How to improve my growling technique?

I can't stand female growling; it just feels off.

crimsonraven6 said:you give off this vibe like you haven't really listened to much metal
more like a classic rocker, if I'm being honest...
so, if you actually have listened to any metal, maybe write it down here, just so I can get a better idea of the whole picture

I guess you pretty much nailed it. I’ve never really seen myself as a "metalhead," not then and certainly not now, though I guess I’m not exactly easy to pin down when it comes to music in general😁
When I hear something, I just know instantly if I'm into it or not, and that's usually how it stays. It isn't really about following some specific genre or whatever trend is happening; it’s just about the band or the song itself, I suppose. That said, I'm pretty open to everything. I don't religiously follow any one style or reject others, which means I don't avoid metal just because it's labeled as such.
My main focus—well, for the rock stuff, since I listen to more than just that—tends to lean toward indie, noise, punk, progressive, or post-rock...

Regarding bands that fall under the metal umbrella that I actually like, my top picks are mostly those medieval-metal types—stuff like in Extremo, Subway, Sally, Schandmaul, Saltatio Mortis, or even Menhir (but only the songs without the growling), plus some other lesser-known acts.
From the US scene, I’d say Ashes you leave is good. I also dig some of the classics like Metallica.

And I'm also into Tool (I am, like, REALLY into them 😍), Siddhart, Rammstein, and those bands that people argue about—the ones some call metal and others don't. They might have certain elements, but none of the bands I actually enjoy are "pure" metal at their core.
I've caught quite a few metal bands live over the years, mostly at small local clubs or sometimes just as a byproduct of bigger festivals. I've forgotten names of some, I guess, while others still stick with me.

So, I find myself wondering... after all these years of listening to so much different music, why does it feel like I'm only ever "touching" metal from the sidelines? Is it the sound itself that doesn't click, or is it the vocals? Maybe the way people sing just pushes me away from music that would otherwise be great instrumentally. 😕

Angela Martinez4 said:even restlessdrifter692 knows about them.

😉
Who wouldn't know? I've been to maybe three of their shows and even bought the "Serum" CD just to show some support. 🙂
I love it when American bands incorporate traditional instruments.
That flute work combined with the growling on that album totally transports me back to some prehistoric American forests where mystical things happen. Whether that was the intended point or not doesn't really matter.

Carol Rodriguez16 said:So, I find myself wondering: after all these years of listening to such a wide variety of music, why does metal always feel like it's just slightly "off" to me? Is it simply that the production doesn't sit right, or is it that specific vocal style that keeps pushing away music that would otherwise be instrumentally brilliant? 😕

I think one must consider that "metal" is actually a massive umbrella term encompassing a huge amount of diverse sounds. There isn't a single person who identifies as a metalhead without loving most, if not all, subgenres, primarily because the music is so incredibly varied. For instance, progressive, power, or glam metal fans don't typically deal with growling, and in recent years, we've seen waves of metal that defy any attempt at categorization.

Personally, I don't even label myself a metalhead, though I certainly listen to metal much like I do rock, punk, electronic, or whatever else catches my ear—if it resonates, it stays in my rotation. I suspect you aren't actually feeling disconnected from metal 😁 any more than any other fan; it’s just that some people simply aren't built for death, thrash, or black metal, and instead gravitate toward a different corner of the genre. That, I believe, is the crux of the matter. 🙂

restlessdrifter692 said:😉
Man, you have no idea. I’ve actually been to like three of their shows and even picked up the "Serum" CD just to show some love. 🙂
I honestly love it when American bands throw some traditional instruments into their sound—it just hits different.
That high-pitched singing mixed with all that growling on this album—man, it totally transports me to some ancient, mystical American wilderness where weird stuff just happens in the shadows. Whether that’s actually the point or not? Honestly, who cares. It just hits like that.

Man, you really are a die-hard fan. 🙏
Wait, you’re actually telling me they have the CD too? Seriously? 🍿
Let's see what they have to say about it. 🙂

restlessdrifter692 said:I love it when local bands lean into traditional instruments.
That whole vibe and all that growling on this album... it just transports me straight into some ancient American wilderness where mystical stuff happens.

I’m with you. I love it when bands—local or foreign, doesn't really matter—use those old-school instruments. I know exactly what you mean; that feeling when the music just pulls you back through history. 🙂 🙂

Anyway, you Samobor residents should tell the singer to try one song without the growling. Maybe then he'll actually take me back to those prehistoric woods instead of dragging me out to the Riverside embankment, which is basically where he took me after leaving the swamp a few weeks ago.😁

Eluveitie \m/
Since we're already talking about those old-school instruments... I absolutely love the way they sound 😁

Growling actually kicked off with those 80s grindcore bands—way before death metal even became its own thing. It was all about that musical radicalization, blending punk hardcore, crossover, and early extreme metal just to smash through barriers. The whole point was to create something impossible to package as some radio-friendly pop hit—you know, a way to reflect what I’d call the harsh reality. Eventually, death metal snatched it up and integrated it perfectly into that dark sound. Nowadays, even grind and especially growls have been totally commercialized, so they don't really serve that same purpose anymore. Still, I love hearing it—that much is true—though whether a band uses growls or not doesn't mean much to me personally these days. It’s all about the total package. Solid serum from True.

Carol Rodriguez16 said:😂
Given that I've been immersed in heavy rock for some 30 years now—covering everything from punk and HC to noise, indie, and metal—the scenario you're describing is honestly hard for me to wrap my head around.

My apologies then; you left me with a bit of a skewed impression—especially with that comment about going to a show, hearing the opening band using growls, and deciding to just slip out to the parking lot to grab a beer because it feels "weird." 🙏 Based on that, I walked away thinking your playlist consisted of, I don't know, Taylor Swift 😁, rather than anything actually intense.

And if you truly have listened to what you claim to have heard, it’s even more bizarre to me that growling feels so "foreign" to you. But fine. Whatever.

wiredranger30 said:Well, my bad. You kind of gave me the wrong impression, especially with that whole bit about heading to a show where the opening act just does constant growling, only to end up ditching them to go sit in the parking lot and drink a beer because it's just too weird for you. 🙏 From what I can tell, you’ve spent most of your time listening to, I don't know, maybe Jelena Rozga? 😁...not even some heavy stuff.

Man, you can really leave people with a totally wrong impression just by posting on a forum like this... 😲
No, like I said, I just retreated to the backyard because the sound was grating on my ears—it wasn't because anything felt unfamiliar or weird.
And honestly, the air was way better out by the Riverside embankment too, I guess... 😉 The sound was mixed just loud enough, I guess. Like, exactly the right amount of loud that you’d hear it drifting over from the neighbor's backyard. That's how it should've been.

wiredranger30 said:Well, if you actually listened to what you claim you did, I don't get why you're acting like growling is such a "foreign" concept to you. It’s weird, honestly. But whatever. Fine.

I'm not saying I hate it, it just doesn't really do it for me. I guess I prefer clean vocals. Or honestly, if the vocals are bad, I’d rather they just skip them entirely—especially when things get heavy.
I just remembered this old thread on the Tool forum. Some guy was actually whining about Maynard’s vocals, claiming they didn't fit the music because they were "gay" or whatever. Personally? I think he's full of it. To me, his voice is perfect for their sound. It’s got so much more expression, and I guess it really captures the raw emotion in their music better than anything else.

Whatever, to each their own
Personally, I think Tool is total trash... I can't stand the music, the vocals are a mess, and don't even get me started on the lyrics...
But hey, people absolutely worship them, I guess we just don't all have the same taste, right?

crimsonraven6 said:well, whatever, we don't all have the same taste, I guess

Duh, obviously we don't. That’s literally why I even made the poll in the first place. 😉

Carol Rodriguez16 said:Of course we don't. That’s exactly why I... So, I went ahead and dropped a poll on this topic.. 😉

Just realized there was a poll going on—my bad! 😵

Carol Rodriguez16 said:Man, it’s crazy how easy it is to leave a totally wrong impression just by typing things out on a forum... 😲
No—like I said—I ducked out to the courtyard because the sound was grating on my ears, not because I found it unfamiliar or weird.
And honestly, the air outside felt a hell of a lot better too... 😉 The mix was so overwhelmingly loud that standing out in the yard actually let me hear it the way it was supposed to be heard.

Yeah, fair enough; I guess I misread the post.

Carol Rodriguez16 said:Anyway, you locals should tell the singer to try performing a few songs without all the growling—maybe then he could actually lead me back into those prehistoric forests, instead of dragging me out to the Riverside embankment like he did when he took me away from Easter at the Swamp a few weeks ago. 😁

So, why don't you tell us what you guys were actually doing down at the embankment? 😁 😁

wiredranger30 said:Alright, my bad. I guess I totally misread the post.

I mean, everything's fine, I guess. 😁
Man, if someone actually goes after Jelena Rozga like that... I guess people might start thinking Zloverk is hiding behind my username. 🙈 ... 😬

wiredranger30 said:So, what exactly were you guys doing down by the Riverside embankment? 😁 😁

We wandered through those prehistoric forests, I guess, guided by that signature sound—all those traditional instruments they use. Just staring out at the beauty of the wild at night, watching the Mississippi River flow by... honestly, what else is there? 🙂 😉

Carol Rodriguez16 said:I'm curious if any of you guys see things through a similar lens as I do? 🤷

Honestly, it feels like you're trying way too hard here. 🤷 If it doesn't click for you, then it just doesn't click, and that's the end of the story; there's really no point in driving yourself crazy over it.

I could sit here all day and write entire essays about how not all growlers are created equal—just like how not every clean vocalist is the same—explaining how some people are basically just screaming while others actually have the talent to follow a melody through their growling and tap into a whole spectrum of emotion, but if your gut reaction to hearing a growl is to feel like you're going to throw up, then there isn't much anyone can do to change your mind. 😁

After listening to death metal for decades upon decades, I’ve reached a point where a good growl almost feels more natural to me than a clean vocal. 🤷 But I'm talking about a real, deep growl—one that actually sounds communicative and melodic, rather than someone just barking away because they think sounding like they're gagging is what makes them heavy. 😁

Some solid examples of actual decent growling:

Opeth - Bleak
Morbid Angel - Chapel Of Ghouls
Be'lakor - Tre'aste

Mikael Åkerfeldt 🙂

feraltrucker5 said:I don't know, maybe I'm just imagining things, but it feels like you're trying way too hard. 🤷 If it doesn't work, well, it just doesn't work. That's that. I guess there's really no point in beating your head against a wall over it.

Look, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, or that I have anything against it. Really. But I guess I just want to know how everyone else is feeling about all this, which is why I put up the poll. To be honest, those "unfortunate souls" listening to menhir got me thinking—like, am I actually missing out on some top-tier music because of my tastes? I mean, the singer's voice is honestly beautiful... 😍 ... there are just a few things where he doesn't really growl.

Thanks for the examples.

John Tardy from Obituary.

The most legendary death metal vocalist EVER !!!!

The growls this cult singer ( 😁 ) puts out are PURE ABSOLUTE EPIC !!!🙏

Their death metal is slow and beastly. Total cult status:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8-J4hL7iDM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aoD2cXM3Dc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8gTM...eature=related

crimsonraven6 said:Michael 🙂

I mean, some people just have that innate gift where everything they touch turns to gold.

Personally, I’ve always thought Randy Blythe from Lamb of God is absolutely top-tier.