If there is one thing that heavy metal is well known for, it is the abundance of extreme metal vocalists. However, when one is to exert a fair amount of dirt on to their voice, it can become difficult to identify said vocalist. At the most disgustingly guttural level, it can sometimes be hard to tell if it is even a human making those noises.
However, there are still plenty of dirty vocalists who have an easily recognisable voice. If they were to appear as a guest vocalist on a track previously unheard, you would instantly be able to recognise them. So here are 10 of said extreme metal vocalists who are easily recognisable.
Small disclaimer – some of these vocalists will dare to move into the clean vocals on occasion. I am specifically referring to their ability to be recognised from their dirty vocals alone. No easy rides here!
Johan Hegg – Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth frontman Johan Hegg has changed his vocal style throughout his career, starting out in classic death metal growls. However modern Johan is much cleaner, but seriously low on the vocal register leading to a natural sounding distortion in his voice. As such, it is dead easy to pick his voice out from a crowd when so many distorted vocalists are completely illegible (at best). A voice befitting a mountain viking of a man!
Randy Blythe – Lamb of God
An easy one, but one that still needs to be included on any list of extreme metal vocalists. Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe can be easily identified by his trademark scowled vocal style, a heavy amount of groove, and redneck spit, piss ‘n’ vinegar. Along with their ability to write legendary guitar riffs, Lamb of God are as much known for the vocal work of Randy Blythe, and there is no risk of missing his work anywhere.
Max Cavalera – Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy
Another one that really needs no particular extra justification from me to be on this list. From making his name fronting Sepultura, to Soulfly, Calavera Conspiracy and Go Ahead and Die, Max Calavera is amongsty heavy metal royalty. Aside from kicking out a shedload of legendary groove riffs, Max‘s vocals can be picked out anywhere. There is a grit and anger in his voice, and his accent clearly comes through making his voice unmistakable.
Angela Gossow – Arch Enemy (former)
Former Arch Enemy lead vocalist Angela Gossow wasn’t the first female vocalist to take the full death growl apprach, but there is no denying her the title of popularising it. Throughout her time with Arch Enemy she was the front runner for a metal band with an extreme female vocalist. There are plenty of extreme female vocalists around today, no doubt many influenced and inspired by the work of Angela Gossow. Any hall of fame for extreme metal vocalists would definitely contain Angela.
Petri Lindroos – Ensiferum
Long time Ensiferum frontman Petri Lindroos has a careful diction in his voice, meaning you are able to pick out the words in his vocal style significantly easier than the vast majority of extreme vocalists. Which is befitting for a folk metal band where the obligatory singalong (or shout-along) is mandatory. There is something about the fade out at end of a prolonged growl in Petri Lindroos‘ voice that can be picked out with ease.
Dave Hunt – Anaal Nathrakh
Former Benediction frontman Dave Hunt is particularly well known for his vocal work with his extreme project Anaal Nathrakh. His vocal style here can be best described as being “repeatedly stabbed in the sensitive regions whilst burning in the fiery pits of hell”, such is the sheer terror and anguish in his voice. The wail in the scream and wobble in the clean mean you can pick Dave Hunt out from the mix with ease.
Peter Tägtgren – Hypocrisy (+ a million other projects)
If I was to attempt to compile all the musical projects that extreme metal master Peter Tägtgren has been involved in, I would probably hit a word limit somewhere. There is little across the world of extreme metal that hasn’t crossed his path, but I am going to focus here on his Swedish death metal band Hypocrisy, and his time with the supergroup Bloodbath as an example of his stellar growled vocals. His ability to hold a scream is legendary, and his often use of mid tempo ‘spoken’ vocal style of wailed growling is easy to recognise.
Karl Sanders – Nile
If you have ever listened to tech death metal legends Nile, then I really don’t need to do a huge amount to convince you how identifiable Karl Sanders‘ vocals are. Long time sharing vocal duties with Dallas Toler-Wade, Karl Sanders takes the extreme guttural vocals to new lows (literally). The often slow, prolonged delivery of Karl‘s vocals fit perfectly with the doomy, technical guitar work of Nile (at sharp contrast to George Kollios‘ savage high tempo drumming). There is a large slice of pure death metal filth in Karl‘s vocals that I’m sure can only be heard by whales.
Glen Benton – Deicide
One for the Christian readers. Frontman for Deicide, Glen Benton is as legendary as they come in the world of death metal. His extremely low death growls and high pitched screams might not sound that easy to identify amongst the masses, but you can feel the evil in his voice penetrate straight into your soul. You may miss hearing Glen Benton‘s voice guest appearing on a track, but when you notice that you have involuntarily drawn a pentagram on the floor and are chanting to summon the great demons of the underworld, then you know.
Maty – Gutalax
I have thought long and hard and really have no words to clearly identify how Gutalax frontman Maty sounds. Goregrind is home to all manner of weird, perverse and downright insane practices. Maty‘s vocal technique can be best described as a hybrid human-frog who has developed the fabled deathcore pig squeal for good measure. Add to it that Gutalax have based themselves entirely around human faecal waste, and you have pretty much a textbook case of goregrind at its disgusting best. Oh and I challenge you to name something more fun than a grindcore pit. Try. You will fail.
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