What do you guys think?

[Snejk]

Regarding my technique here. The only area that actually hurt was the raspy "Rise" straight after the second chorus.

I like the fact that I have a "pretty" voice in the beginning (slightly pitchy) and goes to sound entirely different afterwards! Harmonies are sung by me as well.

My way of coming to terms with the fact that I am not a light tenor is by attacking high notes in a different way (no head voice at all except the screams in the end), overdriving everything and using those notes sparsely for effect rather than trying to chest an entire song in tenor C.

Please like us if you like what you hear by the way... Today we officially released the song!

https://www.facebook.com/TheArchania

[Vocalist Dad]

Snejk, You guys are on to something. Once again, a great product that many will soon discover. Keep up the good work and get out and share this with people, they will love it.

Steve

[Snejk]

Hey Steve, that really means alot coming from you! I've seen you on the boards and you don't give wooden nickels! Thanks a bunch! :D

[Simon Magus]

Killer song! The vocals were really good as well. And yes, that light part at the beginning is cool - kinda in the vein of Klaus Meine, but unique at the same time.

[ronws]

Well, Simon, it kinda helps that Snejk is german.

Actually, I asked Snejk to cover "Lorelei" by the Scorpions. And he obliged and did a really good job.

Snejk is a rock star.

:cool:

[Snejk]

Haha! I am surely Herman the German, would you like sauerkraut with your schnitzel? Nah, I do love Germany, Sweden seem quite bland in comparison

I would love to try Lorelei in a more thorough attempt.. Hehu!

I love you guys <3

[ThePowerOfOne]

Killer song! I loved it!

[eggplantbren]

My way of coming to terms with the fact that I am not a light tenor is by attacking high notes in a different way (no head voice at all except the screams in the end), overdriving everything and using those notes sparsely for effect rather than trying to chest an entire song in tenor C.

I liked it a lot!

Do you mean that your new approach is to use overdrive etc more sparingly? Sounded like you were in a (good, solid, great sounding) neutral for a lot of it.

[Snejk]

Most is neutral I guess the overdrive parts are for example rather different in color; in the chorus I overdriver '.. Watch my ashes come to LIFE" and "I'm the ome who SURVIVES past the end" and in the second verse; "and how the YOUNG grows old" and "a universe ignites, rekindled by my SPARK". Those notes stick out a bit rather than being the main singing style, I would think the shouty nature and vowel limitation would remove both dynamics and emotion if the entire song would be sung that way the third "by eternity I'm BOUND is pure head voice (falsetto in Sweden ) and the only part I nailed in one take. It's fun how the easiest parts are the ones that people like the most o_O the hardest part was the first verse, because for my voice, it's still rather high when singing it all chest and makes me strain a bit, but I bridged over from full chest to head in "watch my own get SPILLED" without it sounding disconnected or making a 'flip' or 'crack' when bridging it over a single note. That was something I learned while recording so I was kinda shocked over how easy it is when you stumble across a working technique, rather than practising it for months.

That's my analysis. Now I just wish I could learn how to sing high/raspy notes such as the "watch me RISE" after the second chorus, without hurting my voice as much as it did. It sounds so cool but I won't do it live, guess I will either make a head voice wail-gymnastic or simply hop off stage, drink 12 beers and move to Taipei because my better judgment is duct-taped in my mental car trunk with impulse riding shotgun while bad decision making is driving stick.

I should probably go to sleep. But then again, maybe I shant.. I shall leave it to my 12-sided die to decide. If I roll a seven I will donate a kidney to the first person who greets me with the phrase "Good Afternoon sir". I'm not much of a rocket surgeon but I figured I could just read up on self-removal of a kidney on like.. WikiHow or Yahoo! Answers.

Why am I still typing? I'm gonna go do something productive instead, like, writing lyrics with subtle grammatical errors, since I am Swedish after all. May you all have a mighty fine day.

[ronws]

Why am I still typing? I'm gonna go do something productive instead, like, writing lyrics with subtle grammatical errors, since I am Swedish after all. May you all have a mighty fine day.

And I should know that, especially from the spelling of your last name. Why do I keep thinking of you as german?

I must be mental...

[Simon Magus]

Ah, well the Swedes have a proud tradition of great singing as well! Much of my voice training over the last few years has been of the Swedish-Italian school. I have some German blood in me, however, so watch it on the schnitzel jokes!

Just listened to the song again. It's a really cool track. Is there a full album in the works?

On the topic of that raspy "rise." Just how uncomfortable was it to sing? In my metal singing experience, sometimes you just have to let the energy of the song take you, release your fears, and let 'er rip! Plus, it's right before the guitar solo so you get to rest the voice for a few measures, grab a sip of water, whatever...:)

[Snejk]

Oh Ron, my brown eyes and blonde hair does point me toward the wurst...

Ah, well the Swedes have a proud tradition of great singing as well! Much of my voice training over the last few years has been of the Swedish-Italian school. I have some German blood in me, however, so watch it on the schnitzel jokes!

Just listened to the song again. It's a really cool track. Is there a full album in the works?

On the topic of that raspy "rise." Just how uncomfortable was it to sing? In my metal singing experience, sometimes you just have to let the energy of the song take you, release your fears, and let 'er rip! Plus, it's right before the guitar solo so you get to rest the voice for a few measures, grab a sip of water, whatever...

Surely it is so. It sounded awesomely so I did a few retakes for the studio version but the sensation is that basically I dehydrate quicker than... something that dehydrates fairly quickly... Also it just feels very unpleasant and, when doing it for prolonged periods there is blood taste and removal of my upper register So I will not do that for anything outside the studio... I want to keep this voice for a few more years

Oh, yeah, well, we're working on an EP. We got 4 songs done whereas one I'm going to add heaps and heaps of harmonies and lay a silly amount of choir works so it basically feels.. Unfinished when I think of it At the end of the month we will record the catchiest song, our anthem, simply called "Archania" This is so much fun

Right now I just try to post the youtubevideo wherever I can, trying to get some exposure but the internet is a tricky place.. People want to be heard, but they seldom want to listen :D

[Simon Magus]

A blood taste?! Yikes! Yeah, perhaps it is best to lay off a little, then.

And yes, I know how tough it is to get heard. In this internet age, there's just so many acts out there, it's easy to get drown out. Keep at it, though. I look forward to future material from you guys!

[Snejk]

A blood taste?! Yikes! Yeah, perhaps it is best to lay off a little, then.

And yes, I know how tough it is to get heard. In this internet age, there's just so many acts out there, it's easy to get drown out. Keep at it, though. I look forward to future material from you guys!

Indeed, the last thing I want is to wake up with half my register permanently gone I try to take very good care of my voice, instead of dishing out "cool vocals" for a year or two but then leaving you without a voice...

If you'd like, feel free to follow us on Facebook, we're sooo close to 200 likes hoho!

http://www.facebook.com/TheArchania

EDIT: Sometimes you strike gold when you least expect it, if you give unknown people a chance ;)

[Simon Magus]

Very true. You've only got one set of vocal cords. I'm amazed I never suffered any permanent vocal damage in my years of gigging.

You've got my like - er, the like of my not-so-secret-or exciting true identity.

[Snejk]

Well, your name does have a more exotic ring to it than "Ahlström", so I'm considering it exciting in comparison ;P

[ronws]

Patrick, you would not be the first. I was watching an interview with the singer of a finnish metal band. And the singer said, he would do the raspy stuff on high notes in the studio. Even on a single night performance. But on tour, no way. One has to conserve the voice.

And so, any number of people here have produce maximum rasp on a recording they spent a few months perfecting. But let me see how it sounds after 6 months on the road with little sleep and diet of McNuggets and Black Jack.

[eggplantbren]

Just because many people say that about their rasp doesn't mean it's necessary advice that must be followed by everyone. It just means their distortion technique isn't 100% and they can feel the wear on their voices. For those people who are really good at distortion they can do it as much as they want.

On one of the CVI interviews with Robin van Beek he says he can use distortion every night with no problems whatsoever. I think this "use distortion sparingly" stuff only applies to the situation of people who can't do distortion 100% correctly (which is a lot of people...it's not easy). Here's the bit where he says that:

Obviously not everyone can do this, but I'd bet that's because their distortion technique is a bit off, not because of some unsolvable physiological difference.

[ronws]

Robin van... What albums has he done? Is he touring now? Where?

[eggplantbren]

I don't know. I also didn't know you had to be a famous megastar in order to know something about vocal technique.

[ronws]

I don't know. I also didn't know you had to be a famous megastar in order to know something about vocal technique.

I am not saying the guy doesn't know some technique. But you started out diminishing the wisdom I was repeating from a known singer who records and tours and yes, reads the singers forums, so he knows all about "technique" from all the experts in the world, even those "experts" who's sole public performance is that they recorded something while sitting at their desk and shared it with a forum.

If you were going to dispute that, I would hope your champion of dispute would have some equal experience. No, not a requirement, just would seem more fair, to me.

But if you want to pit a seasoned pro against some guy who has not done 3 hour shows, in as many nights, sleeping on the bus, putting up which each others' dirty socks, just to try and be heard in a venue not designed for the human voice, on crappy food, putting up with waves of pot smoke, as in rock concerts, you go right ahead. I can't stop you.

Now, you are aware, are you not, that most bands tune down 1/2 step for live performances? Mostly to put up with the venue. Higher notes tend to get lost.

[ronws]

And Pat, I know why I am confused. Because I am part German (my mother's father immigrated to the USA when he was a boy), and part english, irish, and scottish. So, I don't know what to do.

:lol:

[ronws]

And so, I youtubed Robin Van Beek. And he is a star. And while he notes that he can do distortion relatively high, I notice in his performance he does not do it all that much. In fact, he only did it in the interview for the CVT program.

But, okay, he has public performance experience night after night.

Editing my reply to not seem so contentious and sorry if I seemed snotty. Anyway, I have not yet found footage of him singing gritty high heavy metal, though it would be neat to see.

edited to add:

I am looking for the interview where I got my initial bit of info from and so far, it eludes me. If I can find it, I will post it. Whether the megastar is an expert or not.

update: been looking all morning and seen all kinds of neat stuff but not that interview.

[Simon Magus]

IMO, there is no 100% healthy way to do distortion. One can only employ techniques and common sense to minimize the damage. Creating distortion basically boils down tensing the throat and/or blowing air pressure - basically the two things we try to avoid when learning to sing correctly, right?

But we are vocal athletes, after all, and no athletics come without a little wear and tear. Those who successfully employ distortion without injury are those who can prevent any short term swelling of the cords from turning into a more serious problem like nodules. The cords need time and care in order to recover. This is why, as ronws alluded to, you do not see many gritty sounding singers who have done serious touring over the years and have not experienced some degree of deterioration. After a while (likely due to the formation of scar tissue), it becomes more difficult for these guys to sing in a clean tone than to sound gritty. I prefer to have the options of a clean high range and vocal purity, but there are those out there who don't care about those two qualities. In which case, I say "Knock yourself out. Just know what you're playing with."

[ronws]

When I watch "Flight 666, Somewhere Back in Time," I see Bruce, in his 50's, singing cleaner than he used to sing.

When I watch Ronnie James Dio, in his early 60's, singing at Waacken 2004, I see him singing the highest notes clean, and the rasp is in the middle.

When I see GnR playing South America in the last few years, I see Axl sometimes singing clean.

I know from reading the memoirs of Herman "Ze German" Rarebell, the quintessential drummer of Scorpions, that Klaus Meine did have surgery to remove vocal nodes. And then underwent vocal rehab and voice lessons to conserve his voice. The next album was put on hold for 6 costly months. He is still singing in his 60's and is finally thinking about retiring. And that his sound after the lessons was cleaner than before.

These are all guys past the age of 50, trying to make it last.

But I am not an expert.

Eggplantbren has already stated that those guys who do not do distortion as much in concert as they do on an album do not have their distortion technique at 100% and if they did, they could do it anytime they want to, like Robin Van Beek did with one or two samples in a few words in his interview for the CVT program.