Voice Maintenance 101

Hey internet,

                I know it’s been a long while- but life’s been nightmarish and just gotten in the way. So without any further ado, I’ll get onto doing the post- but expect to see more content on the site regularly.

This is intended to be a basic guide to voice maintenance for your average metal singer. 

This can be broken down into two categories, Good Habits to get into and maintain throughout your career in order to minimise the stress and damage to your voice and Repair Solutions for when you’re not on top form for whatever reason.

You’ll use these tips to combat two different kinds of vocal wear and tear. Singing regularly and repeatedly is a hard task for any singer, so obviously this has big implications for those of us performing using such extreme methods. But not all throat problems come from good practice, some may have simple but critical causes like illness or lack of sleep and need more immediate solutions.  

Good Habits

Drinking/smoking- It’s terrible to start off a section on good habits with negative reinforcement but it’s definitely the most common vocal hygiene issue that I see at shows. I’ve warned before of the dangers of drinking and smoking whilst being a singer (and highlighted my hypocrisy) but these are still true.

Alcohol dries out your throat and can cause your vocal chords to vibrate together slightly differently and this can change vocal tone dramatically and cause damage to your throat. Continued drinking will only exacerbate the problem, causing more irritation, and drying the tissue further.

Similarly, smoking causes the throat to become irritated and inflamed (as our throats weren’t designed to inhale smoke)- which can cause pain, changes in vocal tone and if done continuously can contribute to the growth of vocal polyps (which will change the way you sound permanently). Short term, smoking too much can cause your voicebox, or Larynx (the name for irritation of it was rather imaginatively named Laryngitis), to become sore and add an audible croak or break to your voice, or indeed, cause you to lose it altogether.

Over time, smoking and abusing your throat can lead to a huskier, lower and rougher voice tone envied by all late night telephone line workers but it’s bad for your throat. You will almost certainly come across singers who say that smoking makes their growls lower and helps them achieve tone, which is ultimately true, but they’re still doing damage to their throats. You can achieve the same sounds without damaging your throat by just practicing. So if you want to smoke, do, but don’t do it to achieve tone or when you’re supposed to be singing imminently.

Hydration- Hydration is the biggest part of maintaining vocal hygiene, and can aid in solving most common problems. Water lubricates the vocal folds and allows them to slide together more smoothly and reduces the amount of friction on your throat when the folds hit together. The implications for singing are obvious. So it’s always good to drink lukewarm water (cold water will shock your vocal chords and cause them to contract a little- the same as any other muscle) before, during and after performing. This prevents swelling, damage to the vocal chords and helps to maintain the throat’s mucosal lining, which can be interesting to experiment with in terms of vocal tone- but do it at your own risk.

Eating 2-4 hours before singing- Eating before you sing can also be a contributing factor in vocal hygiene. If you need to sing, ideally you should have a meal 2-4 hours before you perform so as to both have the energy to sing and let your digestive system work and process the food before show time. This is because the diaphragm, because of its placement at the bottom of your ribcage, can be affected by your gastrointestinal tract working. Practically, this results in less projection and power in a vocal. Also, singing bloated is hard work and just takes away the enjoyment from a performance.

Sleep-  Always try to get a sufficient amount of sleep before you perform. Your entire body relies on you getting regular sleep, and this includes your throat. Sleeplessness usually causes difficulty for the insomniac in terms of both muscular and metal fatigue, which means that both your larynx and the parts of the brain that control it aren’t functioning as they normally would, which can lead to a loss of control whilst singing as well as vocal damage. So always try to get at least 4 hours if you’re going to be performing.

Posture- It’s important to maintain good posture as much as possible whilst singing. Take a look at the diagram below:

(http://0.tqn.com/d/np/singing/21-1.jpg)

Good posture allows the airflow to be maintained throughout your torso, with a number of benefits. The first is increased breath capacity- because the chest is expanded and can incorporate more air in the space around the lungs, which means you can hold notes longer and finish difficult phrasing without having to stop for a breath (for more information, see- http://confessionsofadeathmetalvocalist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/lung-capacity.html) . The second is that it naturally encourages you to breathe from your diaphragm which develops good technique as well as breath support.

So, what is good posture for singing? It’s normally referred to as correct ‘alignment’ because it’s reliant on getting the correct alignment of your body. Place your feet slightly apart, perhaps by a foot (ha!), placing one of them slightly forward. Make sure that your knees are in line with your feet, your legs straight and fully extended,  and that your hips are in a comfortable position. Then lift your chest so that it’s facing straight up, most people have to push their shoulders back slightly to achieve this, but the main idea is to keep the torso as straight and open to air as possible. Then put your neck straight up, face forward and raise your chin. You should now look a lot like my turtle-necked colleague above.

Realistically, it’s impossible to maintain this at a metal show all the time and look cool. So what I tend to do is revert to it when I feel myself struggling for air, or when I get the chance (standard foot on the monitor poses are great for this). So use it as you see fit, but always be aware of your posture.

Temperature- If you’re going to be singing and it’s cold or really hot outside, remember that this affects your larynx like it would any muscle. If it’s cold, wear a scarf or stay inside for the hour before you perform. If it’s hot, don’t wear any additional clothing around your neck if you don’t have to.

Volume control- Always remember that what the audience is hearing (both live and recorded) isn’t what you’re singing. It’s an artificial recreation of the sounds that are picked up by a microphone and run through the PA, effects units, computer etc. Let that sink in. It’s just an artificial replication. This means that if you don’t naturally sing very loud, you shouldn’t push yourself to. It’s pointless and it just damages your throat when you can get the exact same sound by altering the settings on the Sound Desk. Always make sure to have a soundcheck if at all possible and make sure to sing at your natural volume- don’t let a sound person tell you that you’re being quiet. Ultimately, it’s their job to get whatever sounds you make to the audiences’ ears.

Furthermore, volume control is also a factor in vocal hygiene in your day to day life. All of your waking life, you’re surrounded by a Noise Floor. Wikipedia, the king of reliable sources, defines it as “the measure of the signal created from the sum of all the noise sources and unwanted signals within a measurement system, where noise is defined as any signal other than the one being monitored” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_floor). This is a very exact way of saying that a noise floor is any background sound or interference that is occurring around a sound input at any one time. What this could be depends on the power of the microphone- if you’re using a dynamic microphone, it’ll be things within the immediate range of the mic- e.g. people speaking behind you or the live band playing behind you or if you’re using a condenser, it could be trains near your house, people in the street, the possibilities are endless. This background noise causes us all to adjust our voices to be heard over it, like when you’re in a pub with loud music and you’re talking to your friends. This happens both consciously and unconsciously, and if you do it in a live situation you’ll be raising your voice far more than you need to and end up damaging your throat just to be heard. So remember that this can happen and regularly think about how loud you’re actually being as it’s not always necessary.

Warm up- If you have a warm up or pre-show preparation, do it. More on this topic can be found here (http://confessionsofadeathmetalvocalist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/warm-ups-starting-rituals-pointless.html).

Quick Solutions

Milk/Honey/Pineapple juice- Whilst I wouldn’t expect drinking any of these to immediately repair your throat, drinking them a few hours before you need to sing (though ideally the night before) can vastly improve your throat if you’re having a rough day. This is due to either in the case of honey, lining your throat and protecting the folds as well as acting as extra lubrication and in the case of milk and pineapple juice, they contain vitamins and bacteria that aid your throat in recovery as well as hydrating it.

Sound Person/Effects- As I mentioned above, it’s totally false but ultimately useful that sound people and effects exist. If you’re struggling, you can solve the issues with your tone by affecting the vocal whilst it goes through the signal path. So if you’re quiet, you can be turned up. If you’re lacking low end, you can double track or pitch shift or hide it in reverb. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.

Lozenges/vocalzones/Chloroseptic spray- All of these can be helpful when you’ve got a sorethroat and need to power through a set. Whilst they do help your throat recover, 99% of them weren’t designed with singers in mind and will affect your throat in some way- usually excess mucus or a numbing sensation, which has obvious implications for singing. So just be aware of what they do to your throat before you rely on them ten minutes before a crucial show.

Steam treatments/Shower- It’s possible (and often faster) to hydrate your throat without drinking. Breathing in steam is a great way of getting your throat ready if you’re in a rush. Just boil a kettle, pour the water into a sink or heat resistant bucket. Then once it’s cooled a little, place your face over the top of the bucket and breathe in the steam, slowly and regularly for a few minutes. It’ll do wonders. You can also multitask, as this happens in a less dramatic way by proxy when you’re taking a shower.

Medical Attention/ENT- Find an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist that’s good and see them regularly if you have any issues and always seek medical attention if you have any effects that last for more than a day.

Gargle salt water- This will help fight any infections you have in your throat

Silence- Often the best way of recovering your voice is just not using it. It’s often really inconvenient but can be necessary if your voice is on the edge and breaking during normal use. The time will allow your throat time to rest and recover somewhat, even if it’s not wholly back for the show, it’s still going to be in far better shape than if you spend the day chatting away.

Conclusion

These are all things that will help any singer to recover in a crisis situation and hopefully never get in one in the first place. All these remedies and habits are things that I’ve picked up over the years and some of them will obviously be different for different people. Experiment with them and see what saves you in a sketchy situation, I’d love to be able to discover a few more tips and tricks, so if there’s anything that you think’s missing, please do suggest them.

And so I leave you, until the next post. Hopefully it’ll be less than a year this time.

-E.

Updates from the abyss, 6 months later.

Hail! Inhabitants of Cyberspace!

      So, I've been really lax with updating this blog yet again. But I've had a few people get in contact and say it really helped them, so I've decided to resurrect it as much as possible in the little free time I have these days. I'll give you a quick summary of what I've been doing the last couple of months, whilst I've been neglecting this blog and doing real things like earning a degree and getting a job.

Hecate Enthroned

(http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/350/703/350703327_640.jpg)

For those of you who don't keep up with my life, I joined British Black Metal band Hecate Enthroned about six months ago. It's been great so far- getting to work with new people and make new friends, travel up and down the country regularly, played in Leipzig and Liverpool, recording our upcoming album back in Summer and touring the UK in December. 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOUwLUGokmg)

Aeternum

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1141_590115747695907_1961385550_n.jpg)

Aeternum went through some pretty drastic line up changes earlier in the year, and I've spent a lot of time getting the new line up together, discussing the direction we want to go in and making sure Aeternum didn't die. We're currently writing new material and are starting gigging again in a fortnight. Rest assured, darkness will descend.

Svarr 

I've been playing bass, singing and composing for this project with my friend Dev for most of the year now, and I'm really happy with where it's going. I don't want to give too much away, but the stuff we've been writing is really emotional and atmospheric and completely different from anything I've ever done before. It's great! We'll record and release the demo once we're happy with all the material. I've no idea how long that'll take, but we really wanna make sure everything is perfect for this release. I can say it that will be entitled 'Words and Dust' and be four tracks long.

Along with this I've been contributing to various projects, including a guest spot on some friends' upcoming EP, singing live for Morktar and generally doing as much as possible in the free time I have. No rest for the wicked.

In conclusion, I've been really busy, and it's been fun. But I'm going to start posting on this blog again regularly. Expect good things! Soon!

-E

Boss VE-20 Vocal Pedal Review

 

I’m not going to get into the ethics of using a pedal for vocals, as everyone has a different opinion on the matter; Suffice it to say that I use one when I feel like using one. And thus, I’m going to review the BOSS VE-20 Vocal Performer pedal that I got a few months ago and try to give you and idea of how useful it would be to you.

What is it?

An integrated loop and effects pedal for on stage use by vocalists.

Technical Features

-Two pedal system, one to control the loop pedal and bypass and the other to control harmonies and effects.

-You can chain of up to six effects: dynamics, pitch correct, tone/SFX, double/harmony, delay and reverb.

-As well as a  straight forward doubling setting, the editable harmony effect allows you to play around with pitch intervals, pan and gender of the harmony (that is to say it offers unison and up or down thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths and octave harmonies).

-The pitch correction effect allows you to access normal auto-tune tones as well as the standard chorus, flanger, strobe, radio, preamp (for EQ and the like) and distortion effects.

Pros?

-Designed specifically for vocalists, so no messing around with guitar inputs (though this does only apply if you don’t play guitar and sing)

-Simple to use, I literally picked it up, put batteries in it and started using it. Assuming you’re familiar with the ideas of what the various effects do and a rough idea of what you want to sound like, the VE-20 is a pleasure to use and really easy to get to grips with.

-Space for 50 custom presets besides the 30 already supplied, so you’re not going to run out of space for your settings in a hurry.

-Editing presets is a super easy, one button process

-Factory presets are passable. Though nothing I could use immediately, they were solid enough.

-Harmony setting can be used to get some insane Slam/grind tones and completely dehumanise your voice.

Cons?

-The two footswitch system can be awkward. Given that one works for the loop pedal, and the other for effects and harmony, it is forced to integrated the effects and harmonies into a single patch- that is to say they become one ‘setting’. So you can’t turn them off separately, which can become an issue if you want to use a setting for only one section of a song, forcing you to either be really unsubtle and kneel down and change the settings on the pedal manually or be unsubtle and just leave the effect on for the entire song. This could be easily solved by there being two pedals controlling the effects instead of just one as it can get awkward if you want to do anything complicated (e.g. activating just an octave setting for a 20 second section besides the delay setting you already have running through it) – most of the VE-20’s competitors have this ability and are far easier to use in terms of this (though this is reflected in the difference in their prices).

-Doesn’t come with a power adaptor. Which means buying one separately, which is lame when the pedal costs £200 and you can pick up the adaptor for £5 on Amazon. It wouldn’t be THAT much of a financial strain for BOSS to include one…

-No way to quickly switch settings without bending over, as compared with say the TC helicon pedal.

-It can be a struggle to get some of the reverbs to sound natural, but this tends to go largely unnoticed in a live environment.

Conclusions

Really solid pedal, and I really like what I can do with it and in general it's a pleasure to use. It’s just a shame that it’s so fiddly to switch between settings rather than just turn them off. Would definitely recommend it if you’re not doing anything overly complicated, but if you are or you’re significantly richer than I- The TC Helicon VoiceLive 2 is glorious and literally all you could possibly want from a vocal pedal. But the VE-20 is good at what it does, and a sound investment.

-E

Need help with lyrics?

Here are a few things to get you un-stuck. These are by no means the be-all and end-all of what's out there, they're just the first things that came to mind as potentially being useful.

Brentalfloss - He's a guy with a background in music theatre and composition and he puts lyrics to video game songs (check out the rest of his channel, if interested). This is the first part of a series of really interesting videos he did called 'Lyrics 101', which he did to help you write lyrics. So watch them, they're really good and helpful despite how inapplicable they may be to your chosen artform.


An Online Rhyming Dictionary - this should be self explanatory.

A WikiHow page dedicated to overcoming writer's block - As with all WikiHow pages, what it says is obvious and cliched, but it could still apply to you. If nothing else at least it may get you thinking.

http://thesaurus.com/ - Again, hopefully self explanatory.

-E

Interview with Chris from Wretched Soul!

Below is an interview with my friend Chris Simmons, who sings (yes, he does actually sing!) in the excellent Wretched Soul. He has an amazing voice and can do a whole load of things I can't, so I asked him a bunch of questions and to try and find out how he got where he is today!

In their own words, "Wretched Soul was formed in late 2008 amid the mist-veiled marshes and ruined medieval ramparts of Kent, Southern England. As of May 2012 the band has just finished recording their debut album with producer legend Chris Tsangarides (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, King Diamond etc.). 

Taking their brand of Modern Heavy Metal to the masses, Wretched Soul never fails to wreck-necks and evoke the true spirit of Metal. The band were hand-picked for Bloodstock 2012, the inaugural Beermageddon, and have supported the likes of Anihilated, Blaze Bayley, Beholder, Eastern Front, Orange Goblin, Sarah Jezebel Deva and Stuka Squadron among others."

For more info, check them out here-

http://www.wretchedsoul.net/home.cfm

-E

When did you start? / How long have you been doing vocals?

 "As a vocalist with metal as the intention I started when I was about 17. I'm now 24 so that's 7 years. Ironically in my youth I had sang in choirs, or been too shy to act in School plays so I just hid in with the other kids to sing songs. My introduction to metal is quite a blur as well as my Dad was in a Ska punk band and his side of the family was very musical. I was favouring songs such as eye of the tiger and wild thing as a little kid, not knowing it was rock jammin’ away to it when no one was looking. When I was young I went along to Church with my family where I'd often get up the front at Church and (lol) scream the hymns, people just thought I was some cute kid. There is a connection to Iron Maiden in my family, not to my knowledge at the time due to my age but the band themselves were at one of my family’s wedding receptions - I took fondly to them apparently and I am sure I can remember some of it, most likely just from being hopeful! I swear they must have laid down some metal magic on me. Gotta start young, eh? These little things created a nostalgic feeling when I heard anything real and with an electric guitar, yet as drugged up epilepsy sufferer I was constantly off my tits in my own world, quite unaware of most things. I was surrounded by b*llocks music everyday - I played drums because my Dad did and it felt cool. Yet when all you hear is S-Club F*ckin 7 on TV and then you get asked to try drumming to it, something feels clearly wrong. I would be asked by other kids who could hear me drum "Why do you drum? It's not exactly musical is it, it's just bashing on things..." much to my displeasure. This was the start of the search, which when I heard such typical tunes as smells like teen spirit, or on occasion run to the hills or something I'd freak out with this nostalgic familiarity. Something called out with the music, I was curious to find out more. At around 15-16 and realising what I was listening to was called metal, I attempted to learn guitar, doing the cheesy thing of singing and playing to myself in the mirror, practising everyday. I felt comfortable with the scene without really thinking about it, already growing my hair out and considering what I was into as being considerably alternative anyhoo. The idea of becoming like the guys in the bands I liked hit home with me; that demi-God like aura that radiates from such musicians drove me to want it for real. They have this power to become something bigger than they really are and be accepted for being different, yet express more talent than you'll ever see from a pop-idol churn out. Eventually I dropped the guitar as my friends were just getting better than me, I would never find the time for it being an avid skater. I was already known for doing funny impressions, so these voices seemed fun to work on, so I did that. Dani Filth originally was a big idol of mine simply because I found his ability to unleash what sounded like several different voices to be incredible, I figured if you was to do this then like anything you might as well take it to town and show off."

What do you consider to be an ‘extreme’ vocalist?

"I've never really used the term extreme before vocalist. I use the term vocalist for artists who use an alternative approach such as screaming or growling constantly, or incorporate it somehow into their music. Someone who doesn't scream and just sings I call a singer. It can be argued as to what singing really is, after all people seem to accept rapping (moreso than screaming strangely enough) to be a form of singing. I think of singing as an outlet of expression, a screamer will hit a pitch, just like a note and use the sound to compliment the music. I can't imagine Cannibal Corpse to use the vocals of the Little Mermaid, for example. How fucked would that be? No, seriously. That would be pretty extreme. I guess an extreme vocalist in a sense would be a heavy metal artist who pushes the bar on his fry/death/false chord ability to be more than the average kid who can make a pretty average monster noise. The vocalists who open up so you can really "feel" the screams or demonstrate a range of different voices, unique sounds that are a trademark of an artist, that kind of thing to me would be taking it to the extreme. Phil Anselmo once said he is an extremist when it comes to everything. So, with vocals that would mean pushing your ability to stand out. It's hard to stand out making the same fuzzy noise that most other people do, to find your own voice in this game is probably the hardest part of being an extreme vocalist."

How much formal ‘technique’ would you say there is in the way you do vocals? Do you practice often? How would you respond to the ‘it’s just noise’ argument?

"Let's start with the first question, as ya do. Originally I was just trying to find out how to produce these crazy sounds, which sounded bad may I add but I could hear there was something there. I lacked the correct power, delivery and if I’m being honest with myself I'd often find I had a painful throat. Trial and error, with a touch of don't give a shit attitude. It was not long before I was making some crazy noises in my bedroom, much to the neighbours delights and concerns, I just screamed coz it felt good to do. I would have favourite artists as fads, I'd try to copy them to the point I'd sound pretty close then take pieces of what I had learnt with me. Each time I moved on to another fad I gained new developments in technique. I found strangely enough if I ever really hurt myself, I'd take time out and return more naturally aware of what not to do and I'd be a much stronger vocalist. There was this time I walked about 3 miles with the flu, in the rain to record in an old house with no heating that belonged to my friends Grandma (hehe) for a project that had existed for a week. I screwed my voice over that day, probably more psychologically but it wasn't fun. I was out for months, just not wanting to try to scream coz it wasn't right, I was going to the hospital having cameras shoved up my nose and looking at this vagina on the screen that was apparently my voice box. Sexual. I had to take it carefully returning to screaming, clearly not as strong or confident at first but it made me learn more about control. To add to the point of formal technique, well that's where people trying to get me to sing comes into play. My first band went quickly from being a progressive death metal project to being a cheesy thrash type thing, nicely entitled "Megafist". Bloody awful now I look back on it. I was just happy I had got a band together even though they wanted to play a style I didn't, so I just went along with it. They really wanted me to sing and not scream as much, I couldn't really scream seriously to their music anyway if I’m being honest. My clean vocals were TERRIBLE. At the time I hadn't even considered the raspy thrashy "cleans" of bands such as Exodus. I couldn't grasp how people hit high notes or hear what I was doing properly, it was all about feel and there was a lot of strain in my voice. I was originally always just happy to get a sound out that made some kind of tune, even though to be frank it really didn't. I joined another band called Sanity Burns swiftly after that, where again my screaming ability was watered down by the band being inspired by artists such as Iced Earth and Dream Theater. I developed this "naughty scream" where I really wanted to scream properly, but was putting my voice into it. I started looking at guys like Chuck Billy and Paul Baloff for those harsh, raspy vocals that weren't quite a full on scream to justify my excuse. I really wasn't into singing clean at the time, yet I was constantly badgered to do it. We recorded our demos (which I think personally were great) with Dan Abella at Escape Route studios and I don't cringe when I hear them, as by that point the band had put the point across that the "Randy Blythe" scream was fine to use so I had started being more confident in my delivery. As the band fell apart and re-gathered with different members, the musical tastes of individuals was passed around and I started opening my mind to metal that I wouldn't really listen to before, such as Skid Row or even Megadeth. I started appreciating the guys who would sing, eventually coming out of my shell and admitting it was pretty cool. I always had this feeling if you sang you were just like anyone; a popstar sings, so why would I want to be like them? I was a young, arrogant death metal fan who suddenly saw the light. In the long time it took for Sanity's new formation to record our album, I went off exploring with my voice. I eventually got to meet and play alongside one of my favourite metal vocalists of all time, Sy Keeler from Onslaught. I could clearly see how far from professional I was being with my approach, I still had to find more with my technique that would make even me half the singer he is. The Sanity record broke me, I was in the studio for long hours yet was learning a lot about my voice. It wasn't always about being really loud, or intense, or over the top. Their record is still available to buy online, yet I really don't think the producer had any understanding of how to mix metal vocals as I sound bloody awful once again. So, a lesson to you singers/screamers out there, don't spend too long in a studio, especially if you're not understanding why you don't sound right. The likelihood is it's not you, it's the mix. Shortly after this experience, I had met my fellow chums and bandmates for my current outfit entitled Wretched Soul. I was determined that I could prove I had a voice, I had learnt a lot about control, dynamics and individuality. It was at this point I was merely going to do two things: scream and sing. I took everything I knew and natrually done what came to me. I recorded with Wretched when I was still becoming familiar to the songs, at one point I was still in Sanity so I was feeling less inclined to own up to Wretched as my main band due to guilt. I wanted to just do what most other people seem to manage to do: go into the studio, record and not be overly fussy and get out. I wanted it natural and live. I knew the production was going to be amazing as we was working with the legendary Chris Tsangarides, therefore I didn't feel the pressure to have to be too much of a perfectionist as I trusted his judgement. If something gets past a grammy nominated producer who's made some of your favourite records, you're going to listen if they say "that was cool". If you can stand there and sing a song without stopping every few lines in the studio then you know you have your technique down well, which in this game is usually based on diaphragm control. I had become aware that screaming was like singing for me: growls worked like low notes and highs worked like high notes. If you do a low to high siren in a growl to scream approach then it should feel the same as if you were doing it clean. I had become aware singing should never feel pushed and uncomfortable, it's volume that comes from diaphram support and the main thing is the tone. How you sound is important, there's no point in pushing yourself to do a note you usually don't manage live as you're just asking for trouble. You'll find certain techniques work and some don't, some things you'll start to favour more. There's an old school power scream on the Wretched record somewhere that I applied a lot of vocal fry to, I've learnt that if you're gonna sing a high clean note adding distortion seemingly takes away from the tone.

It's a journey of self discovery in this game. "Extreme" vocalists (singers included) all get to a point where they get less concerned about losing their voice, rather becoming more concerned about acceptance, constantly fretting about how their abilities will be judged. You'll find you practice everyday, even if quietly to yourself, trying to prove with conviction that you can do things you wish to show off to people. Take that anxiety as a good thing, accept what you have done and let people hear progression and nod to your own personal acknowledgements in future material. If someone says it's just noise their clearly very ignorant and unaware that everything they hear is "just noise". I think the passion expressed in this reply clearly shows that this artform is not "just noise". As I explained before, Little Mermaid fronting Cannibal Corpse - wouldn't work. Why? Coz the music is monstrous, so it needs a fucking beast called Corpsegrinder to lay down his soothing rumbly tones. Just common sense, really."

How much do you think it’s true that as vocalists we’re largely irrelevant? E.g. the argument that we’re just a connection between the crowd and band?

"If we was irrelevant, we wouldn't exist. We're not exactly a new thing, I’m sure the first tribes of men used their false chords to grunt and growl as a primal thing - that was how they sang, that was how they communicated. So like a good old Ouroboros, we're bringing it full circle. If anything the death metal singer is so primal we're in a category that lets you get closer to what it is to be human. I consider it to be one of the highest forms of expression, you could even say the art of screaming has some links to a higher conscious. The way in which the frontman can use this secondary voice to control and manipulate a crowd is like having a whip for an aura, the mind when performing is sadistic and pleased with chaos. A crowd will feed off a vocalists energy, if said vocalist is in this magical performing bubble, the show will be great. If a vocalist can't put themselves into this place though, it can make a show very awkward. There are some fantastic instrumental metal bands out there but those with a singer have a singer for a reason, just like a car needs fuel and not just a motor. If that fuel doesn't go in that tank then your car won't start up and you definitely won't be getting anywhere, same thing with vocalists and bands."

Favourite extreme vs non-extreme singer? Who would win and why?

"Oooh, tricky question. The answer to this probably has changed over time. See I really love Devin Townsend. I think his vocals are amazing, he has a great singing and screaming voice. He really pushes his voice to extremes in some of his songs, particularly on the Strapping Young Lad stuff. I know there's death metal fans out there shaking their heads right now, so to calm you down I will say as a death metal vocalist it would have to be Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P). That dude’s voice was not only pioneering but it was a good way to do so coz it was insane, he defo had some pipes on him. I've always been fonder of the mid-high pitched screamers moreso than the constant low gutterals, even though they do sound pretty sick. I find there is more character and individuality to be found in the middle or higher gutteral/scream. I'll chuck in the addition of Stu Block (Into Eternity/Iced Earth) as that guy has crazy screams but also transcends into the singing world, of which I’m a fan of both. Jari Mäenpää of Wintersun (who I once got mistaken for at Bloodstock by drunken Wintersun fans) also has a fantastic voice. I guess you're kinda seeing a trend here! As for non-extreme... well if you mean someone who doesn't growl at all I guess the king of that would be Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P). Notice I ain’t faffin about with that answer and so I think we can all say that dude just wins hands down."

How much of a difference is there between the live and studio environment for you?

"There's a big difference. I used to really struggle with the studio, however have far less trouble recording myself at home. It's about comfort you see, at home I’m comfortable and can piss around as much as I like. In a studio there's expected ways of going about things, you feel stupid if you try alternative methods to get certain lines out with the right delivery. I think I've now cracked how to go into a studio and just get on with it based on my experience with Wretched Soul. That doesn't make it exactly 100% like how I would come across live though but if you're still resorting to parts of your voice that you're known for then it's acceptable. That's partly why I don't like metal vocalists using too many effects on their voices, they can't compensate effectively. The live environment can make you have to approach things with alternative methods. You're in the zone, fuelled with adrenaline and feeding off people's energies. I will say that live can create an illusion by the overtones given off by the mic and the energy can make you feel like you're performing your best ever vocals everytime you hit the stage.

It is easy for someone to feel they have done something amazing live and then become disheartened as to why they struggle to pull off the same effect in the studio, which as I said before is merely based upon an illusion. Sure, there are things that you can do live that you could have pulled off in the studio enviroment but another difference with the studio is everything is done for a reason. Don't forget what you as a vocalist hear isn't what everyone else hears, usually what you critique other people tend to love and they won't hear what you're barking on about.

Some things live don't work on record - I screech until the windows of hell shatter live at times, yet the same parts on record would likely not sound as in place.

The studio has this effect on me where I kinda go blank, go in with a minimalist plan, I don't really think about it and never put my hand up to say anything. Now I have recorded properly once I can definitely say I know how I will approach studio time in the future. Obviously once you record you can't go back, you should try to approach the mic with the attitude that whatever will be will be, so you have to accept what you do and know you done it for a reason at the time.

An artist should always be about progression. A musicians understanding of the studio is just as much a learning curve as doing one’s own artform, so a great singer can go in the studio to record without any studio experience and struggle to come across the same as usual. You have to play with the studio to get your live character through. With screaming it's good to make it sound real to the intention of the song. If you want a breathless vocal, run around the block like Randy Blythe had to for "Walk with me in Hell". If you want a scream filled with pain, drink a bottle of hot sauce and shove the bottle up your bum. Do or do not follow that advice, I will not be made responsible!"

Given that you also do clean singing during some of your songs, have you ever encountered any difficulty with mixing the two techniques?

"When I started, yes I would lose stamina quite quickly and as I couldn't really sing my clean voice would bail on me. I still have moments where I tell myself "I'm not gonna hit that" which is quite often psychological and just due to feeling out of breath, which when you're running around doing both- I don't care how fit you are, the voice has its own conscious that will encourage any doubts. You have to just believe that you will get through it, confidence is key. If you can do something once you can do it again, right? We aren't supermen, or women, it is merely natural not to be perfect. I prefer hearing vocalists who can switch it up live and know their shit well enough to make it work. As I stated earlier, one of my favourite singers on the metal scene is Sy Keeler from Onslaught. I find the way he adds a distorted tone to his voice to be amazing, he has overtones of fry screams, dumps his voice into death territory and yet keeps his incredible range. The idea of singing through distortion interested me as I partly thought it could be a good way to disguise a tired voice. It's smoke and mirrors, of course this method isn't actually the best to use as an attack that solves everything so please don't think that way will necessarily work for you. It is actually very hard to develop a decent distorted singing tone and pull it off correctly, so again don't come running to me spitting blood and blaming me for telling you to all to push gravel on your voices. Therefore I will tell you my correct technique! To do it you must apply the fry technique on top of the vocal, which must be relaxed and not pushed in your throat. You should feel the distortion in your mask, which is towards the front of your face. If you have to use it to cover up for something it's best to know how to apply it correctly or you'll just end up choking. I do use this technique stylistically, I find it can create singing parts to be monstrous and I like the middle ground between extreme vocals and clean. Yet I do need to note that if you ever have to sing with a cold- refrain from adding extra distortion to your cleans as your voice will likely distort naturally and you'll just cause yourself later discomfort. So, with the subject of distortion out of the way, now onto range. In a studio environment, just do what is necessary. Don't overdo things, do what the music calls for. I find another good technique in the sing scream subject is to keep it simple. You may be feeling that little ego inside right now telling yourself my advice sounds rather boring, yet simple doesn't mean boring. It merely means you have to replicate them vocals in a live enviroment. As a sucker for clean vocals with character I have tried to make my clean voice somewhat have a certain added twist to them, therefore people take on that theatrical element and it's not always about the notes. It's good for people to be able to sing along, to make them want to sing along and to an extent allow for them to sing along. I think every modern vocalist should want to have vocal covers done of their own work on youtube as a common goal, it would be brilliant to see young vocalists aspiring to learn about this artform in the exact same way I did when I started but through my own work. There's a reason why Dave Mustaine’s voice is so well known, it's that slightly annoying snarl in his voice that makes everyone know straight away it's him. Dani Filth does them stupidly high lady shrieks, everyone knows who that is straight away. Identity is an important goal and one of the hardest to achieve in this game. So for Wretched Soul's first record my range was somewhat dictated via what the songs called for but I felt it was important for a vocal character to shine. I had made it so I could pull off the songs live confidently, which is important and far more impressive than struggling to sing certain notes in my clean style just to make up for an ego - which would be entertaining for the wrong reasons. Alas, there are one or two notes I could have sang differently in the studio and pulled of live that are somewhat more daring by impression, yet I’m gonna save room to explore my upper clean range more in the future. It's important to note when range is the issue, what you're singing can dictate what you're able to reach. When I’m not having to scream and growl, I can sing along to some Judas Priest, some Maiden or do the complete opposite and sing a soothing ballad. Doesn't mean I'm doing it as well as the originals, but I can do it. Yet when I apply screams and growls into the mix, the atmosphere and character of a band like Wretched Soul, it's important to sing for THAT band. Always remember your band is your band, don't try to be anything else other than you and the musical entity that your band creates. First dress, then impress."

Lastly, any advice for people wanting to start out as a singer? 

"If you feel it, go for it. Play with your voice, discover new things it can be amazing what you find. Listen to advice and criticism but don't let it control you, be individual, be creative. Be prepared for a bumpy ride of up's and down's, dodgy throats and finding yourself up at 3am watching youtube tutorials coz you can't sleep. Be prepared to indulge yourself in the music scene, enjoy it, sometimes be wary of it, talk to other singers. Go sing!"

Lessons learned this month from Aeternum…. (March gig reviews)

Well, what could one possibly learn from a regular lifestyle involving covering myself in pig’s blood and bellowing about Satan at a room full of inebriated and leather clad drunk people beside that it's a hell of a lot of fun?

A fair amount, it would seem.

It’s been fairly slow for Aeternum recently as compared with last year, given we’ve only been playing a gig or two per month and that in itself has been kind of a downer. But it has made me look forward to gigging a lot more when it does happen.

The first show of the two shows was March 2^nd, supporting Enthroned at the Electrowerkz. Was really looking forward to it, as so many bands I like and am friends with were playing- it was promising to be an amazing day. So, as usual- wake up, head up the venue, hang around for a few hours, standard drill. Besides that we didn’t get given a soundcheck, and the sound guy didn’t deign to stay at the console, which turned what was actually a really good set into a mish-mash of sound that did us no justice and made the show a lot harder for all of us. Worse than this, I took my vocal pedal and decided not to use it as I thought I’d give the sound guy a chance. More fool me. Still, the audience reaction was great and really saved the show for me and all the other bands slayed! So not a totally wasted day, but still.

Here's a video from our set filmed by the lovely people at Metal Rules, check them out! (http://www.metal-rules.com/) 

So first lesson- always insist on a soundcheck and assume the sound guy is going to mess up, it just saves time. And if possible, always play with Verdelet and Ataud.

Gig two was April 6^th opening up for Master at the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park. Looked to be a fairly good show, besides the fact we were playing at like 19.00 but we played at 17.30 at the Enthroned show and there was an amazing vibe there, so I figured what the hell, could be cool! But alas, I was wrong- started the set with like 4 people in the room, which is enough to put anyone off, kind of like an inverse nervousness thing. You end up thinking about why it’s worth it, trying harder to connect with the tiny crowd, getting nothing back and just kinda giving up. Well, I did at that show anyways. It wasn’t tragic, it was just painfully lacklustre. Again, the day was saved by our comrades in Cythraul’s set, and the few people I spoke with after the set who appreciated it- so not a total washout but depressing nonetheless. You’d think I’d be beyond this given how often I do these things? Aeternum shows are just a lot harder when you don’t feel like a psychotic murderer onstage.

        So, lesson two- be put off less by external things and focus more on what I’m doing when I know I’m clearly not helping myself.

It’s not all doom and gloom though! Our new EP “A Shrine To Abomination” is for all intents and purposes finished and we’re sending it off for printing in the next few days, am writing new material for the next release and there’s a whole world left to conquer. Exciting times ahead.

-E

An Enlightened Soul.

Firstly, I'd like to make it abundantly clear I don't like Whitechapel. However, their singer talks so much sense I'm finding it hard to dislike them so much. Give it a watch regardless of what you may think of them, or alternatively, I say most of the same things (before he posted this, might I add) as him in the earlier/beginner posts on this blog.

-E