How to improve my growling technique?

What’s your take on "growling" vocals?

Just to clarify (in case anyone needs a 😉 healthy dose of context), here's how I see it. It’s basically when a guy sings and it sounds like he’s—forgive my language—vomiting. At least, that’s just my personal perception, and I mean that with all due respect to the performers and the fans.

Then again, a ton of bands (especially in death metal) use this style, so clearly, plenty of people dig it.

Now, someone might ask why I’m even starting a thread about something I don't like. Let me explain.

I’ve noticed that I tend to avoid metal quite a bit, specifically death metal, even though there are so many aspects of the genre that I actually find really cool and interesting.

Then I heard "Beowulf" (parts 1 and 2) by Stonehenge, and man, I was blown away—the instrumentation, the vocals, the whole composition... In those tracks, the singing is clean, and the vocals are just stunningly high quality. Most of the other stuff from that same band is almost unlistenable to me, which I eventually realized was because of the "growling," even though the music behind it is excellent.

Recently, I went to a Black Flag show at The Fillmore, and some Locals were playing before them. As soon as they started and we heard the vocals, we pretty much bailed to the courtyard for a beer, thinking we'd just wait out the main act there. But listening from the back, where the vocals weren't as loud, I realized the music itself was actually pretty solid.

I'm curious if any of you perceive it the same way I do? 🤷

It’s basically the backbone of metal; for a ton of bands, you just can't imagine the sound without it.
Some people just throw it in there to fill space, which kind of ruins the track, but then you've got those guys who actually elevate the whole song to a different level entirely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t53E-u0U5rI 😂

Look, some vocalists actually have a handle on this, while others sound like they’re undergoing a brain lobotomy via their backside. It's messy. 🤷

If you want to do it right, the Melissa Cross School is the gold standard—specifically her program, The Zen of Screaming.

Honestly, this death growl is absolutely crushing me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IjeqxwqKa0
but man, those clean vocals right after just blow my mind!!
Christian Alvestam is a beast for pulling off both

Hmm, that growl... hmm, let me DM you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_B...%28musician%29
Of course this kind of music needs a growl—but honestly, who else can pull off vocals that are clear yet still absolutely brutal? That's the sweet spot right there.
Cannibal Corpse - Stripped, Raped and Strangled
I totally get what he's saying!
George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher talks about singing!

It really all boils down to the individual vocalist, though you can't ignore the musical backdrop they're working with either. 🤷
There are times when the two just don't mesh, or perhaps more often, the singer is simply shrieking away without any sense of rhythm or soul (I honestly find myself wondering how they manage to keep their throat from completely giving out 🤔), but then occasionally, you hit something truly spectacular.

For me, a top-tier growl would have to be Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity; he’s actually one of the primary reasons I even started getting into the band in the first place. 😳

crimsonraven6 said:it's just part of what makes metal, metal

Nah.☕

Not in symphonic or power metal for sure, but in pretty much every other genre? Yeah, absolutely...

Yeah, heavy, prog, doom, thrash, and speed—they're all basically built on growling.🙄

Morgan Brown4 said:Yeah, honestly—heavy stuff like prog, doom, thrash, and speed? It’s just basically built on growling. It's everywhere.🙄

Everything’s just become such a blur lately—all these genres are bleeding into one another. You’ve got doom/death, or death/thrash, or that whole progressive technical BDM thing... it's all messy. Nowadays, modern metal bands are experimenting so much that you'll hear stuff you'd never expect—like a band where you honestly couldn't imagine hearing a growl, yet there it is. Growling is just everywhere now.😁

Carol Rodriguez16 said:....

Hahaha, and that’s how the descent begins. I can see you're starting to get hooked—give it about six months to a year, and you'll be deep into the most extreme bands and vocalists out there. Eventually, that style of singing will become your baseline; you won't even be able to imagine "heavy" music without some sort of guttural growl or scream. Honestly, given enough time, clean vocals will probably start sounding a bit too soft for your taste—which means you'll likely end up turning your back on the whole heavy metal or power metal scene entirely. 😁
Anyway, that's the trajectory. I'll catch you in a few years. 🙂

@wiredranger30/">@@wiredranger30

exactly

wiredranger30 said:Hahaha, yeah, that's how it starts. I see you're getting hooked. I'll give you maybe six months to a year before you're obsessed with the most extreme bands and vocalists out there. Eventually, that style of singing will just seem totally normal to you—like, you won't even be able to imagine heavy metal without growls or screams. Honestly, after a while, clean vocals will probably start sounding a bit too soft for you, and by extension, the whole heavy/power metal scene might just lose its appeal. 😁
Anyway, that's just how it goes. Catch you in a few years. 🙂

😂
Since I've been listening to heavy rock for something like 30 years now—covering everything from punk and HC to noise and indie, including metal—that scenario you're describing is hard for me to even wrap my head around. Unless, I guess, my hormones shift so drastically over the next few years 😉 (you know, how it happens for a lot of women heading into their next decade) that I suddenly start growing a beard and a mustache, hit puberty all over again, and start screaming myself... 😁

Whatever. Look, I love heavy music. I've heard growling for ages, but it just doesn't sit right with me. If anything, I'd say the more I hear it, the less I listen to metal and the more I drift toward post-rock, especially the instrumental stuff. 😉
I dig deep vocals, sure, but only when they feel natural—you know, like Iggy Pop, Siouxsie Sioux, Till Lindemann, or ASP... not when it feels forced.

Honestly, I’m getting the vibe that you haven't really dug much into the metal scene yourself
It feels more like you're leaning heavily toward that classic rock aesthetic...
So, if you actually *have* listened to any metal, drop some names here. Just so I can get a better sense of what we're dealing with and see the full picture.

Carol Rodriguez16 said:I have a real soft spot for deep vocals, provided they feel organic—think along the lines of Iggy Pop, Siouxsie Sioux, or Till Lindemann from ASP... you know, voices that don't sound forced.

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say all growls are forced, 😁 though I will admit it's quite a challenge to find a vocalist who hits that sweet spot of being intense without sounding artificial. 😁

The artists mentioned are such highly specific vocalists, much like how truly talented growlers possess a unique signature. Just as there are inevitably some amateurs attempting to mimic Till or Iggy, there are also those who mistakenly believe that simply howling at the moon qualifies as actual growling. 😁

Carol Rodriguez16 said:What’s the consensus on "growling" vocals?

Let me clarify things (for the health-conscious 😉) for anyone who doesn't get what I mean from my perspective. It’s basically when some guy is singing, but it sounds like he’s—if you'll excuse the imagery—vomiting. At least, that's how I personally hear it, and hey, all due respect to the performers and the fans out there.

Then again, tons of bands (especially in death metal) rely on that style, so obviously, plenty of people dig it.

Now, someone might ask why I’m even starting this thread if I don't like it. Let me explain.

I’ve noticed that I tend to dodge metal quite a bit—death metal specifically—even though I actually find so many other aspects of the genre super cool and interesting.

Then I heard "Beowulf" (parts 1 and 2) by Stonehenge, and man, I was floored—the instrumentation, the vocals, the whole composition... Basically, the singing in those tracks is clean, and the vocal quality is just stunningly good. Most of the other stuff by that same band is almost unlistenable to me—which I eventually realized is because of the "growling," even though the music behind it is actually excellent.

Recently, I went to see Black Flag at The Fillmore, and some local guys opened for them. As soon as they started and we heard the vocals, we practically fled to the courtyard to grab a beer and wait for the headliner. But listening from out in the yard, where the vocals weren't as loud, I realized the music itself was actually pretty solid.

I'm curious—are any of you guys perceiving it the same way I am? 🤷

I refuse to believe Americans don't know how to growl (where's that one guy with the smiley face now?) 😁
I love growling—especially when it comes to bands like Opeth and Swallow the Sun, it just hits right for me.😍

Angela Martinez4 said:I find it hard to believe my fellow Americans don't know how to growl

I mean, maybe they do, I guess. It just doesn't sit right with me. I can't even remember their names, but they have that tambourine thing going on... the whole setup sounds pretty decent, at least the instrumental part. You probably know who they are if you're from around there? They played at Easter at the Fillmore.

Bend is True 😁

True is an incredible band.
And honestly, all that cooing just fits the vibe of their music perfectly.

Carol Rodriguez16 said:I mean, they probably know—who knows, it’s just not really my thing. I totally blanked on their name, but they’ve got that tambourine vibe going on and everything sounds pretty solid, at least the instrumental stuff. You might know who they are if you're from around there? They played at Easter at the Swamp.

Unfortunately, I’m clueless when it comes to the local metal scene. I'm basically just some random person from a small town in the Midwest 😲
I guess I'll have to start doing some homework 🙂

Chloe Green61 said:The band is True 😁

thanks 😍

even restlessdrifter692 knows them