- Clean vocals
The term clean vocals is used to describe melodic and clear singing styles. It is most notably used to refer to
heavy metal music , as an alternative to harsh, screamed or growled vocals, which are mainly displayed inextreme metal bands. They can range from operatic vocals (such asNightwish ) to simple melodies to harsh yelling, which would only be considered clean vocals when compared to death growls.Clean vocals are most often employed in the genres of
NWOBHM ,progressive metal , andpower metal . Examples of vocalists performing these vocals as the main style of their respective band include:Bruce Dickinson ofIron Maiden ,Rob Halford ofJudas Priest (also famous for his scream),Geoff Tate ofQueensrÿche ,Hansi Kürsch ofBlind Guardian andKai Hansen ofGamma Ray .Bands can create contrast between harsh and clean vocals in two ways. One way, employed by bands such as
In Flames ,Opeth ,My Dying Bride andFear Factory is to have one singer produce both harsh and clean vocals. Other bands, such asUnderoath ,Dimmu Borgir ,Sikth , The Project Hate, As I Lay Dying, andCaliban employ two singers—one for each style. Bands such asVintersorg and Arcturus often shift between clean and growled vocals.Many
melodic death metal bands use clean vocals; well-known examples includeSoilwork ,In Flames ,Gardenian ,Scar Symmetry , andDark Tranquillity . In the majority of songs, clean vocals are mainly used in the chorus or as back up vocals during verses, but songs like In Flames' "Only for the Weak" ("Clayman ") and "Ordinary Story" ("Colony") are exceptions in that they use clean vocals in the verses and growled vocals in the choruses.
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