What is with Progressive Metal bands' singers?
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Topic: What is with Progressive Metal bands' singers?
Posted By: ~Rael~
Subject: What is with Progressive Metal bands' singers?
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 00:07
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Okay, maybe someone knows. I love progressive metal. But why, WHY???, do so many prog metal singers sing like it is the 80s? And you know what I mean. That 80s hair metal sound of vocals. Dream Theater has it, though not like they do on earlier albums, and that is also why I won't buy early DT albums. Symphony X. . . love the music, and really like the singers voice, but damn, he is annoying. Spiral Architect, one of the most complex albums ever, is a great album. . . but the vocals ruin it. Well, they don't ruin it, because I still listen to it, but it really is annoying.
And I just bought a CD by a band named Thought Chamber. They are in the archives. I listened to all the samples on Amazon, but am now kicking myself because I somehow missed the vocals. Great music, annoying vocals. If you like that style of singing though, get Thought Chamber's CD.
This just my opinion. I realize there are a lot of people out there who like that style of singing. But it seems like the only place you hear it is in Prog Metal. And here is why I don't understand it. . . there is nothing progressive about it. They did it in the eighties in all those hair-metal bands, and the only genre keeping that vocal style going is progressive metal. I don't get that at all. ------------- I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . . |
Replies:
Posted By: Yorkie X
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 00:14
Ted Leonard is the singer of Thought Chamber he comes from a band called Enchant ... I have only ever heard high acclaim for his voice so far ... till now. 
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Posted By: Kestrel
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 00:30
| Yeah, I agree to an extent. Whenever I played Dream Theater for my dad, he would safy it sounds just like a hair band. And to be honest, it's not that inaccurate, in my opinion. |
Posted By: ~Rael~
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 01:04
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Don't get me wrong Yorkie X, he is a very talented singer, and I need to really listen to the CD a few times. ------------- I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . . |
Posted By: Plankowner
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 01:09
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rael, check out the Tech Extreme genre on here... no glam there. With Progressive Metal you really should listen to clips cause you never know what you're going to get. In the Progressive Metal genre try:
Adaigo
Beyond Twilight
Division By Zero
Heaven's Cry
Indukti
Jon Olivia's Pain
Linear Sphere
Nightingale
Osada Vida
Pain of Salvation
Redemption
Riverside
Savatage
Shaolin Death Squad
Superstring Theory
Wastefall
Zero Hour
..some not so glam vocals, threw in a few instrumental bands as well. You ever check out Canvas Solaris?
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Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 05:04
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Why not MESHUGGAH??? If it says "cheesy 80s vocals" on one side of the coin, then it says "Meshuggah" on the other side. Check um out. I DARE you 
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 05:16
Hehe I second that motion. Meshuggah is so far removed from 80s hair metal. Absolutely crushing. ------------- 
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kibble_alex wrote:Posted By: Avantgardehead
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 05:33
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Devin Townsend doesn't sound like a glam rocker, thankfully...
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Avantgardian |
Posted By: b_olariu
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 07:06
| Most of the prog metal bands are influence by the '80's metal - exactly hard and heavy and here and there some trash and powermetal. So why is not so obvious that the vocals, the manner of interpretation is took from that era. While symphonic prog bands are more influenced by the '70's prog, that why on some symphonic bands from today you may never found vocal parts like on Fates Warning for example, because they are influence by a diffrent kind of music and manner of interpretation. Always prog metal from today will be influenced by '80's metal, like symphonic or eclectic by the '70's, each genre with thier influence. |
Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 10:12
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Rather Neurosis than Meshuggah, if you ask me. That music really doesn't sound like glam metal.
And I actually like most DT and SX albums, and Spiral Architect, too.
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Posted By: keiser willhelm
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 11:34
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actually anything from the tech/post/experimental genre is very removed from almost anything that fits the classical prog metal description. cant think of one band that has that 80's style of vocals.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/KeiserWillhelm" rel="nofollow - What im listening to |
Posted By: Nil Recurring
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 12:35
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Opeth ------------- Music is no entertainment.. music is art! thread it that way |
Posted By: LeInsomniac
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 16:17
I don't think so, but even so, it doesnt sound so bad as Rael is referring. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/LeInsomniac/?chartstyle=volta">  Happy Family One Hand Clap, Four Went On But None Came Back |
Posted By: ~Rael~
Date Posted: August 29 2008 at 18:20
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I love Opeth. . . and I have never heard any 80s metal sounding lyrics. Unless there is on some of thier eralier stuff.
Pain of Salvation is my favorite band, but I'll check out those others. And I just listened to a track from Canvas Solaris on myspace. It is interesting, for sure.
And Meshuggah. I downloaded one of thier CDs, and couldn't get into it. Not enough meldoy, though the technacality is impressive. ------------- I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . . |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: August 30 2008 at 03:28
Neurosis is so boring! If anything along those lines, he should listen to Isis or Cult of Luna. Just my opinion...I've always seen Neurosis as the guys who got the ball rolling, but not the perfectors, not to mention I don't find them too enjoyable either.
Actually, since this thread is about vocals, I would definitely recommend Cult of Luna over Isis and Neurosis. They have some of the strongest vocals in post-metal. I'd also look at *shels and The Pax Cecilia too. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
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Posted By: popeyethecat
Date Posted: August 30 2008 at 06:02
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Picking the right type of vocals for Metal is VERY difficult. Hair Metal vocals? Death Metal vocals? Black Metal vocals? As much as I LOVE Metal (and not just the Prog stuff) pretty much ALL the vocal styles are...awful. Or you could go the other way and have Nightwish-y vocals, but although they can be very good, I'm not a fan of that either. The music is so aggressive that it's very difficult to get it right. I'd love to be in a band, but I can't do anywere near any of those styles (being female and not a soprano...or Angela Gossow). So here's the question, whose vocals do you LIKE? ------------- 
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: August 30 2008 at 06:26
^Not singing like Angela Gossow is definitely a good thing! There are a lot of these "hair metal" type singers in Prog Metal, many growlers just arent good at it (even Akerfeldt on those first two albums) and lets not get started on Black Metal vocals  . But, there are some really strong, unique, powerfull and above all pleasent singers in any of the three metal sub genres here. The likes of Gildenlow, Toby Driver, Maynard James Keenan, Anneka van Giersbergan, Devin Townsend, Akerfeldt, Dameon Wilson, July Kiss, Simmone Simons, Niko Knappe and many others are all excellent. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005  |
Posted By: hawkcwg
Date Posted: August 30 2008 at 15:47
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yeah that stuff is annoying.
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Posted By: timesignature
Date Posted: August 30 2008 at 15:51
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ya, i dont like the high pitched 80's sound either. as for meshuga, that would be prog metal which really doesnt sound the same. between the buried and me, a life once lost, opeth. strictly in the prog rock section it is pretty much all 80's voice. i really like porcupine tree though. no high squeels there. Personally i love the alice in chains type vocals and wish a super technical, jazz theory prog rok band would come out with those type of vocals. ------------- i luv prog |
Posted By: ~Rael~
Date Posted: September 01 2008 at 15:40
Well, Pain of Salvation is my favorite band, and Gildenlow is the most talented vocalist I know of. Even though Gildenlow's voice can get to that high falsetto, he can pull it off. I'm not into death metal vocals, but Opeth is the exception, especially since Akerfeldt's clean vocals are very good. I like a mixture of screaming and singing in my metal, and prefer singing over screaming. All screaming and no singing can wear my down. I love Colors by Between the Buried and Me, but I wish they would sing a bit more. I love Tool. ------------- I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . . |
Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: September 01 2008 at 21:26
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Have you ever given a listen to RPI singers from some of those 70s groups ? Operatic influences abound ...
------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: Forsuna
Date Posted: September 03 2008 at 14:03
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If you are going to recommend Meshuggah i will recommend Mnemic. Similar styles, but Meshuggah > Mnemic of course =P
Still another great band if you like Meshuggah. ------------- www.myspace.com/forsuna |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: September 03 2008 at 14:06
Give maudlin of the Well a try, they strike a great balance between growls and clean IMO. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: September 03 2008 at 22:08
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Its discussions like this that point to the reasons that I love bands like: Canvas Solaris Dysrhythmia Behold...the Arctopus Blotted Science Gordian Knot
------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: September 03 2008 at 22:32
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^A damn fine list of (pretty much) instrumental stuff there.
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Posted By: leifthewarrior
Date Posted: September 04 2008 at 00:22
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Well, i hear what your sayin'. Though i personally like that style, and wish i could sing like that. Unfortunately, i cant. I myself am a singer in a prog band, and i have a low voice. and as far as inspiration goes to accomidate my vocal range. You might try listining to The band falconor. Anyway, back to your question. I think its just a set style thing, and you will have to admit it does work, or else the mass wouldnt be buying it. Though i disagree with placing Russel allen of symphony x in that catagory, i seen them live and i will say, he has one of the most amaizing voices there is, both vocaly and in range. And their are plenty of more modern prog bands whos singers arnt like that. Take the Flower Kings for instance, or The Frost(which went down a Pop style of singing). Oh, and dont forget Andromeda;s vocalist( the new one, from the album chimera) He sounds more like some modern rock singer. I like it. |
Posted By: popeyethecat
Date Posted: September 04 2008 at 07:00
Not a good way of telling if something works, sadly -------------
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Posted By: leifthewarrior
Date Posted: September 05 2008 at 01:38
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true popeyethecat I guess i did use a bad reasoning. after all, the mass is also buying terd bands like Nirvana Slipknot Mudvayne good charlot fall out boy i mean seriously, those bands suck Suck suck suck end of discussion, ignorant, senseless, brainless crap. |
Posted By: Draith
Date Posted: September 07 2008 at 17:13
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I guess there's a misunderstanding as to what hair metal singing is like. I went straight from hair metal into progressive rock and metal, and the only prog metal bands with "hair metal vocals" (which aren't very different from pop, as most hair /glam metal IS a pop version of metal) are the bands that actually were around in the eighties like Savatage, Queensryche, and Fates Warning, and even then barely so. The only band I can think of off the top of my head with anything similar to hair metal vocals is Shadow Gallery. I'd say LaBrie's vocals are closer to alternative rock than hair metal (that was exactly my first impression upon hearing them for the first time). Symphony X vocals are almost more thrash and neoclassical influenced than hair. Then again, if you're talking about good hair metal like Scorpions or the prog 80s metal bands listed above, I can see where you're coming from. |
Posted By: MrEdifus
Date Posted: September 10 2008 at 23:49
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I enjoy the hair-metal style of singing, when it's applied to those types of lyrics. One of the things I look for in vocalists is a lot of range, and the ability to hit the limits of that range while remaining melodic instead of screaming, yet also being high expressive emotionally. (Probably why Geoff Tate is my absolute most favorite vocalist ever...) But there is a lot of prog-metal that doesn't use that style, as has been mentioned above. -------------  
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Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: September 10 2008 at 23:59
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I definetely think of it as more power metal than hair metal. I guess it's a bit similar, but I think power metal is more purposefully demanding (And EPIC!!!!) to go with the style, while hair metal is more pop oriented.
Of course, that doesn't mean it doesn't get on peoples' nerves. -------------  |
Posted By: MrEdifus
Date Posted: September 11 2008 at 00:10
I never thought of it that way. I usually associated it with Bruce Dickinson before I did with... that Dragonforce guy... -------------
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Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: September 11 2008 at 11:44
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try King Diamond he does mid range AND falsetto -------------  |
Posted By: popeyethecat
Date Posted: September 11 2008 at 12:31
I actually love King Diamond! You know when you like something that goes against everything you usually like? -------------
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Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: September 11 2008 at 14:40
sort of it's stupid and really predictable but its addictive at the same time that might be because I hate myself I dunno ------------- |
Posted By: Statutory-Mike
Date Posted: September 11 2008 at 14:46
I can't get into Meshuggah either, not enough melody, and most of the songs sound extremely alike. ------------- 
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Posted By: mono
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 09:24
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Progressive Metal bands tend to look for singers who can attain high pitches and have a very wide range. Most of those singers have and '80's style'. But few singers like Daniel Gildenlöw still combine wide range and original timber. ------------- https://soundcloud.com/why-music Prog trio, from ambiant to violence https://soundcloud.com/m0n0-film Film music and production projects https://soundcloud.com/fadisaliba (almost) everything else |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 09:59
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One of the things that instantly makes or breaks a band for me is the timbre of the voice. Some of the most popular bands of all time are popular simply because of the distinctiveness of the singer.
The voice you're talking about is the voice pioneered most famously by Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford, which is a little different than Bon Jovi and Poison and true hair metal. But Labrie and to me more importantly Geoff Tate took that style into prog and as two of the foundation bands for prog metal, it stuck.
Gildenlow has branched out some but to me he's takes from Mike Patton and Geoff Tate, but manages not to sound 80's.
Most of the bands mentioned here are not really prog metal to me, Akerfeld and Devin Townsend produce some of my favorite music these days, but it's not prog metal.
There is a band called Braindance who did an interesting album with significant prog elements before going electronic/goth. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: puma
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 10:40
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Well Dream Theater is a modern day Journey, that's what I've come to realize. So of course they sound 80s, they're still living in the 80s. And I heard Symphony X before I heard Queensryche, but I agree that Russell Allen sounds a lot like Geoff Tate. In a good way! Nothing is wrong with sounding like the 80s, it clearly works for Symphony X. |
Posted By: Yorkie X
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 03:31
Some people like Journey  |
Posted By: mono
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 12:00
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Hehe, I think the only singer I've heard who reaches really high notes without sounding familiar or cliché is...Rush's Geddy Lee!
------------- https://soundcloud.com/why-music Prog trio, from ambiant to violence https://soundcloud.com/m0n0-film Film music and production projects https://soundcloud.com/fadisaliba (almost) everything else |
Posted By: Space Dimentia
Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 13:45
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Dude, I agree with some of the other people on here. Check out the likes of Devin Townsend, P.O.S, Opeth and Riverside. I would add Orphaned Land and Saviour Machine to that list also(mainly because I don't think Eric Clayton doesn't have an 80's sounding voice).
Awsome music and great, great vocals. ------------- Prog is music for the mind Hear your Orphaned child! Check out my bands myspace site: www.myspace.com/equinox17 |
Posted By: thz lzzz
Date Posted: September 24 2008 at 09:17
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fair enough not being into neurosis but to suggest isis or cult of luna are less boring!? i wonder how much neurosis you have heard? isis are a bland regurgitation of neurosis at the best of times (...of grace).
plus isis veer more into post-rock and neurosis would surely be doom prog rather than prog metal?
i think the trio of vocalists in neurosis are one of the most powerful in extreme music history.
i too am regular disappointed by glam vox, the new dragonforce album would probably be appreciated a lot more by me if it wasn't for the inane and desperately unoriginal wailing over the top, sometimes instrumental is just the most reliable choice.
do mastodon count as prog metal? there are some talented growlers!
------------- http://www.facebook.com/thelaze |