Vocals in this kind of music are used as an instrument.
compare to guitar for example.. theres only so much use you can make out of clean guitars. Distortion (like growls), or feedback (like screams) can add dynamics and variation to the music to portray a wider variety of emotions.
They take alot of getting used to... i have been listening to harsh vocals for 4 or 5 years and they now make up about 50% of what i listen to (with 15% clean and 35% none at all) obviously there are good and bad harsh vocalists just as there are good and bad singers, but when its done well it takes just as much, if not more talent.
some of my favourites..
Alan Dubin (Khanate). Unearthly terrifying screams which turn every sentence into a tortured death scream.... perfect contrast to the bleak droning soundscapes of the music. Listen to: Skin Coat
Jacob Bannon (Converge). one of the most beautiful screams in hardcore... he stretches his voice to almost breaking point (Listen to: Tremour) to compliment the crushing riffs.
Drew & Kathy (Circle Takes The Square) Male and female dual screamed vocals.. the technical imperfections and cracking voices here are what makes the perfectly pure emotional screams.
with low, gutteral vocals i find it harder to distinguish good vocalists... but i am very fond on Aaron Turner of Isis, and Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till of Neurosis... who have a more metalcore style (rather than death metal)
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Out soon...
AMENRA - Mass III 2xLP [stunning vinyl release of the belgian sludgecore giants epic 06 album]
FALL OF EFRAFA - Owsla & Elil CD&LP [British crust/doom/post-metal band Fall of Efrafa deliver part two (Elil) on their dark conceptual trilogy. Part one (Owsla) will also be re-released for the first time in the UK]
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visit...
Sound Devastation Records website
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