Enander

analog

Thank you very much!!

Marcus

Many thanks, Marcus! At least there's one besides me who preferred Don't to talk to strangers to Number of the beast! Haha!

My neighbours haven't said anything... yet! I live in a "student ghetto", so the threshold is perhaps quite high

forest_gimp

Funny story actually!

I started singing in the spring of '08 when I took a music class at the university. At the time guitar was undoubtedly my forte, and I was the best guitarist in class (no bragging; there's a point to it). As part of the class we had to form a band. I should have chosen the other great instrumentalists, buuut... I chose the group of four beautiful girls instead!

The teachers didn't like this, because everything was too easy for me, and they suggested that I did a special assignment which involved singing three songs in front of everyone else in class to get my proper grades. At first I was pretty darn apprehensive, but when I started to practice alone in my car... boy was it fun! Had I chosen to group up with the people I was supposed to, I'd probably not be singing today

So, the moral of the story is, ALWAYS choose the beatiful girls!

ronws

It has never crossed my mind that I sound like Halford, but as far as grit/dist/rasp goes you're right! Haha! Thanks for pointing that out, and yes, what you said does make sense. I find it kind of sad though, because it means some songs are by default "up-hill choices" for me. None the less, an important lesson I guess!

Vocalist Dad

Thank you, Steve!

And yeah, I sing with my whole body! Haha! I don't really know why I do that, but to me involving the whole body is an integral part of singing.

ronws

Haha! Thanks! You know, I'm considering doing a horrible act of "something someone somwhere would call singing", but there's still a minor aspect of me representing myself which will go down the drain with such a... feat?

Perhaps it's something down the road solely for laughs though!

forest_gimp

Hahaha! You honour me, sir!

Yeah, I've picked up some of Bruce's manner, which I found suitable to my own voice, but all in all it's quite different. I avoid trying (too much) to sound like the original vocalist. With that being said, from a technical point of view, I(!) believe I'm closer to Dio in Don't talk to strangers than Bruce in Number of the beast. Just that Dio sounded so much better with this kind of distortion than me.

Which brings me to another point; I've heard from others that they also think my Number of the beast is better than Don't talk to strangers. I'd very much appreciate if you could try to explain why!

Is it because I display a wider range in Number of the beast?

Is it just more solid?

Perhaps it's inevitable to compare me to Dio, which puts my voice in a shameful light?

Because personally, I like my Don't talk to strangers more than Number of the beast. It felt like I improved my singing while learning it.

MDEW

Perhaps a good way to get rid of "less than likable"-neighbours!

ElWin

Yeah, I'll strive to get every clip around 2 minutes. Gives me time to do what I want without risking to be long-winded. Thanks for that epic remark. Haha!

Will-Sing-For-Supper

Thank you! If you've got any criticism, I'm all ears!

You need to fix the link. We cant use it as it is.

Yeah, I noticed! Haha! It's been done! Thanks!

This is not a new post! I'm more or less bumping it, because through this forum I've met some nice people. Not only users, but "lurkers" that sends me e-mail or such after hearing me here. Therefore I'm keeping this topic as my "go to"-place whenever I upload something new on my Youtube channel.

If you find this ill-mannered, just tell me!

So, I got fed up with singing a while back, for reasons which are irrelevant to this thread, but after a couple of months of total silence my lust returned. However, I didn't want to go back to just singing in my car, so I decided to create a Youtube channel with a little humorous twist; "How to make your neighbours hate you", where I'm recording my singing at home (where the soundproofing is horrible).

First one I did. Crummy picture recording, I know.

The second one, with better picture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S8DiejIkIM

Sorry for my flailing, but I'm too concentrated to realise it. I guess its my Italian blood

I don't know, perhaps this will entertain at least some one! :)

It could be I have forgotten whatever problem you had in the past because I didn't hear any problems in this recording.

Yeah, my problem was/is that I lack dynamics. My harsh singing tends to get boring/less effective because I overdo it. So I try to use slightly softer tones, but without losing the sense of aggression.

It was not meant as an insult and if I knew you were going to be so touchy, I would not have commented at all and perhaps, should not have commented, anyway.

I happen to like irony.

I am a regular user and you feel that I do not have a smattering of your voice, though I am not sure what that means. But that's okay, I have a thick skin.

I did not say your performance was bad. I didn't have any technical things to point out, as did Tommy. He tells you what he things you could change. I only said it was ironic that even your light sound is heavier than most. I liked your performance.

And no, I don't do heavy distortion or screamo but I have nothing against it, either.

Have a lovely day.

I feel like there's some problem in the communication here. I was in no way bashing you in my previous post, nor did I take serious offence in what you wrote

I fully understand that you weren't criticising my voice, and it's not a matter of being touchy. I was just trying to explain what I meant about "soften things up"; that I wasn't being ironic, but still acknowledged the fact that it might have sounded weird with such a performance.

Smattering (my british friends are using this term) of my voice = a small/general idea of how I sound like.

Simply speaking, I assumed you knew I was overdoing my grit, and put "soften" in that context My apology was sincere. I was stupid, and perhaps even self-centered, to assume you would remember me and my problems.

I hope everything's good!

Pretty good so far. I've been practicing the messiah marcolin vibrato recently, hehe, and I was actually just thinking about doing this! Only thing is that I think you are a little bit too harsh on the acoustic part... Save it for later, ya know?

Would you be able to upload/send me the backing track you have?... I could give it a shot this weekend too.

Haha! That would be nice to hear!

Regarding the backing track; it's nothing fancy. I got the track, opened it in Audacity and used the "remove vocals" feature, but sure, if you want me to, I could fix it for you.

Yeah, I hear you, and if I ever do this as a whole song I'd change layup! This was just to display how I'm trying to incorporate tones that's not full throttle throat-thrashing.

I couldn't tell if you were being ironic or serious. Less distorted, less heavy? Than what? All out mayhem and screamo? What you put up had plenty of distortion and heaviness to it. Nothing wrong with it, just funny. "Let me try something soft and clean" and you come up with something that is heavy as Brian Johnson.

Haha! I'm having a hard time understanding whether that's an outright insult or just a tongue in cheek-thing.

I didn't say "let my try something soft and clean", but I can see how "soften things up" (from my point of view) might sound pretty funny in the light of my performance. I was stupid to assume you, the regular users, would have a smattering of my voice. I'm sorry for that!

In essence, I was trying to lose the "all out mayhem" I've been exercising in the past, but without losing the wheight. It's more of a tweak.

Sure, one could absolutely argue that putting up such an incremental tweak on the forum is silly. However, I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything, but I can't help but feel that a tweak is what I need; not some major overhaul.

I wouldn't call it a fault just sort of a wobble and to my ears sounded a little off from the rest of the notes. Not pitch, but maybe support. Just a little weakeness at the beginning of the word. I am not at a computer where I can listen to it again right now and give a better discription; but I listened a couple of times after I heard it. It just sort of wobbled a little. But again, as I said....to my ears Maybe to others it was nothing. To me it was just a slight mismatch compared to the notes in the rest of the song. Like it lost a little support at the start of the word and that made it a littl unsteady or less controlled. Just a little....that's why I had to listen a few times.

Hm! I believe I've found three reasons for that:

1. I didn't want to create "an explosion" so I tried a small crescendo at the beginning of "free", but since "be" is rather gritty I can see why that would sound wobbly.

2. "Waiting" is most certainly off pitch, and "to be" might also be off pitch, which might make "free" sound weird.

3. I may have made the melody during "free" too complex for me.

Good things to think about. Thanks! :)

Sounded good Enander. A little airy but for me that isn't a problem. However I know others here don't go for that. I think it adds some interest if used right. There is a difference between a mistake and an effect I think it fit the song.

The only iffy spot for me was the word "free" somewhere around 18 secs in. Not bad just a little weaker than the rest. Nice though. An eery sound You are headed in a good direction I think.

Thanks, Tommy!

Yeah, I tend to dislike using an airy sound as well, but as you said, it's an effect in this case.

Oh, I like iffy spots! Haha! I would very much appreciate if you elaborated your thoughts on "free"!

To read about my faults is why I post these things after all :)

So, I've been trying to soften things up!

I didn't want to do a radical change, just a tweak without losing the "feeling".

I have lowered my distortion in intensity (except a few moments where I feel it's due, but I actually regret them now) and started using cleaner notes, but to make some of them more interesting I've been using harmonics ("voice breaking"), been rather hefty with the legato, or taking a more airy approach.

https://www.box.com/s/q93337bb7py4fqw1u0qy is short (I like it that way though), but it shows my new direction.

I haven't sung this "low" in ages and it's far from perfect, but I must say I don't remember feeling this comfortable singing like this before.

I'm not sure but I may have mentioned in another post that I thought it would be better if you could tone down the dirt and sing cleaner at times. Was that you?

That would be me!

Max, you know I dig you like crazeh!

I've never sung it, but I know the singing you used. It's so frickin' hard not to sound "stiff" (tonally, it's like driving an understeering car, and it's hard to achieve proper volume).

With that said, you did it greatly! Your "one on one" is top tier. Almost makes me believe you've tampered with it... almost! That's a great compliment, by the way!

If I would be a nitpick, I'd say you need to release some notes just a tad more (I know; the kettle calling the pot black. Haha!).

You'll probably have to sacrifice some grit by doing so, BUT you don't have to release ALL the notes; just some. Last note in a phrase is probably a good start. Just like your "Nothing gonna save your one last dime cause [...]", where "dime cause" has a greater release/less grit but sounds great.

That's my two cents!

Anyone have any suggestions for songs I should cover?

Judas Priest - Painkiller

Outworld - Warcry (Carlos Zema version):

Crimson Glory - Red sharks:

Iced Earth - The reckoning:

Do one of these well and we may consider my balls kicked... hard! :D

Haha! I've been listening to it again and again... and again, and two things are certain:

1. I can't find anything to critique because 2. you are awesome.

I have no words.

Haha! I guess that's a good thing, but I'm not entirely sure

Incredible. You have such a heavy sound. I think you took the song in a different direction with those "screams." So, it would be cool to hear a full version, if you can find the time.

Thank you very much! I know you will understand me when I say I picture myself dwelling in the deepest, most eerie catacombs where my words are incantations. Haha! Mental context is crucial, which I actually picked up from something you wrote some time ago.

Regarding full songs, I just can't bring myself to do it. Frankly, I get bored. That's possibly a greater problem for me than I let myself to believe...

Cool as hell but back off on the grit as frequently.

Can you sing something cleaner? You probably hate your tone because you don't hear it enough. Everyone's like that at first if they ain't a narcissist.

Thanks for the compliment as well as your critique!

I've listened to the clip quite meticulously, but I can't help but feeling I let off the grit from time to time.

But, it may be that you're referring to my dissonant distortion, and yeah, I can totally affirm that it's too much to use this frequently!

You asked if I could sing something cleaner, and this: https://www.box.com/s/f458fc6bedc451547dba is something I did one time when I went out to sing but hurt myself. I felt I had to do something so I tried recording myself singing clean.

I don't know what to say Wow!

Well, it's not my type of music or singing preference, but that has nothing to do with the fact that you can do that and do it well. The ending was wild...higher...and higher....and higher again!!!

More power to ya, bro!

I would agree with others who has said if you could also learn to clean up your voice (sing clean) and mellow out at some points adding texture I think it would really highlight your power. Well, maybe learn was a bad choice of words...maybe you already know how but choose not to.

Haha! Thanks, Tommy! I was trying to achieve an analogy to the mythological Icarus story; he flew higher and higher, until he flew too high and went down to the abyss with a shriek of agony!

All in all, I will take your advice/critique to heart, and try harder to:

1. Use my dissonant distortion less frequently

2. Try to incorporate even cleaner phrases

Enander, Wow dude, that was sick. Loved it. I love hearing all of the vocalist on this forum "show off', just not at the expense of someone else. I think that is all that was being said. There, done.

Thank you! Yeah, just that I was caught a little bit off guard by the whole thing

Enander, you have a really cool voice, and you have absolutely no reason to apologize. If I'm being tough on you, I think that you could benefit from some more dynamics in there, soften it up here and there so that your ultra heavy notes don't lose impact. Your screams are insane, I wish I had those notes.

Just so you know I am taking this as a challenge and I am looking forward to kicking you so hard in the balls, vocally speaking, that you can't stand up straight for a week.

Max x

Hahahaha!! Can't wait!

I like you Max, and I appreciate your "toughness" because I badly need it.

Besides intonation, dynamics is my greatest weakness (whereas your dynamics is something I found very enjoyable in your version). Problem is I was born with the ugliest voice known to man, so I feel I can't make it sound good without distortion. Haha! I'm thinking I could get away with it by applying a more airy timbre to loosen up the weight though, so that's on the agenda next time.

Thanks!

First off, I'd like to apologise (again), and even though my intentions wasn't even close to what it may have been interpreted as, I understand that this whole thread may leave a rather bad taste in your mouth after my behaviour.

However, this is NOT a show off thread. Granted I found joy in doing it, but if no one had asked for it, I would never had posted it like this.

Now to the actual topic!

I rushed (i.e didn't practice a note before the actual recording) the latter part of the chorus, because I wanted to try the ending.

I've heard Flight of icarus many times, but never actually sing it. That's why it may sound a little bit too uninspired and bad at that passage. Haha!

I failed a bit at the end with the scream; didn't place the note in my sweet spot (but a little more volume in your headphones will address that. Haha), but it was one of those "one shot only" because I was close to pass out after that one. Still rather shaky in my knees

I've also used a layered scream just to create a cool effect, but I did place that scream after the song so you can hear that one better (I managed to place it right, so that sounds kind of good)

Anyway, I'm rambling because I'm self-conscious. Haha!

Here you go: http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/1171690/file.html

Also, feel free to link your own try! Getting different singers to display their take on the same song is great fun!

Enander, your grit is insane, man!

Thanks, Dougie, I appreciate the compliment, but this thread is not about me.

Max, I'm so sorry. I did not intend in any way to "show off" or for this to take this turn of event.

First one was about providing some weight to my words of advice. Second one was just a fun thing between you and me because I felt you were sort of like me, but it was naive of me to see it that way.

I've learned my lesson and again apologise for doing so on your expense.

Thank you tommy and olem. Enaander your version is cool, your voice is much more evil sounding than mine. Olem, yeah, I feel like at the moment because I don't peactice enough my voice has not really settled into a groove that is consistent. Like I said, I'm over singing massively on this recording because I had my recording set up in such a way that I couldn't hear myself as well as i needed to, which I think I've fixed now. No excuses though, I fully intend to get better and work on beefing up my voice throughout my range. I think that in the past I had always just assumed my natural voice liked to be quite high, but I'm finding recently that actually it works better in a more medium range. Anyway this week my goal is to put some proper time into recording a full song as well as I can, thinking about infinite dreams.

Max

I don't really agree with your assessment regarding over singing. I mean, I can see where you're coming from, but within this genre there is no such thing as over singing. Haha! ...but who am I to talk?

Anyway, I like your spirit; you deserve this boost!

Looking forward to hear more from you. I promise to step back. Haha! :)

See, your distortion is a lot crisper and sharper than mine, your way is probably better. Been listening to some of your stuff, you have a great voice.

Max

I envy your way. Haha! It's much more "alive" than my voice.

That operatic thing you got going on, and of course your "A"-sound, makes me green with envy. That is SO Bruce Dickinson!

Enander, unfortunately I don't know how to really describe what I'm doing so I can't really be of much help there, it feels sort of like I'm pulling the sound back from the front of my mouth to the roof of my mouth at the back, but I have no idea how to explain correctly what I'm doing, it's all just intuitive and trial and error. I agree with your comments about flight of icarus, the higher notes could do with some thickening up. I think that there is a lot of over singing going on here as well, usually I can get really thick mid high notes, need to tweak how I record i think. Your voice is insane, you don't need any distortion advice from me, and it's clear that we both add distortion in a different way to one another, your voice has much more of an edge than mine, mine is duller. Anyway thanks for the feedback, will take it into account for the next one.

I understand what you mean, and I had a feeling it was that way. Quite funny how I do the exact opposite; bringing it forward like a whiplash. Haha! I badly need to practice your way though!

Yeah, it's really hard to record your voice in a just way.

Thanks for the compliment, and I'm glad if you've found something constructive in my words.

I'll keep my eye out for your work :)

Max, I envy your really gritty "A"-sounds; like "As the sun [...]" and "shAtters"!

I'm having minor troubles with it myself, and I'd be happy if you'll write a sentence or two of how you do it.

All in all, Flight of Icarus was greatly (!) done, and therefore I shall be rather tough on you.

1. "And a young boy appears" has a wonderfully thick, almost operatic, timbre. It's way too good not to adopt that particular timbre unto every lower note. The earlier counterpart "Above the ground" does not have it, and it lacks the magic you conjure later on.

2. Your performance is kind of heavy/deep/dark, which is a pretty cocky (but I like it that way) thing to do when it involves higher notes because, in contrast to your lower voice, the higher notes ("gaze" and "in the name of God, my Father, I fly") sound bright/thin, which in turn detracts us from the illusion of one, vast voice.

I'm in no way pushing for a radical change, because that would be too much. Just slightly more grit would do it.

I've been there, and it's so easy to add grit the wrong way.

One way to do it is to sing the relevant phrase as you usually do it, so you'll get the correct "settings" in your pipes, switch from the head voice mindset to a more chesty mindset, and do it again "from below".

It's not easy, but once you get the hang of it; the vocal connectivity (while singing in a heavy/dark manner) is solid as a rock.

I've never really listened to QR, so it will be hard for me to one-shot anything.

Other than that, my and Tate's voices have very few resemblances.

I'm listening to Queen of the Reich at the moment though. Quite simple melodies, and seems fun to sing. Might give it a try when I've got time :)

I've read some of your posts, and it's good to have people like you here.

You speak your mind without sugar-coating it, and you aren't afraid to call the cattle black even if you may be a pot of its blackest sort Some (!) people (me included) needs to get some tough love!

You remind me of my father. He is by no means a master of vocals, but he knows good vocals when he hears it.

He finds my singing atrocious (he compares me to dickinson, dio and other top tier rock vocalists), but if the day comes when he says I'm good; I know I'm pretty good!

Speak your mind, but be prepared to receive some harsh words as well!