Screaming (music)

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Screaming is a form of vocalization common in certain genres of alternative rock, as well as heavy metal, hardcore punk, post-hardcore and emo. Screaming in music is most often intended to convey an emotion, such as anger, angst, rage, aggression, or hostility.^{[citation needed]} Screamo is often mistaken as a generic term for screaming in music, though it actually refers to a specific emo subgenre.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Types of screaming 1.1 Modern art music 1.2 Punk rock 1.3 Heavy metal 1.4 Post-hardcore 1.5 Nu metal 1.6 Other genres 2 Training 2.1 Inhale/inward screaming 3 Health concerns 4 References

[edit] Types of screaming

[edit] Modern art music

Some composers have employed screaming in avant garde works in the twentieth century, typically in the post-World War II era, as composers began to explore more experimental compositional techniques and nonstandard use of musical instruments (including the voice). Composers who have used shouting or screaming in their works include Luciano Berio, George Crumb, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. While this usage precedes the more common use of screaming in some genres of rock music, there is little to no historical relationship between the usage of the technique in art music and in rock. The use of screaming and hoarse vocals in choral and orchestral works continues today in some productions such as film scores; mainstream examples include some works by Don Davis and Wojciech Kilar.

[edit] Punk rock

Yelling and shouting vocals are common in punk rock and hardcore. Early punk was distinguished by a general tendency to eschew traditional singing techniques in favor of a more direct, harsh style which accentuated meaning rather than beauty.^[1] The logical extension of this aesthetic is shouting or screaming, and in hardcore, vocals are usually shouted in a frenetic manner similar to rapping or football chants, often accompanied by "gang shouts"^[2][3] in which a group of people shout along with the vocalist (this style is very common in punk rock, most prominently Oi! and streetpunk).^[4]

Many female vocalists in the punk style, and other progressive forms of popular music, have credited Yoko Ono as an influence for her use of screaming vocals in avant-garde recordings of the seventies. Other artists who have explored screaming as a way of stretching the potential of the female voice include Diamanda Galás, Nina Hagen, the B-52's, Kate Bush, and Lene Lovich.

[edit] Heavy metal

Main article: death growl

While occasional screaming has been used for effect in heavy metal since at least Led Zeppelin, screaming as a normal method of lyrical delivery first came to prominence in heavy metal as part of the thrash metal explosion of the 1980s.^[5] Thrash metal was influenced both by heavy metal and by hardcore punk, the latter of which often incorporated shouted or screamed vocals. Musicologist Robert Walser notes, "The punk influence shows up in the music's fast tempos and frenetic aggressiveness and in critical or sarcastic lyrics delivered in a menacing growl."^[5] It should however be noted that the vocal delivery of thrash metal is incredibly diverse; some bands such as Anthrax use much cleaner vocals, early Metallica uses very hardcore punk influenced vocals while other bands such as Slayer use more "evil" screams and shrieks, bearing little resemblance to hardcore punk.

Screaming in some subgenres of heavy metal music is typically demanding and guttural. The Cookie Monster-like^[6][7] death growl is common in death metal. Separate forms of extreme metal vocalization can be found in black metal with a higher-pitched shriek and grindcore with either a "pig squeal" vocalization or a high pitched shriek similar to, but less throat-oriented than, black metal vocals.

Death metal, in particular, is associated with growled vocals. Death metal, which tends to be darker and more morbid than thrash metal, features vocals that attempt to evoke chaos and misery by being "usually very deep, guttural, and unintelligible."^[8] Natalie Purcell notes, "Although the vast majority of death metal bands use very low, beast-like, almost indiscernible growls as vocals, many also have high and screechy or operatic vocals, or simply deep and forcefully sung vocals."^[9] Musicologist Deena Weinstein has noted of death metal, "Vocalists in this style have a distinctive sound, growling and snarling rather than singing the words. Making ample use of the voice distortion box, they sound as if they had gargled with hydrochloric acid."^[10]Others, whether intentionally or not, can bring to mind a dog's bark.

The progressively more forceful enunciation of metal vocals has been noted, from heavy metal to thrash metal to grindcore.

“

To appreciate the music, fans first had to accept a merciless sonic signature: guttural vocals that were little more than a menacing, sub-audible growl. James Hetfield's thrash metal rasp was harsh in contrast to Rob Halford's heavy metal high notes, but creatures like Glen Benton of Deicide tore out their larynxes to summon images of decaying corpses and giant catastrophic horrors.[11]

”

[edit] Post-hardcore

Post-hardcore and screamo screaming is sometimes similar to that of metal, although many screams are imbued with a more vulnerable, emotional tone. Early emo vocals (such as in Rites of Spring and Embrace) featured screamed vocals that were more or less similar to that of '80s hardcore punk and anarcho-punk. In contemporary genres, screams are more accessible; one very common technique is that of metalcore and later hardcore punk subgenres, shouting in a distressed, raspy manner. (Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage and George Pettit of Alexisonfire are examples of this; the former screaming in a husky tone and the latter using a higher yell.) Some bands such as Dance Gavin Dance scream in a much deeper harsh-sounding tone, while Jeremy Mckinnon of A Day to Remember goes a step further, employing death growls.

As emo/screamo moved into the mainstream in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the amount of screaming in any given song or album could vary widely from band to band, with some bands eschewing the technique altogether or using it very infrequently, often at climaxes of songs. Emery, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Matchbook Romance, and Story of the Year are examples of bands achieving widespread success who only occasionally made use of screaming.

Although, there are bands who play screamo in the vein of bands that were around in the early to mid nineties, such as Funeral Diner, Saetia, Orchid, City of Caterpillar, etc. These bands are also known as screamo bands, but use a more intense, high-pitched scream, and usually have screaming for a whole song.

[edit] Nu metal

Nu metal sometimes employs screaming. It also includes shouting and rapping as well as various other styles of vocals. Jonathan Davis screams in most of Korn's earlier songs. Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst screams and raps in most of Limp Bizkit's songs, especially in their first album. Linkin Park's singer, Chester Bennington screams in some of the songs on their records. On latest record called Minutes to Midnight in a song he screams for 18 sec. The rapcore band (Hed) P.E African-American / Brazilian-American singer MC Jahred Shane screams in a very growlish style.

Many other nu metal bands employ a stronger use of screaming in their music as well as more concrete metal influences (Often Groove Metal and Industrial Metal) bands such as Spineshank, Slipknot, Ill Nino, Mudvayne and recently Static-X.

[edit] Other genres

Some songs by Pink Floyd have a piercing scream by Roger Waters, such as "Careful With That Axe, Eugene and Run Like Hell. Even the Beatles can be heard screaming on their classic White Album on tracks like "Helter Skelter".

James Brown's vocal shouts would also fall within this type of singing style.

[edit] Training

Screaming and growling can damage the vocal folds if not done carefully; however, some feel that the raw passion expressed through these vocal stylings may be lost when modulated by deliberate precautionary techniques.^{[citation needed]} Many of the bands who pioneered the art considered it a sign of status to lose one's voice, one that only the most dedicated would achieve.

[edit] Inhale/inward screaming

A more recently developed vocal technique, often used to create the 'Pig Squeal'. A consistent growl can be obtained by breathing in, firstly to obtain a gurgle. Making the inward breath more forceful by pulling in air using the diaphragm, one can imitate extremely low growls and high shrieks for extended periods of time, which would be impossible to obtain whilst exhaling. Positioning of the tongue during inward screaming can produce the high overtone heard during a pig squeal. Inward screaming has been used as early as 1994 by the Canadian death metal band Cryptopsy. Despite being almost effortless and relatively painless to perform, there is a downside: Inward screaming places a huge amount of strain on the performers' vocal cords, which can be damaged beyond repair due to overuse of this technique. It is far wiser to develop the pig squeal using an exhaling death metal growl as a base, and many vocalists have developed perfect imitations of the inhale sound whilst exhaling, most notably, Jonny Davy from Job For A Cowboy, Eddie from All Shall Perish, and Steve Marois from Despised Icon.

[edit] Health concerns

Some "screaming" vocalists have had problems with their throats, voices, vocal cords, and have even had major migraines from screaming. Some say M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold is one of the vocalists that has had problems with his throat after screaming, but Shadows states clearly he didn't have any problems, he just wanted to try something new. Some vocalists of Metalcore bands have had to quit screaming, quit making music, or just had to have surgery for screaming too hard, and damaging their vocal cords.

[edit] References