Rock singers screaming

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Rock singers screaming

I don't know if anyone's heard the Fantomas project that Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo from Slayer did, but Mike basically doesn't sing lyrics at all, but rather just sounds. This video can probably express what I'm saying better than anything else -- vocals aren't just limited to words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPsXRiV6yo4

Mike Patton is the best male vocalist (not just singer) alive, by the way (now that Pavoratti passed away). Seriously. If you can't make it through the first part of that video (Mike Patton vocal experiments aren't for everyone), hop to 2:49 for some insane range (and what I assume is Mike's theramin impression).

And here's some classic Mr. Bungle videos for the uninitiated:

(Air Conditioned Nightmare) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4rqXqpLCZ0

(Ars Moriendi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVptUewHi24

[pk500]

Re: Rock singers screaming

I don't understand how you can enjoy something when you can't understand what they're saying.

I take it you're not a classic jazz or electronic music fan, either. No vocals in most tunes in those genres, yet both are extremely enjoyable music forms.

Take care,
PK

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Rock singers screaming

I'm very familiar with Mike Portnoy. The Liquid Tension Experiment projects are infinitely better than Dream Theater though -- can't stand their vocalist, he makes me want to tear my own skin off and choke him to death with it. Here's some LTE if you haven't had the pleasure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGl-H5QTogI

And yeah, it's not for everyone. But really, unless you've been to a live metal show, there's no room to talk. Watching scratchy YouTube videos gives you maybe 10% of what is actually happening. Half of the appeal of death metal is the power of it, and you completely miss that in internet vids (and even on CDs). Nothing like the feeling of someone punching you in the chest with just their bass drum.

[SLAYER]

Being able to enjoy more things in life>keying in one aspect

I don't understand how you can enjoy something when you can't understand what they're saying.

Just like those who listen to rap have "trained" ears to fully understand a verse, as its spit, the same can be said for people who listen to some forms ("clean" singing can be found in the different subgenres of metal) of metal.

For the record, I have ears that can decipher both.

[pk500]

Re: Rock singers screaming

Ummm.... I can appreciate the technical ability and still think the music is ****.

You want to hear IMO the best drummer alive... and he's in a band that makes good music. Go listen to Dream Theater and Mike Portnoy. Go watch a live video of him, with his 40+ piece kit... With him hitting each and every single damn piece of that kit.

I'm not debating the ability of Portnoy, as he is impressive. But the size of the kit and usage of that kit does not make a great drummer.

Buddy Rich played little more than a snare, a couple of toms, high-hat, kick bass and ride and crash cymbals, yet he was an AMAZING drummer. In fact, no jazz drummer has a kit anywhere near the size of Portnoy's, yet many have ability that matches or exceeds his due to their skills of syncopation, keeping odd time structures and improvisation.

Just because a guitarist shreds the entire fretboard in a solo doesn't make him a great guitarist. The same can be said about a drummer with a huge kit.

Take care,
PK

[eXperiment63]

Re: Rock singers screaming

I'm not saying that the size of the kit is why he is so good. I'm just saying, he uses a lot of diverse pieces in his kit to add layers upon layers to his sound.

And yes, I know all about Buddy Rich. Guy was freaking amazing.

And Portnoy keeps odd time structures quite often, in fact that is one of the things he is known for. Guy changes time structures like there is no tomorrow when he is just jamming.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Rock singers screaming

PK is on point. Personally, I'd take either of Primus' drummers over Portnoy just because they're more diverse. Portnoy is pretty impressive technically, but he's not as fast as the best metal drummers, not as technical as the best jazz drummers, etc.

Give me Art Blakey or Philly Joe Jones anyday. And Dave Lombardo is a better drummer that Portnoy across-the-board, IMO... So is Danny Carey from TOOL -- he's probably my favorite drummer alive today. All those crazy time signatures, the tabla skills... he's the complete package.

This is a pretty cool video comparing Danny to Terry Bozzio -- Danny wins.. haha:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy1Kf-Xue-g

[Scottdau]

Re: Rock singers screaming

I'm not debating the ability of Portnoy, as he is impressive. But the size of the kit and usage of that kit does not make a great drummer.

Buddy Rich played little more than a snare, a couple of toms, high-hat, kick bass and ride and crash cymbals, yet he was an AMAZING drummer. In fact, no jazz drummer has a kit anywhere near the size of Portnoy's, yet many have ability that matches or exceeds his due to their skills of syncopation, keeping odd time structures and improvisation.

Just because a guitarist shreds the entire fretboard in a solo doesn't make him a great guitarist. The same can be said about a drummer with a huge kit.

Take care,
PK

I think Alex Vanhalen is a hell of a drummer. Also, Dave G. is great too, even though he doesn't play the drums in the Foofighters.

[SLAYER]

Re: Rock singers screaming

And it really depends on the band and the quality of the singer also -- some guys do sound like they have a sock stuffed in their mouth. And as far as understanding the lyrics, I really don't think that's important to enjoy music, especially metal. Let's be honest, most of these guys aren't writing great lyrics -- the vocals are there mroe as a sonic element rather than storytelling or melody like in other forms of music. It's just a whole different animal.

You listen to death metal, but Nile doesn't immediately come to mind? They write GREAT lyrics, about historical, religious, and philosophical elements. Hell, their first couple of albums are written primarily about Egypt.

Then you have Amon Amarth, who write a lot about Nordic & Viking struggles, in a non-cheesy way.

How about Mastodon's Leviathan, which is 100% based on Moby Dick.

No storytelling or melody? Iron Maiden, anybody?

There are tons of metal bands with well-written lyrics. Sure, you have knuckleheads like Chris Barnes writing simple garbage, but metal is almost a full genre unto itself, with its many subgenres (black, doom, death, thrash, power, rap, grind, grindcore, metalcore, etc.).

Heavy metal is back to being "outsider" music, I guess, and this is the downside of that. A lot of ignorance from fans and detractors, alike.

[Scottdau]

Re: Rock singers screaming

PK is on point. Personally, I'd take either of Primus' drummers over Portnoy just because they're more diverse. Portnoy is pretty impressive technically, but he's not as fast as the best metal drummers, not as technical as the best jazz drummers, etc.

Give me Art Blakey or Philly Joe Jones anyday. And Dave Lombardo is a much better drummer that Portnoy across-the-board IMO... So is Danny Carey from TOOL -- he's probably my favorite drummer alive today. All those crazy time signatures, the tabla skills... he's the complete package.

This is a pretty cool video comparing Danny to Terry Bozzio -- Danny wins.. haha:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy1Kf-Xue-g

Yeah the Tools drummer is really good. I know some might laugh, but the drummer in greenday is pretty solid too.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Rock singers screaming

Slayer -- actually, I don't really listen to much metal these days. Most of what my friends listened to was the Dying Fetus, GorGuts, Cryptopsy end of the spectrum, though NILE was one of their big ones also. I haven't spent that much time reading lyrics for most of the bands, but yeah, NILE has good writing form what I remember.

But in general, most death metal is about killing things, death, etc. etc. so there isn't really that much actual writing going on for a lot of bands. Yeah, Cannibal Corpse/Chris Barnes came to mind. There's much headier metal out there, but that's basically what I think of when I think of death metal, especially in terms of lyrics/content.

Not trying to discount the genre as a whole (in fact, I'm the guy defending it.. hah) with those comments. And Iron Maiden and that kind of stuff is a whole different story -- I was talking about the more modern and extreme end of metal, not the traditional leather pants/high voice stuff...

[UNC_Pete]

Re: Rock singers screaming

I find metal (the metal bands I like) to have more thought provoking lyrics than anything mainstream. (Which shouldn't really be surprising to anyone..)

[SLAYER]

Re: Rock singers screaming

Not trying to discount the genre as a whole (in fact, I'm the guy defending it.. hah) with those comments. And Iron Maiden and that kind of stuff is a whole different story -- I was talking about the more modern and extreme end of metal, not the traditional leather pants/high voice stuff...

I gotcha. Amon Amarth, Mastodon, those are modern bands. Plenty of current, good lyrical content in metal. Some of the more well-known bands: Meshuggah, (some) Lamb of God, Opeth, High on Fire, etc.

[Heelfan71]

Re: Rock singers screaming

Can anyone understand what this guy is saying:
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fw7YsZFksBQ&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fw7YsZFksBQ&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

" I am satan. I like screwing chickens"

[UNC_Pete]

Re: Rock singers screaming

I can't see the video at work, who is the band?