Favorite Vocal Style

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Vocal work can make or break a band in my opinion. If the voice doesn't fit the music (or just all-around sounds terrible) than I'll likely have a hard time getting into the music (it took me a while to warm up to [B]Avenged Sevenfold [/B] simply because I couldn't stand M Shadows' vocal work, but I've gotten used to it)

So, what's your preffered vocal style or all-around favorite vocalist?

While my genre-of-choice is metal, the growling and screaming vocals annnoy the heck outta me. Very few of these screamers sound very good at all ([B]Isis[/B], for example, is has one of the acceptional vocal performances because the vocals take backstage to the music).

Personally, i like the lighter, ofter high-pitch vocalists. Claudio Sanchez ([B]Coheed and Cambria[/B]) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala ([B]The Mars Volta[/B]) are examples of highly ranged, high-pitched vocalists who do the job well (Cedric sounds downright freaking creapy on some tracks and creats perfect ambiance).

Also, when he isn't doing the black-metal growl, the singer for [B]Agalloch[/B] has a grat voice, too. (not to say the black-metal growl is especially unpleasent)[/COLOR]

[G/S/B Master]

The only brutal metal vocalists that I respect are [b]Lord Worm[/b] of Cryptopsy (the 30 second scream on the song [b]Open Face Surgery[/b] is really awesome), [b]Julien Truchan[/b] of Benighted (Can perform both Death and Black Metal growls), and [b]Nergal[/b] of Behemoth (again, polyphonic). Everyone else sounds the same, which is the main problem about Death Metal, everything sounds the same, parts are sped up to make it sound different

I prefer melodic and deep singing such as [b]Juka[/b] of Moi Dix Mois and recently HAZAKI grace project and [b]Yama-B[/b] of Galneryus.

[Jakehammaren]

[QUOTE=G/S/B Master]The only brutal metal vocalists that I respect are [b]Lord Worm[/b] of Cryptopsy (the 30 second scream on the song [b]Open Face Surgery[/b] is really awesome), [b]Julien Truchan[/b] of Benighted (Can perform both Death and Black Metal growls), and [b]Nergal[/b] of Behemoth (again, polyphonic). Everyone else sounds the same, which is the main problem about Death Metal, everything sounds the same, parts are sped up to make it sound different

I prefer melodic and deep singing such as [b]Juka[/b] of Moi Dix Mois and recently HAZUKI grace project and [b]Yama-B[/b] of Galneryus.[/QUOTE]

You're not a Mikael Akerfeldt fan? He's got an excellent growl (death and black) full of conviction and absolutely brutal - plus the man can sing beautifully.

[G/S/B Master]

[quote name='Jakehammaren']You're not a Mikael Akerfeldt fan? He's got an excellent growl (death and black) full of conviction and absolutely brutal - plus the man can sing beautifully.[/quote]

I haven't heard much Opeth/early Bloodbath :P. So i can't say anything about Akerfeldt.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Go listen to them now. After hearing a lot of [B]Opeth[/B], I can safely call [B]Akderfelt [/B] one of the greatest vocalists ever. He has possibly the deapest grown I've ever heard, and he can you the lighter raspier growls. Plus he is an amazing singer, and it truly shines on [B]Damnation[/B].[/COLOR]

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Trebuchet MS]I like acoustic, and alternative. I'd probably have to go with Emily Haines as my favourite vocalist. She doesn't have an amazing voice in terms of it's really booming or rich, but it's haunting and it suits her music so well. She is the lead singer of the band Metric, which is an alternative almost electronica sort of sound, and fits it just right, and she also branched off in 2006 to do some solo stuff with her backup band, the Soft Skeletons. It was mostly piano and orchestral sound and her voice just gave me the chills. It's pretty, and she has a very good range, and can switch from a high girlish voice to a low raspy voice. I think she's neat and I'd recommend giving her a listen.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Drix D'Zanth]

B.B. King for blues. He may not be the greatest guitarist, but he's easily the most prolific and creative blues artist of all time. He's more than earned his title as King of the blues. His songs (which he wrote almost all personally) show off quite an epic range and he pulls his lyrics off with passion.

My favorite Jazz singer is definately Ella followed closely by Billie Holiday. Ella Fitzgerald has the cleanest sound I've ever heard. She has PERFECT PITCH. Billie sings to my soul, though.

Bel canto:
I'm not a gigantic fan of female opera stars, almost all of whom are first sophranos. I'm a big fan of the rich bass vocal of Oskar Hillebrandt and Cesare Siepi. My favorite tenors are Luciano Pavorotti and Carlos Seise.

As a facination, I've been delighted by Regina Spektor recently, she's got a very easy, natural sound. I also like her vocal "tricks" she includes in some of her songs (Apres moi).

[Claire]

[QUOTE=Drix D'Zanth]
As a facination, I've been delighted by Regina Spektor recently, she's got a very easy, natural sound. I also like her vocal "tricks" she includes in some of her songs (Apres moi).[/QUOTE]

[FONT=Arial]I love Regina Spektor quite a lot. There aren't many female artists that I've been able to get into, but Regina's just amazing. The only other dominantly female band that I love is Rasputina, whose lyrics are very reminiscent of Regina Spektor's. Both Regina and Melora Creager, the vocalist for Rasputina, have a similar airy tone that's very soothing and pleasant (and often times slightly insane).

EDIT - I forgot about Siouxsie and the Banshees again. I love how Siouxsie Sioux has such an amazing voice. I can't really describe how well she uses it...in their song "Cities in Dust," she sings something like "Oh-ooh woah, oh, your city lies in duu-ooost, my friend." I love it so much. [/FONT]

[Justin]

In metal (which is my first love in music) I pay very little mind to vocals, unless they are just incredible, or incredibly atrocious.

But I'll break it on down:

In the vein of classic metal, Dio is second to none.
Among classic thrash, Hetfield takes the cake.
In early crossover, Anselmo is the classic voice. However Rob Zombie did some really good work with White Zombie.
The premier vocalist of early death metal is Corpsegrinder.
For black metal, I really enjoy the styling of Ihsahn. Though, I recognize his style is a bit more rough than the raspier tendencies of the genre.
Though, I'm not a huge fan of the band, Howard Jones from Killswitch Engage is the king of metalcore vocalists, in my opinion. But I have to give kudos to the guy from the Acacia Strain. His lyrical work and the sheer brutality of his roar are the best things about that band.
In MDM, Trevor from the Black Dahlia Murder uses his screech in black metal-worthy fashion.

I could spend as much time on other forms of music. but I'm too sleepy.

-Justin

[Guest humanoid]

I realy like Hope Sandoval. Her foce was so dreamy and realy makes me calm.

[TimeChaser]

I tend to like a mid-high range vocal style, which is what you find in alot of progressive rock and metal. People like Geddy Lee of [B]Rush[/B], James LaBrie of [B]Dream Theater[/B], & Geoff Tate of [B]Queensryche[/B] just to name a few.

[Fall]

[font=Verdana][size=2]Disturbed's David Draiman has an awesome voice that suits the music the band produces down to the bone. He has the strong angry vocals and grinding screams (I hate that word... more like... "forceful yelling" or "meaningful shouting"... that has meaning behind it...) that make the band; I love them... He has the ability to create a sort of "mood"... Not to mention, their music is awesome too.[/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=2]I can't immagin Disturbed without his vocals... [/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=2]--[/size][/font][font=Verdana][size=2]well I can immagin they'd sound... [i]different[/i]...[/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=2]But I like them just the way they are.[/size][/font]

[Cat]

I listen to mostly punk rock and goth metal. I think that Billy Idol needs to be knowledge when it comes to vocals. I have never heard anything that can match his voice in punk. In fact I can't even really describe. In some songs he has a low voice but then in the middle of the song it bacomes almost a scream.

When it comes to goth metal, I think of Ville Valo (HIM), Jyrki (The 69 Eyes), Tarja Turunen and Marco (both from Nightwish. The reason I put Ville on my list is most because of the earlier stuff and some new. He seems to be able to go like Idol from a low range to high range in no time at all, and if you notice it most of the time he goes high when the song does, both sounds mixing well. Jyrki, you might know has a very deep voice when he sings but in the first cd they made you would not think it was the same guy. He has one range that sounds more like it belongs in the 80's. The other range is the deep voice we hear most often in songs like Lost Boys and Gothic Girl. Last I Find that Tarja has a lovely voice. One of the best female singers for a band. Her voice stays in a stage range for an opera. This adding to Marco voice that is in a mid range mixes to a sound that shows how both ranges can be combinded even if it doesn't seem like they would.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Peter Steele of Type O Negative deserves mention. His style is singing in super-low key and with a DEEP voice. This guy's ike 6'9" or so and HUGE so it's no surprise he sings deep, but it's hilarious to see ths huge dude with a chain for a bass strap singing things like "Cinnamon Girl" and "Summer Brreeze". Very good style.[/COLOR]