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Good Metal with Clean Vocals? (1 Viewer)

Andy Sheets

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Here's my problem: I love heavy metal music but I'm kind of out of touch and everytime I check out some new band that's really getting talked up I get hit in the ear with cookie monster vocals (latest culprit: Mastodon). It's frustrating because the music might be okay but I just can't abide all the unintelligible rasping. It's like a really good truffle that has a rabbit pellet in the middle - the outside is good chocolate but nevertheless it's still got a turd in it and I'm not going to eat the damn thing, and that's discouraging for a guy like me that grew up believing guys like Halford and Dickinson were the models for great metal singers. Where are the guys like that for this generation? Which bands kick ass with frontmen that actually have range? I don't even need bands with *great* singers because at this point I'd be happy with people that at least *try* to sing. Any suggestions?
 

Brian L

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Andy Sheets said:
Here's my problem: I love heavy metal music but I'm kind of out of touch and everytime I check out some new band that's really getting talked up I get hit in the ear with cookie monster vocals (latest culprit: Mastodon). It's frustrating because the music might be okay but I just can't abide all the unintelligible rasping. It's like a really good truffle that has a rabbit pellet in the middle - the outside is good chocolate but nevertheless it's still got a turd in it and I'm not going to eat the damn thing, and that's discouraging for a guy like me that grew up believing guys like Halford and Dickinson were the models for great metal singers. Where are the guys like that for this generation? Which bands kick ass with frontmen that actually have range? I don't even need bands with *great* singers because at this point I'd be happy with people that at least *try* to sing. Any suggestions?
Tool?
They are a very well recorded band. And, no cookie monster.
I know what you mean about that, and I really never got the appeal.
Brian
 

Greg_R

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How broad is your definition of 'Metal'? I would recommend Dream Theater's "Train of Thought" as a good prog metal offering. It's heavier than most of their other albums (not a lot of cutesy piano). Metalheads who have previously dismissed DT's other albums have liked this one. Definitely check out Awakening the World by Lost Horizon... very Maiden-esque IMO. A few clips are on Youtube so you can listen before buying. The band's next album is also awesome but then the singer left.
IMO, a general trend has been less high vocals (which were big back in the 80s) and more gruff "cookie monster" stuff. Most prog metal avoids the cookie monster and even has some decent vocal work (but may lack the 'edge' that your ears want).
 

Rhett_Y

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Soil
Seether
Avenge Sevenfold
Drowning pool
Mudvayne
Godsmack (sort of metalish)
Hellyeah
Iced Earth
Korn
Operator
Machine Head
Opeth (however they do have some cookie monster vocals mixed in)
Sevendust
Anthrax
Black Label Society
Communic
Demons and Wizards
Disturbed
Down
Pantera
If you like female vocalists:
Guano Apes
Luxt
Some of these are more towards hard rock but hey...
 

Jack Gilvey

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Jim_C

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Andy Sheets said:
Here's my problem: I love heavy metal music but I'm kind of out of touch and everytime I check out some new band that's really getting talked up I get hit in the ear with cookie monster vocals (latest culprit: Mastodon). It's frustrating because the music might be okay but I just can't abide all the unintelligible rasping. It's like a really good truffle that has a rabbit pellet in the middle - the outside is good chocolate but nevertheless it's still got a turd in it and I'm not going to eat the damn thing, and that's discouraging for a guy like me that grew up believing guys like Halford and Dickinson were the models for great metal singers. Where are the guys like that for this generation? Which bands kick ass with frontmen that actually have range? I don't even need bands with *great* singers because at this point I'd be happy with people that at least *try* to sing. Any suggestions?
What type of metal do you like? Straight forward stuff like Metallica, Maiden, AC/DC, etc or are you into things like progressive? Current prog bands like Shadow Gallery, Symphony X, Dream Theater and more the recent Fates Warning albums all have great vocals.
I don't like cookie monster vocals either but I do have a number of Opeth albums. They're so good that I look past the CM vocals. Plus, when they switch to normal vocals the singer's voice shines.
 

David Willow

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If you're into 80's metal (or hard rock), check out Airbourne. They are a hard rocking throwback band. You did say "try to sing"
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troy evans

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I'll third Airbourne and throw in: Avantasia, Axel Rudi Pell, Iron Savior and Jorn Lande. Alot of really good bands fall under the radar with the steady diet of crap that gets played. For every Airbourne that gets through, "the shit that is current radio", there are 20-30 bands that you may like just as much, but, will never hear. Thankfully there's the internet.
 

AnthonyC

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I remember hearing a cover of Smashing Pumpkins' "Zero" with the Cookie Monster vocals--I never thought that a song that good could be so atrociously destroyed.
I don't really listen to much metal, but would Alice in Chains' first album, Facelift, qualify? You don't get many vocalists better than Layne Staley. I'll second the Tool recommendation, although I prefer A Perfect Circle but don't know if they would really qualify as metal.
I haven't heard it, but I know there's a Melissa auf der Maur record of Black Sabbath covers called Hand of Doom. She's a terrific vocalist so that may be worth checking out.
 

Eric Peterson

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The new Testament album "Formation of Damnation" is absolutely spectacular. Although, I've loved all of their albums, their past couple have featured much heavier and growling lyrics. This album is more of a return to their late 80s early 90s material. Alex Skolnick is back on lead guitar for the first time since '92.

This is one of my favorite albums of last year and definitely worth checking out. Chuck's vocals are certainly deeper than Maiden or Priest, but I wouldn't qualify them as "Cookie Monster" ala Lamb of God.

They have the whole album streaming on their MySpace page, so you can check it out there.
 

Greg_R

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The new Testament album "Formation of Damnation" is absolutely spectacular.
A lot of 'older' bands are releasing some great albums this year. Night Ranger's Hole in the Sun album has some great hard rock tracks on it. Motley Crue's latest release is another one with some great hooks.
 

Aaron Silverman

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I really dig the latest In This Moment disc. (My understanding is that their first album is more screamy in the vox dept.) Female vocals, not as gothy as many others, slightly artsy but not quite prog metal.
Redemption is a great prog metal band with excellent clean vocals.
 

Andy Sheets

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Good news about the Testament album. I listened to a few songs from it and it sounds great. I'll surely be getting that one
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Thanks for the Airbourne recommendations. They do have a fun sound, very AC/DC.
What type of metal do you like? Straight forward stuff like Metallica, Maiden, AC/DC, etc or are you into things like progressive? Current prog bands like Shadow Gallery, Symphony X, Dream Theater and more the recent Fates Warning albums all have great vocals.
I don't like cookie monster vocals either but I do have a number of Opeth albums. They're so good that I look past the CM vocals. Plus, when they switch to normal vocals the singer's voice shines.
Prog stuff is hit or miss with me. I certainly don't begrudge bands that want to mix it up and experiment a little but sometimes the band is obviously going places with their music that isn't quite as appealing to me
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I've tried Dream Theater a few times but they haven't clicked with me. Opeth sounds interesting, though. I'll need to give more of their stuff a listen.
Somebody I talked to recommended The Sword to me and I've liked what I've heard from them. The singer isn't great but, as I said earlier, at least he sort of tries. Plus, I have to support them because they're from Texas
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Eric Peterson

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Glad to hear that you liked my recommendation.
As an aside, I went and saw them last summer in Milwaukee. It was one of only a handful of headline shows that they did while on tour with Priest and "Heaven and Hell". We stayed across the street from the venue at a nice Art Deco hotel. When we arrived, we went downstairs to the bar and Alex Skolnick was eating dinner. We chatted with him for a few minutes before heading across the street. Following the show, we sat in the bar again and chatted with some other concert goers and after about 30 minutes, a huge entourage came across the street and it was Chuck Billy, Alex Skolnick, & Eric Peterson (Yeah same name) and we ended up drinking with the three of them for a couple of hours. I sat right next to Chuck. It was one of the most interesting concert experiences of my life.
......and to think that I passed up seeing Radiohead to go there instead!!!
 

Andy Sheets

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Heh.
I was looking into Demons and Wizards (not bad) and that lead me to Blind Guardian's stuff. From what I'm hearing they sound like the love children of Queen and Iron Maiden. Crazy, theatrical stuff. I like it
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Aaron Silverman

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If you like Blind Guardian then check out[list of all 7,000 other Euro Power Metal bands]. ;)

Gamma Ray and Helloween are probably the next bands of that genre to listen to after Blind Guardian. There are many, many others. Just go to the BNR Metal Pages and click on the Power Metal genre.
 

Jim_C

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Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle Earth is great for the Tolkien loving metal heads. I haven't gotten into their other albums but I love Nightfall.
 

Andy Sheets

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I briefly listened to Helloween back in the 80s. They were okay but their excessive happiness and that Keeper of the Seven Keys thing eventually lost me. But maybe I should give them (and Gamma Ray) another shot. I'm not as pissed off as I was as a teenager
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The Nightfall in Middle Earth album and its many good reviews were part of what caught my eye about Blind Guardian. I do love Tolkien's work and I don't mind bands singing about fantasy as long as it doesn't descend into writing songs based on their latest Warhammer campaign.
And thanks for that link to the BNR site. Stuff like that is very helpful as I continue to educate myself on metal's continued balkanization. It used to be easy to keep track of - you had regular heavy metal, and then thrash/speed and death metal were coming up, but that seemed to cover most of it. All these new subgenres and sub-subgenres and crossovers sometimes make my head spin.
 

Aaron Silverman

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Sure thing. I've been following the BNR Metal Pages (The guy who writes it is named Brian N. Russ) for as long as I can remember. It's a great site.
 

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