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AppleQueso wrote:I hear a similar story from most people (the whole having to warm up to even tolerating harsh vocals).

Kinda makes me wonder if I'm the only one who actually thought growls were friggin' awesome the very first time I heard them? It was like "WOAH THAT BAND SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE A MONSTER SINGING FOR THEM OR SOMETHING."

Yeah once I heard metal with harsh vocals I never looked back.

What I like about harsh vocals is they tend to sound like another "instrument" - a lot of normal/sung rock/metal vocals tend to float above all the instruments are are way too "clean" (production wise). I don't like how that sounds.

Uhhh............. I like long metal songs, but this takes it just a bit too far....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrmBnN7aQ9s

I just pointed out the "anything without harsh vocals" thing because that is really the general perception about it. (Or else they compare it to Glam or Metalcore.) It is strange how little some know about music, but how much they will claim.

On the harsh vocals, I've overall gotten pickier and pickier since I started in metal, and have really developed a preference for clean vocals. For example, the current sound of Johann's vocals (Amon Amarth) I like, but pre- Vs. The World stuff is a bit to off for me. It sounds like a chain smoker singing rather than a growl. I also like the stuff from Insomnium quite a bit. I don't do croaks/squeals/shrieks in general. I do occasionally like the whispered growl thing some artists do.

Though, I'm still stuck in the rut of fearing picking up too much music because I feel like I won't listen to it. Its a weird thing to fear, but I do fear it.

Forlorn Drifter wrote:I just pointed out the "anything without harsh vocals" thing because that is really the general perception about it. (Or else they compare it to Glam or Metalcore.) It is strange how little some know about music, but how much they will claim.

The "general perception" is also that it's all torture porn "kill your dog" music for angsty teens. I wouldn't worry about it. Most genres have some sort of dumb negative stereotype associated with it, just ask anyone who's into rap.

On the harsh vocals, I've overall gotten pickier and pickier since I started in metal, and have really developed a preference for clean vocals. For example, the current sound of Johann's vocals (Amon Amarth) I like, but pre- Vs. The World stuff is a bit to off for me. It sounds like a chain smoker singing rather than a growl. I also like the stuff from Insomnium quite a bit. I don't do croaks/squeals/shrieks in general. I do occasionally like the whispered growl thing some artists do.

Not sure what you mean by the "whipsered growl" thing. Have any examples?

Though, I'm still stuck in the rut of fearing picking up too much music because I feel like I won't listen to it. Its a weird thing to fear, but I do fear it.

I go through on/off periods of seeking out new stuff and just listening to stuff I already have. There's no reason to "fear" anything, just go with the flow and seek out stuff when you feel like listening to new stuff. Simple as that.

"whispered growls" makes me think of Agalloch.

BoneSnapDeez wrote:"whispered growls" makes me think of Agalloch.

Or every other post black metal band.

Harsh vocals are in almost every sub-genre of metal. I don't mind it.

AppleQueso wrote:
Not sure what you mean by the "whipsered growl" thing. Have any examples?

Though, I'm still stuck in the rut of fearing picking up too much music because I feel like I won't listen to it. Its a weird thing to fear, but I do fear it.

I go through on/off periods of seeking out new stuff and just listening to stuff I already have. There's no reason to "fear" anything, just go with the flow and seek out stuff when you feel like listening to new stuff. Simple as that.

I mean along the lines of Dethklok or the like where it is a growl, but not full voiced. Or Agalloch, as the others pointed out.

By "fearing" it, I've just got a weird, irrational fear about owning things that I don't use enough, especially in relation to media. I sell games I don't plan on playing again, I sell books I don't plan on reading, and I sure as hell sell music I don't listen to. However, I feel bad with music because there is so much more that interests me, and its something I personally share with people more than games or reading.

What about Opeth? Or at least older Opeth, they use a combination of clean and harsh vocals.

BoneSnapDeez wrote:Uhhh............. I like long metal songs, but this takes it just a bit too far....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrmBnN7aQ9s

Wow, and I thought that Edge of Sanity's Crimson was long.

Oh man I haven't listened to Crimson in forever. One of the best death metal albums.

There's also a Crimson II.