Friday 28st May 2004
As a vocal style, screaming is vastly underrated, if not looked down upon, in most musical circles. I'm no fan of 'screamo', and especially not the kind of metal that involves a constant guttural roar or barking vocals — such music bores me at best. But well-timed and well-developed screaming voices can really enhance the emotion of a song, and it's obvious why screaming became a part of metal, arguably the most aggressive musical genre there is.
Good songwriters who utilise a scream or two tend to appreciate 'the spice of life' and use screams sparingly. Such variation in vocal style gives an artist a real edge in conveying anger, desperation, and a host of other extreme emotions. Of course, metal has no monopoly on aggression, and there are many brilliant examples of musicians in other genres portraying that particular range of emotion. Rap is another genre that has thrived on aggression, but across the broad spectrum of music there are artists who successfully depict anger: folk singer Ani DiFranco's extensive repertoire of albums has many notable aggressive moments, but much of her poetry/spoken word — such as 'Tip Toe' on 'Not A Pretty Girl' and the unreleased 'WTC poem' — is emotionally and politically charged and dips through anger and euphoria.
In metal, aside from the vast array of poor bands who scream because they can't sing, there are a number of real gems who use the scream to its full effect. Take Vendetta Red, for example, the five piece US band signed to Sony's Epic label. Not only do Zach Davidson's melodic vocals polish off singalong tunes, but his more aggressive voice — mingling somewhere between a screech and a scream — is an original, defining sound that helps Vendetta Red stand out from the crowd. It is this kind of climactic and refined screaming that does a great job of sharpening the emotional edges of rock and metal songs.
Unfortunately, like many of the other genre-defining features of metal music, screaming is an acquired taste. To those of somewhat softer preference, any amount of screaming will class a song in the "Rah-Rah" category. That perception doesn't always imply dislike, but it is more than slightly patronising and completely devalues the scream, setting aside its justified status as part of the art of music. For all of us, life is full of a vast bundle of emotions, and all of them need to be expressed.
This is not to say that every rock band should have a scream per song — many groups have grown away from singing angry songs and “don't need the screaming anymore”, as Incubus's Brandon Boyd put it when talking about their fourth album, 'Morning View'. And relaxed and groovy music like 'Morning View' is great, but when the feeling and meaning of the song calls for screams, I urge songwriters not to back away.
While many bands overuse screaming and far too many metal groups rely on it as their vocal default, that fact shouldn't be allowed to undermine the status and art of the scream. The voices of the likes of Vendetta Red, Thursday and At The Drive-In are well-developed and practiced, even if that development has simply come via touring and experience. And — most importantly — behind the voice is the emotional charge that keeps it powered, the reason for the scream.