The vocalist is the messenger. The person who regurgitates his pre-written thoughts, beliefs, ideas, concepts and stories into a microphone and into the ears of the audience. In short, a vocalist is a necessity in a grind band. Here are a few of my all time favorite vocalists in the genre, I chose a few PV/hardcore vocalists too to make it a bit easier on me. All of these vocalists bring add something to their select bands that add that extra bit of awesomeness to the music the scream behind.
1.
Aaron Kenyon(Man is the Bastard): Aaron Kenyon's voice brought so much intensity MITB. His gruff barks and his gravely screams were fueled by genuine anger and frustration. Incredibly political and socially conscious lyrics were his battle cries, and he delivered them with incredible power and volume. Listen
here and
here!
2.
Rahi Geramifar(ex-Insect Warfare, Hatred Surge): Rahi only has two voices; growl and scream. He is a fucking non-stop vocalist, unrelenting in his delivery. No bullshit here, just a pure visceral vocal onslaught. His lyrics may be indecipherable, but he sure makes up for it in intensity. He now lends his vocals to fellow Texas bruisers Hatred Surge as a 2nd vocalist. His attack isn't as fast in that band, making his voice just a little bit more clear, but his trademark growl is still there. Listen
here!3.
Jay Randall(Agoraphobic Nosebleed): I frickin love Jay's voice! It's definitely one of the more recognizable voices in hardcore/grind, nowadays going for more of a yell/loud talking technique. When he does scream though it sounds very loose and out of control, which I dig. He definitely doesn't sound like a "fine-tuned" vocalist, which may sound like an insult, but it's anything but. I think it adds a very unpredictable edge to his voice and makes it much more enjoyable to listen to. Plus, I love the way he puts words together and the vocal patterns he chooses. Listen
here and
here!
4:
Lukasz Myszkowski(Antigama): Lukasz has one of the most interesting and recognizable voices in extreme music, matching the equally interesting weirdo-grind of Antigama. It's hard to really describe his vocals, at times it sounds like he's adding a little side-of-the-throat gurgle to his growl, a lot of times he seamlessly blends the growl/scream together into pure vocal gold, with occasional added vocal effects to boot. I'm so glad that he's back in Antigama and I can't wait to hear their new material! Listen
here and
here!
5:
Matt Gomes(ex-In Disgust): Matt Gomes has one of the best, deepest, most chocolaty sounding growls in grind(violence), and it didn't sound out of place. A lot of times when a grind band has a deep-growl vocalist, it just sounds like a death metal singer that somehow ended up fronting a grindcore band, but Matt Gomes sounded genuine and had the perfect voice to match the down-tuned, blasting fury of In Disgust. Plus, he can do a sick pig squeal(see
here.) Still pissed that band broke up!!! Listen
here.
6.
J.R. Hayes(Pig Destroyer, ex-Enemy Soil): J.R.'s vocals are absolutely disgusting. The noises that come out of his mouth are as slimy and grotesque as the lyrics he writes, making his sick, twisted fuck stories of stalkers, piss angels and girls in slayer jackets all the more hard hitting. Of course I mean all this is the best possible way. Listen
here and watch the
most badass thing ever here!7.
Andrew Beattie(ex-No Comment, ex-Man is the Bastard, Low Threat Profile, Dead Language): Andrew Beattie has one of the best open throat, pissed off yells I've ever heard, and he's only gotten better with age. The new super group Dead Language displays a new found grit and growl to his vocals. This guy is a beast! He sounds like someone that would be leading a massive protest. Listen
here.8.
Mike Stitches(ex-Thousandswilldie, Standing on a Floor of Bodies): Mike Stiches has a one of a kind scream, one that I can instantly recognize. Kind of a bark/scream hybrid actually. Deep growls and harsh screams are also expertly executed. His vocals on the Standing on a Floor of Bodies demo are half the reason it's one of my favorite demos/grind releases ever. Download and listen
here!~VII
1. Aaron Kenyon(Man is the Bastard): Aaron Kenyon's voice brought so much intensity MITB. His gruff barks and his gravely screams were fueled by genuine anger and frustration. Incredibly political and socially conscious lyrics were his battle cries, and he delivered them with incredible power and volume. Listen here and here!
nice add on mike stitches. not one that would immediately come to mind, but a really good choice. he probably should get more attention than he does.
ReplyDeleteof all the anb vocalists, i think my fave was carl schultz. there was a wide intensity to his stuff i think has been missing post-altered states.
pete pontikoff of benumb (pre-by means of upheaval) also had a great bark to him. his new style doesn't sit with me as well.
rahi vocals in hatred surge not mammoth grinder.
ReplyDeletedo your homework, little kid.
Learn to read dip shit. Learn to write while your at it. Where does he say anything about Mammothly Generic? He doesn't even mention them.
ReplyDeleteMaury
But this guy did fuck up by not adding Jon Chang from Discordance Axis/ Gridlink. Whom as we all know invented grind core even though they were popping a good ten years after said creation. I think a time machine was involved somehow which given their love sci-fi makes total sense.
ReplyDeleteMaury
I think it's a mute scene for reasons that are pretty self evident to anyone thats attended one of these fests. No one in the grind scene there to see Magrudergrind is going to buy a scion cuz they are out of the price range of your general fan anyways... all new cars are probably out of 98% your typical grind fans budget. This probably applies to black metal fans there to see Wolves in the Throne Room. Or doom fans there to see Zoroaster (both bands that played several years ago at a Scion Atlanta fest).
ReplyDeleteThe only one group of people that might buy one of their cars (which are really ugly and weird looking as well) is dumb ass hip-hop kids, who I can tell you from experience tend to be far more secretly suburban, trust fund having (yet no tipping at my club), ass little bitches of any group. I say this as a fan of hip hop but someone who does NOT like these scene or group of kids around it (though the girls are cuter.... sorry). They WILL BUY their shitty cars. And all I can figure is someone at the top told the marketing directors to target the youth and here's a grip of cash to do so. So at the end of a few hip-hop showcases at SXSW they had a certain amount of duckets left over for their annual budget and said "lets put one over on our bosses and throw a bone to hardcore/grind (whatever) kids and put on a fest for them. Well tell our bosses that surrreee.... those kids toootalllly have money to buy our cars shaped like a left over liquor boxes!" And if that is the case as I suspect then more power to them for getting together some frankly cool ass showcases for great bands. Every one of the lists of these FREE shows has been awesome. And with a shit ass money grubbing fest like SXSW coming up to ruin my city any group that gets a fest together to let kids see a ton of brutal shit FOR FREE instead of 300 hundred dollar wrist bands can't be all shit bag any way you slice it my book.
on the 17th Scion/ Prosthetic records show will be at Long Branch (im pretty sure anyways)which is like 11th (maybe 12th) street about two blocks east of I-35 Austin TX
All Pigs must Die/ Kill the Client/ Ancient VVisdom/ Early Graves/ Primitive Weapons/ Mvtialtion Rites/ Everything Went Black/ maybe more... if you cant get with that than your just a dumb fuck with shit taste in music anyways.
Uh.... that was supposed to go on another part of the blog about scion fests.....sorry....hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteTravis Ginn from ASSHOLEPARADE has crazy Vocals! Always recognizable and def- one of my fav's. Just putting it out there.
ReplyDeleteI think you mean moot not mute
ReplyDelete