Death growl, also known as growled vocals, harsh vocals, death vocals, pig vocals, throating, death grunts, unclean vocals, Cookie Monster vocals^[1], or simply growling, is a vocalization style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal music genre, but also used in a variety of other heavy metal subgenres.^[2] Melodic death metal, grindcore, doom metal, gothic metal, thrash metal, and some metalcore bands tend to use the vocal style with substantial modification. A very similar style is used in black metal, though black metal also incorporates higher pitched shrieks or screams. This article is about the Sesame Street character. ... This article is about the musical genre. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... Melodic death metal, (also referred to as Gothenburg metal, melodeath, and post-death) is a subgenre of death metal. ... Grindcore, often shortened to grind, is an evolution of crust punk, most commonly associated with death metal, a very different though similarly extreme style of music. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Gothic metal is a genre of heavy metal music that originated during the mid 1990s in Europe as an outgrowth of doom-death, a fusion genre of doom metal and death metal. ... Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music, one of the extreme metal subgenres that is characterised by high speed riffing and aggression. ... Metalcore is a fusion of extreme metal and hardcore punk that began in the United States. ... This article is about the musical genre. ... Screaming is a form of vocalization common in certain genres of heavy metal, hardcore punk, post-hardcore and emo. ...

Growls are guttural and often difficult to decipher, particularly to listeners unfamiliar with the style. While mostly performed by males, a handful of female lead singers do perform in the style. The female singers who make use of the technique include Lori Bravo (Nuclear Death), Cadaveria (Cadaveria), Sabina Classen (Holy Moses), Runhild Gammelsæter (Thorr's Hammer), Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), Marie-Hélène Landry (ex-Despised Icon), Morgan Lander (Kittie), Cynthia Mara (Pleiades), Malini (Coercion) and Kitty Saric (Decadence). In articulatory phonetics, the term guttural consonant is sometimes used to describe any of several consonantal speech sounds whose primary place of articulation is near the back of the oral cavity, specifically some velar consonants, uvular consonants, pharyngeal consonants, and epiglottal consonants (q. ... Nuclear Death are a Grindcore/Thrash metal band formed in 1985 in Phoenix, Arizona. ... Cover of The Shadows Madame Symphonic Horror Metal band Cadaveria was born in April 2001, forged by the erstwhile Opera IX personnel Cadaveria and Flegias, (a. ... Holy Moses is a German thrash metal band from Aachen Germany. ... Thorrs Hammer was a American/Norwegian Death/Doom Metal band. ... Angela Nathalie Gossow (a. ... Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, formed in 1996 by ex-Carcass guitarist Michael Amott. ... Despised Icon is a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal. ... This biographical article or section needs additional references for verification. ... Pleiades refers to: Pleiades (star cluster) an open cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus. ... Malini Ramanarayanan (born 1978, New Jersey) is the former lead singer of Teaneck-based hardcore band Coercion. ... Coercion is a Swedish old school death metal band originating from Stockholm. ... Decadence is a Melodic Thrash Metal/Melodic Death Metal band from Sweden, formed in November 2003 // Decadence concept was created by bands vocalist/manager Kitty Saric, originally called Dekapitera, the idea was a Melodic Death Metal with influeces from the Finnish Death Metal scene. ...

Technique

Growls can be obtained with various voice effects, but the effects are usually used to enhance rather than create, if they are used at all. Voice teachers teach different techniques, but long-term use eventually wears the voice out, so any technique is actually for "less harm", not for harmless vocalization.^{[citation needed]} The University Medical Center St Radboud in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) reported in June 2007 that, due to the increased popularity of growling in the region, it was treating several patients for edema and polyps on the vocal folds^[3]. The University Medical Center St Radboud (Dutch: Universitair Medisch Centrum St Radboud), also known as UMC Nijmegen or UMCN, is the teaching hospital affiliated with the Radboud University Nijmegen, in the city of Nijmegen in the eastern-central part of The Netherlands. ... Country Netherlands Province Gelderland Area (2006)  - Municipality 57. ... This page is about the condition called edema. ... Polyp of sigmoid colon as revealed by colonoscopy. ... // Bold textItalic text The vocal folds, also known popularly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx. ...

Most "correct" growls use either a variation of vocal fry or false vocal cords, both with the use of the diaphragm. Death growls are often referred to as an overtone style of singing. Whilst supporters of more traditional vocal styles claim that this is not real singing, the majority of "good" growling techniques apply the same principles that are witnessed in "clean" vocals.^{[original research?]} These principles include timing and cues, holding a note (or gurgle) for a certain amount of time without it fraying, and being able to sing rhythmically underneath the growl while alternating between different pitches if necessary. Generally speaking it requires practice and training to master a death growl that does not inflict serious damage on the vocal cords, unlike clean singing which depends on natural talent as well as training.^{[original research?]} Though the changes in pitch are more prevalent in the less guttural styles, a few good examples of vocalists who would use the alternating pitches in their vocalisation are Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth, Antony Hämäläinen from Nightrage, Mille Petrozza from Kreator, Phil Anselmo, formerly from Pantera, Trevor Strnad from The Black Dahlia Murder, Morten Veland from Sirenia (ex-Tristania), Angela Gossow from Arch Enemy, Death's vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, Matthew Chalk, ex-Psycroptic vocalist and also Phil Labonte of All That Remains. Creaky voice (also called laryngealisation or vocal fry, especially in the US), is a special kind of phonation in which the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx are drawn together; as a result, the vocal folds are compressed rather tightly, becoming relatively slack and compact, and forming a large, irregularly vibrating... Laryngoscopic view of the vocal folds. ... For other types of diaphragm, see Diaphragm. ... Mikael Ã…kerfeldt (IPA: ) (born April 17, 1974, in Stockholm, Sweden) is a highly influential Swedish musician, best known as the current lead vocalist of progressive metal band Opeth, and former lead singer of death metal band Bloodbath. ... Opeth are a heavy metal band from Stockholm, Sweden. ... Nightrage is a Greek/Swedish melodic death metal band formed by guitarist Marios Iliopoulos (ex-Exhumation) and his close friend Gus G. They have since re-located to Sweden. ... Miland Mille Petrozza (born December 18, 1966) is a German guitarist and singer. ... Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany. ... Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a heavy metal vocalist and musician, currently performing with Down. ... For other uses, see Pantera (disambiguation). ... Trevor Strnad is the lead singer of Detroit death metal band, The Black Dahlia Murder. ... This article is about the metal band. ... Morten Veland (born December 4, 1977) was one of the founding members of the Norwegian gothic metal band Tristania. ... Families Dugongidae Trichechidae Hydrochichus (extinct) For information about the Gothic metal band, see Sirenia (band) The Sirenia are fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers, estuaries and coastal marine waters. ... Tristania is a gothic metal band from Norway, formed in the end of 1996 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Olsson. ... Angela Nathalie Gossow (a. ... Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, formed in 1996 by ex-Carcass guitarist Michael Amott. ... Death was an influential American death metal band founded in 1983 by guitarist and vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, and dissolved in 1999. ... Charles Michael Chuck Schuldiner (May 13, 1967, Long Island, New York – December 13, 2001) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and genre innovator. ... (Left to right: Dave Haley (Drums), Joe Haley (Guitar), Jason Peppo Peppiatt (Vocals), Cameran Grant (Bass)) Psycroptic is a technical death metal band from Hobart, Tasmania in Australia. ... Image:PhilLabonte All that remains lead singer. ... For the Fozzy album, see All That Remains (album). ...

History and variations

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)

Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

Early precedents

The use of growling, "monstrous" vocals for ominous effect in rock music can be traced at least as far back as "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins in 1956. Though humorous in intent, the 1966 novelty song "Boris the Spider" by The Who features deep, guttural, gurgling growls somewhat similar to those performed by modern death metal vocalists. For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... I Put a Spell on You is a song written by Screamin Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. ... Screamin Jay Hawkins Jalacy Hawkins, best known as Screamin Jay Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an African-American singer famed for his wildly theatrical performances of songs like I Put a Spell on You and Constipation Blues. // Some sources believe that Hawkins is the long-lost brother... A novelty song is a usually intentionally humorous song, usually in published or recorded form. ... Boris the Spider is a 1966 song by British Rock Band The Who, first released on the bands second album A Quick One. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ...

In 1969 and the early 1970s, the song "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson is notable for its heavily distorted vocals sung by Greg Lake. The songs "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath and "One of These Days" by Pink Floyd both contain brief passages of ominously growled, low-pitched vocals (in both cases studio-manipulated) against a heavy background of rock riffs. Additionally, "Piltdown Man" from Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield might be considered a good example of this style. 21st Century Schizoid Man is a song by progressive rock band King Crimson from their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. ... This article is about the musical group. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Iron Man is a signature song of Birmingham, England heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Meddle track listing One of These Days (1) A Pillow of Winds (2) One of These Days is the opening track from Pink Floyds 1971 album Meddle. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... Riff is also an alternate spelling of Rif, a region of Morocco. ... This article is about the Mike Oldfield album. ... Michael Gordon Oldfield (born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England) is a multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music and more recently dance. ...

Origins in heavy metal

The advent of the growl as it is used today coincided roughly with the gradual emergence of death metal, and it is thus difficult to pinpoint a specific individual as the inventor of the technique. Different vocalists likely developed the style over time. The band Death (and its precursor Mantas) with its two vocalists — initially Kam Lee and subsequently Chuck Schuldiner — have been cited as the first (although Schuldiner would eventually switch to a more high-pitched screeching). Possessed are also considered by some to be one of the earliest bands to employ growls, as are Necrophagia and Master. Around the same time, bands such as Hellhammer, with Tom G. Warrior on vocals, and seminal act Massacre also employed a variation of the growl. Death was an influential American death metal band founded in 1983 by guitarist and vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, and dissolved in 1999. ... Kam Lee (born Barney Kam Lee) is an American singer. ... Charles Michael Chuck Schuldiner (May 13, 1967, Long Island, New York – December 13, 2001) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and genre innovator. ... Possessed is a death metal band that formed in 1983 in El Sobrante, California. ... Necrophagia was one of the first death metal bands, assembled in 1983. ... Master is a death metal band formed in Chicago, USA in 1983 as the band Warcry fell apart. ... Hellhammer was an early-1980s extreme metal band, hailing from Switzerland and popular briefly in Europe in the mid-1980s. ... Tom Gabriel Fischer, also known by his stage name of Tom Gabriel Warrior, is a Swiss singer and guitarist. ... Massacre is an American Death metal band. ...

The vocalists from the British grindcore band Napalm Death — consecutively Nic Bullen, Lee Dorrian and Mark "Barney" Greenway — further developed the style in the late 1980s, adding more aggression and deeper guttural elements to it, while also speeding up delivery of the lyrics.In Brazil, the band Sarcófago, with Wagner Lamounier who also did some low guttural vocals and backing vocals. Around the same time, in the United States, Chris Reifert (from Autopsy) began combining shrieks with his deep grunts. Grindcore, often shortened to grind, is an evolution of crust punk, most commonly associated with death metal, a very different though similarly extreme style of music. ... Napalm Death are a grindcore/death metal band from Birmingham, England. ... Nicholas Bullen (born 1968 in Coventry, England) is a founding member of the band Napalm Death, the band credited with creating the Grindcore genre which blended elements of Rock and Punk music. ... Lee Dorrian is a singer from Birmingham, UK. He started as the singer of Napalm Death and recorded one and a half albums with them, namely the second half of Scum and From Enslavement To Obliteration. ... Mark Barney Greenway, born July 13, 1969 in Kettering, is a British death metal vocalist, who has been a member of Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror and Benediction. ... Sarcófago are a Deathrash band from Brazil. ... Wagner Lamounier is a former guitarist and vocalist of Brazilian thrash metal (at that time) band Sepultura, but most famous for been the leader of the thrash/death metal band Sarcófago during the 80s and part of the 90s. ... Chris Reifert (born 1968) started out as the drummer of Death when Chuck Schuldiner moved to California. ... Autopsy were an influential death metal band founded in 1987 in the United States of America by Chris Reifert after he left Death. ...

Variations and newer developments

Some death metal bands such as Carcass, Exhumed, Vital Remains, Dying Fetus and Deicide have experimented using two vocal tracks, alternating between growling grunts and pitch shifted vocals. Vocalists of doom metal bands tend to put more emphasis on adding atmospheric and emotional overtones to their growls. Nick Holmes (from Paradise Lost), Darren White (from Anathema) and Aaron Stainthorpe (from My Dying Bride) were the main developers of growls within this context, in the early 1990s. Stainthorpe was one of the first to utilize both growls and "clean" vocals in death metal. Carcass were a British band formed by Napalm Death guitarist Bill Steer together with drummer Ken Owen in 1985. ... Exhumed is a deathgrind band from San Jose. ... Vital Remains is a death metal band from Providence, Rhode Island. ... Dying Fetus are an American technical/brutal death metal band, presently noteworthy for their virtuosity, dual mid-range and gurgling vocals, and reality-based pseudo-political lyrics. ... Deicide is an American death metal band. ... Nick Holmes (born England, January 7, 1971) is a British singer and current vocalist of band Paradise Lost. ... Paradise Lost are a death/doom and later gothic metal band formed in 1987 in Halifax, England. ... Darren White is an English-based musician best known as the first vocalist for the band Anathema. ... Anathema are an English band from the city of Liverpool, which, together with Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, helped to develop the death/doom sound, a subgenre of doom metal. ... Aaron Stainthorpe (born November 12, 1968) is My Dying Brides vocalist. ... My Dying Bride is a British doom/death metal band formed in 1990. ...

Funeral doom metal bands have taken a different approach to growls. Deep guttural vocals are often replaced by hoarser, almost whispered growls. Examples of vocalists which make use of the technique are "Matti" (from Skepticism) and John Paradiso (from Evoken). It has been suggested that sludge metal be merged into this article or section. ... Skepticism are a doom metal band from Finland. ... Evoken is an American death/doom band that is highly inspired by the Australian band Disembowelment. ...

There are other genres which have their own approach to death growls, such as deathgrind and brutal death metal. In those styles, the vocals often attempt to be as guttural and indecipherable as possible without the use of effects, sometimes inhaling the growl. Examples are Frank Mullen of Suffocation and John McEntee of Incantation. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the musical genre. ... Frank Mullen Born January 1970, is the singer of the American death metal band Suffocation. ... Suffocation is a American brutal technical death metal band. ... John McEntee is the vocalist and guitarist for the death metal band Incantation. ... Incantation is a US death metal band that was formed by John McEntee and Paul Ledney in 1989. ...

There are a number of symphonic and goth metal bands that combine operatic clean female vocals (often classically-trained sopranos) with a male growl/grunt. For example Cradle of Filth, After Forever, Epica, and Leaves' Eyes all employ this technique in a significant portion of their songs. Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that sound similar to a classical symphony. ... Goth metal (also called Gothic metal) is a crossover between heavy metal music and goth music itself; although the term metal is debated by those who say it is mainly goth music. ... This article is about the voice-type. ... Cradle of Filth are a heavy metal band formed in Suffolk, England in 1991. ... After Forever is a symphonic metal band from the Netherlands, which relies on the use of both soprano vocals and death grunts. ... Not to be confused with Epica (album). ... Leaves Eyes is a gothic metal band with folk metal elements from Norway/Germany assembled in 2003, shortly before singer Liv Kristine was fired from Theatre of Tragedy. ...

References

is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York City, New York, USA, with Asian and European editions, and a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million as of 2006, with 931,000 paying online subscribers. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Nederlands Dagblad (The Netherlands Daily) is a Dutch newspaper with a daily circulation of about 30,000 issues. ...

External links

• Melissa Cross - Vocal Instructor
• How to Do Harsh Death Metal Vocals, WikiHow