:10 |
Passionist wrote:
I'm still trying to figure out when did musicians reach the point, when distortion was the only way to go about. There's basically no rock songs on radio nowadays without any distortion on the guitar. And then it was in the singing. |
Better than the "emo guy + acoustic guitar" junk that's all over the alternative stations, 'round here anyway. Plain White T's = 
|
|
lolwut?
|
|
stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 28057
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 12:11 |
rushfan4 wrote:
Besides, this probably applies to me.
stonebeard wrote:
I assume anyone who makes that argument yells at kids on the street and has long ago gone far too deaf to have a valid opinion on anything related to music. |
|
:( But ze music would be ineffective.
|
|
|
|
CPicard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 03 2008
Location: Là, sui monti.
Status: Offline
Points: 10841
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 12:52 |
|
I've never questionned my positive appreciation of "growlings" in death-metal or doomdeath. Since the chords were looooow and the rhythmic section was bombing the ground, the deep vocals just appeared to me as an evidence.
It's a taste you have or don't have.
I have much more difficulties with the black-metal raspy screamings which I find rather disturbing and disquieting.
While I feel the deep vocals are the expression of an inner power, the screams from these Norway loonies (I mean the likes of Burzum, Mayhem, Darkthrone and their merry friends) always made the impression that the guys behind this music were really deeply rooted in a psychological maëlstrom.
|
|
Passionist
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 14 2005
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 1119
|
Posted: July 29 2009 at 14:46 |
nmccrina wrote:
Passionist wrote:
I'm still trying to figure out when did musicians reach the point, when distortion was the only way to go about. There's basically no rock songs on radio nowadays without any distortion on the guitar. And then it was in the singing. |
Better than the "emo guy + acoustic guitar" junk that's all over the alternative stations, 'round here anyway. Plain White T's =
|
Haha, true. Quite true.
|
|
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
People's problems with growling
