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Screaming (music)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Screaming is a form of vocalization common in certain genres of heavy metal, hardcore punk, post-hardcore and emo. Screaming in music is most often intended to convey an emotion, such as anger, angst or rage. Screamo is often mistaken as a generic term for screaming in music, though it actually refers to a specific emo subgenre.

Types of screaming

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.

Punk rock
Yelling 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] Punk songs often include gang shouts of "hey-hey-hey!".

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]
Screaming in some subgenres of heavy metal music is typically demanding and guttural. The Cookie Monster-like[6][7] death growl is common in extreme 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 (such as Slayer), 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] Death metal vocalists, such as Nathan Gearhart of Vehemence, use "pig squeals" or "bree vocals," squeals imitating that of a pig.[11] 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.[12]”

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.)
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, Matchbook Romance, Fall Out Boy, 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.

Nu Metal
Nu metal sometimes employs screaming. It also includes shouting and rapping as well as various other styles of vocals. In the bands Slipknot, KoRn and some Disturbed songs one can clearly hear the singer scream very high pitched screams akin to death metal growls when the singer is not rapping. Linkin Park's singer, Chester Bennington screams in some of the songs on their early records, and the rapcore band (Hed) P.E African-American / Brazilian-American singer MC Jahred Shane screams in a very growlish style, and the singer in the nu-metal band Spineshank both screams and sings in their songs.

Training
Voice teacher Melissa Cross has trained vocalists of metal and hardcore bands like Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, All That Remains (band), and Unearth. She has also released the instructional DVD series Zen of Screaming.Screaming and growling can damage the vocal folds if not done properly.