Audition clip, what do you think?

[Snejk]

I got a phone call from a Danish band after I put an add out. I was asked to sing one of their songs so they could hear how that would sound. It was kinda late so I couldn't record the entire song but I got the important things though The instrumental came with the click-track in it so I couldn't remove it.

As always, I could not just sing it like the original (I get bored if two verses has the exact same melody and phrasing) so I did some parts differently for funsies. This is a quick recording and I can't mix worth shit (actually, calling this mixing is to offend anyone who actually have Pro-Tools installed.. and their dogs)

Nowadays I have stopped thinning my voice out for the "tenor sound" I always wanted in favor of actually singing with my own voice =p

They actually wanted me to fly to Denmark after hearing this so I guess I did something right Usually bands I've sung in/auditioned for have had previous singers who really sucked but this band's ex-singer could actually sing really good (I actually think he sings a lot better than me xD)

https://app.box.com/s/85zfg56r9goomxkzu3ek

[agcor85]

amazing low notes, some tiny problems in the high notes, but nothing serious at all! for the style of music I think the band did the right thing choosing you to sing for them :)

[Snejk]

I'm interested in which low notes you mean as well as high notes The only low notes are basically in the harmony to "freedom call" at the end of the chorus and the only high notes are also in harmonies (I had to sing them in a weak manner since it was late and I have a very loud voice. But I figured since harmonies are supposed to be far behind the lead, it didn't matter that they lacked body But maybe that's only valid if you know how to actually mix xD In the bridge I have a hard time hearing which line is the lead line haha xD) But I do know there are some pitch discrepansies in the harmonies, particularly in the onset

And thanks for the compliment BTW! We'll see how it pans out when I visit them I put a large emphasis on being able to sing everything as well live as when recording so I will always be able to deliver what I record. Yes, including singing a four-voice harmony at the same time! Echo effect? What echo! xDDD

[MDEW]

That was awesome. Your voice really fits with this style. At least I like it. I don't really know what is expected in this style.

You sang all the harmonies also? If so great job. I wasn't really paying that much attention to the harmonies just the lead. But it all seemed to fit.

[agcor85]

off course! but I just said because your vocal performance for the style of the song almost touch the perfection for the kind of music you do, so in the minute 1:28 I know it seems to not be nothing special but your low notes pitch perfect and it's hard to do your voice didn't brake, and that it's awesome! My ears are very picky in that parts, more than me for sure 2:06 for example, that moment that you reach the high note, you get there for sure, but it is the biggest note in the song, your sound turns a little bit flat, I know I'm the most picky person in the world xD but will improve the vocal performance if you attack the high notes instead of get there and leave the note roll down like a honey in the bottle tilted, and it's because the song has those wild moments in the midle registers, it will fit better if you could do the same in the high notes.

[Snejk]

MDEW; Yeah, I sung the harmonies as well. Some fit better than others but I think it's a lot of fun (and the best way to train my ear for that matter) It's not horribly off-pitch, just enough for me to hear it now and be annoyed at myself for not hearing it then xD

agcor85: Oh! Cool I've always loved power metal but I've never been able to sing it due to a very limited high range (I couldn't take an F4 in chest if so my life depended on it). It sucked to have my voice crack while singing any Helloween, Gamma Ray or Sonata Arctica song. Now I just fail half of their songs xD

But for being power metal these guys have don't have that many high parts. The note you mentioned at 2:06 is the "fall" before the "woooh-oooh-ooh" in the chorus right? I tend to connect notes in a legato-way and let end notes roll of by a slight slide, but maybe I should tone that down a bit if it makes me sound off-key xP Some habits are stylistic choices and some habits are... Bad habits I take particular interest in it since the note was in my most comfortable range B4 and above is where I have real problems with pitch because that's where I start to strain my chest voice and it tires quickly and oftentimes that narrow vowel is at a climactic point in the song where flipping to overdrive/head will just ruin the effect either by modifying the vowel or removing/changing a lot of texture in the vocals. That's one big reason why power metal (or heavy metal in general) is the genre I find to be the hardest one to sing and most demanding technically.. To survive a live gig you have to sing healthily or you will start to fail more and more notes that are NOT in head voice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsP1IhjcVIA

0:33 in this song for example. It's a slide and the easiest part to sing in the entire song but the general color just wouldn't sit well in most areas since it's such a different color than my high chest and also it's MUCH louder.

[agcor85]

ow well, it means I need to get more into heavy metal style for sure that 0:33 note, oh well it's really hard and takes a lot of your control of dynamics specially if you need to sing in low register so close to that note. even in a lower register than that high note the dynamics part it's important too. sometimes I change my voice, I use my throat voice for low notes, because they get more coloured and my diaphragm to the high notes, to protect my vocal chords. but my style of music don't contemplate the sreaming part , so that it's not enough xD no matter the style of the song, because there are a lot of screaming singers in my style of music and head voice it's important to that, but you need to do a combination with the dynamics exercises to not force the vocal chords and don't get lost in the song :)

[Snejk]

Right you are :3 I was lucky because the previous band had no problems with me not being able to sing in the "metal range" all the time... That gave me the freedom to create the melodies around my voice. So I could focus on making a memorable melody instead of straining my voice xD The diaphragm is of course incorporated in most of the things I sing That vibrato in the screaming part is all diaphragm as opposed to vibrato in my chest range that I control easier by just wobbling half-notes quickly.

I would hate to see my voice go lost so, aye, if it's something my voice can't do, I just have to accept that and find another approach. "Luckily" I can slide from my lowest full chest to my fullest high scream without any breaks, something which I couldn't do just six months ago, so I am able to "fake" alot of high notes because they sound connected, when in fact, I'm no longer in chest voice. But I don't like to do it since I feel I am cheating (plus I can not get a rasp in my head voice unless I want the taste of blood in my mouth within twenty minutes. I'm no doctor, but... xD).

What kind of music do you preferably sing?

[OldPainless]

Fits the backing track perfectly, imo.

[agcor85]

if I tell you how many singers "fake" like you, you wouldn't believe xD it will allways depend about what you are working for. sometimes you need to sing things that it's not what your voice is about, and that's ok, like you said, only if your voice can't reach you could not do anything. the rest is your own techniques to sing some song

ow well, about my preferences, you might think I am joking, but I'm afraid not I allways kind of shy person allways in home, too many focus on books, poetry, romances, allways sing, like a natural thing. I can't even pay attention when I'm actually singing because it's too natural, only when people around me "sheews" me xD

I was like composing in my head all the melodies and lyrics since I recognyze myself as a person lol that's why my passion for compose my originals and sing them, more than made covers.

but I lived too many years since childhood earring the same old songs, old same styles of music, specially from my country (Portugal), no music culture at all xD because I spent so many time watching too many tv shows (music contests were my favourites, that's when I heard about whitney houston, mariah carey, rod stwart but only one or another hit) and my parents allways controlled the radio stations in home or in the car, kinda wierd, since I think tv shows are less apropriated for kids then music,so I quit to insist to put other kind of music to listen.

but ok, I gave my "freedom shout" when I get to my teenage years, like 15yo and my tv miraculously introduced me to mtv channel, viva channel, and when I could get internet access in college, it's like the jungle boy first time in a city xDDDDDD

when I realized how many styles of music that was, how many artists, oh my gosh I got intoxicated xD so I pretty much sang since then everything in my way, almost everything for me was music xD

so I love since Hip hop, pop, rnb, blues, soul, jazz, classic music, rock, hard rock, some melodic metal, latin music...

ok, the list is too big xD but with time I started to see where my voice fits, like jazz, pop, rnb, soul and with time I start to search for more information about how to sing and stuff :)

[ronws]

I still think the mix is odd because of too much reverb on the vocal tracks and the harmony track a little too prominent. But, as you said, this was not a professionally edited mix. Just, essentially, a scratch track for audition. And I think it should land you the gig. You have the right voice for this song. It is heroic and you have one of those heroic kind of voices, regardless of the actual range of notes you can make.

rockonwhichyabadself.

And agcor, I wish you had not said jungle boy. Because I am powerless to stop myself....

For a while, I had a night job as a bouncer in a dance club and this song was huge.

Sorry to crash the thread, Patrick. Call me senile ....

[agcor85]

superb Ronws xD great song though! My husband probably know that song, because he is an 80's music huge fan I'm just a begginer in that season but I love those songs too :D

[gno]

Sounds reall good! I like the heavier weight in your voice on this tune. And in the chorus on "woa" when you take it up to Ab4 Overdrive - sounds very cool. You're voice fits this song and this genre very well. Good luck with this opportunity.