Death Metal Vocalists' Techniques for Producing Harsh Vocals
In the world of extreme music, death metal vocalists are known for their unique, guttural sounds that set them apart from other genres. But what many might not know is that these vocalists train diligently to achieve this distinctive register, using specialized techniques that prioritize safety and preservation of their natural tone.
Dr. Amanda Stark, a speech pathologist and vocology researcher at the University of Utah, has been delving into this fascinating aspect of death metal vocals. Her research, which involves bringing death metal singers into the lab for study, sheds light on the non-traditional phonation mechanisms these vocalists use to produce their characteristic guttural timbre and distorted tones safely.
The research reveals that death metal vocalists often engage the ventricular (false) vocal folds rather than the true vocal folds, a finding that overturns earlier assumptions that such sounds necessarily cause vocal injury. Understanding this controlled false cord phonation can help vocal scientists and speech therapists identify ways to treat and rehabilitate vocal fold injuries by teaching safe vocalization techniques that minimize strain.
Moreover, the research has identified a "sweet spot" in power and resonance where extreme vocalizations can be performed without strain or damage. This knowledge is relevant for clinical treatment and vocal training, as it can improve voice therapy methods to rehabilitate patients with vocal damage by training them to use covert or false cord vibration and to find their own "sweet spots" in vocal effort.
The connections between metal vocal training and vocal science represent a cutting-edge intersection of extreme music practice and medical vocal health research. This collaboration could potentially have applications beyond death metal music, extending into the field of operatic vocal production, as demonstrated by the analysis of Elizabeth Zharoff, an opera singer who analysed Lorna Shore's "To the Hellfire" via YouTube.
In a recent discussion, Dr. Stark and Mark Garrett, a vocal coach and the lead singer of the band Kardashev, talked about the implications of this research for metalheads, including those in the band Lorna Shore, whose lead singer, Will Ramos, is a subject of study in the research by Dr. Stark and her team at the University of Utah.
For those interested in the surprising science behind the latest blockbusters, hot new shows, and a couple of spectacular flops, subscribing to the Science Goes To The Movies newsletter is a must. The research findings of Dr. Stark and her colleagues regarding Lorna Shore can be found on the University of Utah Health website.
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