You're out of the band

[alan nagsworth]

Is it just me, or do certain elements of music crucially make or break your enjoyment and appreciation of certain artists? An obvious example would be lazy sampling, as detailed specifically in the Lazy Sampling Slags thread not so long ago. I have found myself seriously enjoying some ludicrous (and Ludacris) gangsta rap when it has been remixed and a really great backing track has been added. Luda's Roll Out is such a fun song but the backing tune is lazy and completely banal. However, when it's backed by the soundtrack from Street Fighter 2 it grows the set of jaws it truly deserves and becomes an powerful beast of a tune. The same has also been demonstrated by guitar combo Ratatat who have released two albums of gangsta rap 'remixes' where they recorded their own backing tracks and beats and improved many of the songs tenfold.

To be honest, though, the main reason I started this thread was my beef with vocals. Readers of Mastodon/metal threads on here will already know that I have a big issue with vocals in metal, to the point where I can not abide any 'proper' melodic singing in any 'proper' thrash/death metal. It dilutes the music completely and ruins the experience. Of course, it isn't limited to that: There are plenty of bands I've heard where the songs would be really enjoyable if it weren't for the awful vocals. A prime example of the screaming/singing issue would be the band The Blood Brothers. At times, the vocals are so damn close to sounding like The Locust, who remain one of my favourite bands, and yet they carry this stupid emo whine alongside the mad screaming that utterly ruins it. I really like their music but I simply cannot listen to it. The vocals are fucking shit.

The same thing applies to The Dillinger Escape Plan who got a new vocalist before their album Miss Machine' and he started doing all this atrocious emo singing and pretending he's Mike Patton over what was otherwise excellent music. Again, the shouting vocals are pretty great still, but WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO SING THE CHORUS MELODICALLY IN METAL BANDS NOWADAYS? It sounds absolutely horrific. There are so many more experimental vocal techniques you could use in the above linked DEP song and indeed the rest of the Miss Machine album but instead the guy is all like 'oh look at me I'm so diverse I can sing and scream!' No one gives a rat's cock. It sounds rubbish. Bring back their old vocalist.

So, what music would you otherwise love if it weren't for one crucial element?

[Icehaven]

I agree with vocals ruining a lot of otherwise good music, and yep that screaming-juxtaposed-with-melodic-singing (for me first associated and synonymous with Fear Factory, oddly) is a good example, but for me there's also a lot of (what I would simply call) dance music (because I don't know the more exact terms/genres of dance/electronic music) which seems to be ruined by having a female vocal howling histrionically over it, when without, or with a much more subtle vocal, it'd be way better. Simian Mobile Disco have ruined a fair amount of their output for me by doing this, but there are countless other examples. 

[Hank Venture]

I'm really picky when it comes to black metal. I can't stand intelligble growling, but I like everything else, especially the more melodic stuff. Hence, this is the best BM track ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m-WTwGoJqk&feature=related

[Hank_Kingsley]

That Ludacris track is horrible. The vocal doesn't even fit the beat. Urgh. Seriously, that shit is naaaaasty and belongs in the horrible remix thread.

I don't think the vocals on newer Mastodon songs are too clean either, they fit the sound which is more of progressive/classic heavy metal sound. Likewise, a band like Baroness who just sound to my ears like a pumped Thin Lizzy could probably do with a singer of as much character as Phil Lynott.

A lot of decent BM tracks feature clean vocals, some of my favourite Emperor songs from 'Anthems to the  welkin..' have a nice clean melodic part. It's all about sweeping majesty and epic evil. WITTR have some nice clean vocals on tracks, as do Nachtmystium and Altar of Plagues. All decent BM bands.

Blood Brothers don't sound good because they're a suck ass band. They suck ass. There are a number of bands who need to reign in the hysterical vocals as they're obviously just pissing on their rose bushes. The Black Dahlia Murder would be improved by toning it down a notch singer wise.

My favourite type of extreme vocals are they ones which veer between singing and screaming, but without employing the silly death growls too much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DMPn7Zssdk

[RickyGerbail]

fucked up. if they had  a great singer they would be the best guitar based band of the 00's for me. Now i listen to their songs a couple of times, recognize the craft and skill but turn off because i can't stand the vocals.