NB: CLEAN vocals...

Pretty simple... I personnally prefer male vocals, except for operatic vocals, where Tarja and that girl form D:S:O kick asses! But the guys from Symphony X, Vintersorg, Turisas, Tiamat and many other bands manage to send chills down my spine when they sing. Male vocalists can sing with both beauty and aggresivity, what women can hardly do, except if they growl, but we're talking about clean vocals, here, so...

For me it doesn't matter much. The only thing that matters is how well they are carried out. Fuck everything else and focus on quality alone.

Most of the bands I listen to have male vocals though, but theat's mostly because there's like ten bands with male vocals for every single band with female ones... If there were more bands with female vocals I'm guessing it would be more equal.

Written by ForeverDarkWoods on 16.02.2009 at 20:06

For me it doesn't matter much. The only thing that matters is how well they are carried out. Fuck everything else and focus on quality alone.

Most of the bands I listen to have male vocals though, but theat's mostly because there's like ten bands with male vocals for every single band with female ones... If there were more bands with female vocals I'm guessing it would be more equal.

Of course, there are pretty bad male vocalists, like Korpiklaani's and most power metal bands. I guess the proportion is virtually the same, though. There are very good female vocalists, but very bad ones *cough* Anette Olzon *cough*. But when I compare good ones, like Shanon Den Adel from Within Temptation, with good male vocalists, I personnally prefer the latest.

Depends on band/style/song etc. etc...

The gender of the singer means nothing...the main thing is the technique and quality of singing....my favourite female vocalist is Anneke Van Giersbergen....she has major quality singing abilities plus she can do a lot with her voice....she can create art with it and has the strong characteristics of several good female singers...that is what makes her one of the top female singers for me....
From the male singers I like the singing of Garm Rygg....yes, he also growls, but is proficient in many techniques....the same characteristics which make Anneke a professional....I am glad that these two singers have sang together during their career....

In some cases you cannot even tell whether it is a male or a female singing....Mandragora Scream's frontwoman Morgan LaCroix has a very original voice which is sometimes so deep (for a woman) that you cannot tell whether it is the male singer (who has this higher heavy/power voice) or the female singer performing.....

So far....as long as the singer is good and the music is good....makes no difference whether it's a dude or a girl doing the job.....

Some selection of outstanding vocalists among women and men respectively: Anneke, Cristina Scabbia, Tarja Turunen, Lori Lewis, Melissa Ferlaak, Lotta Höglin, Doro and Garm, Heri Joensen, Kleid, James Hetfield, Ed Falaschi, Russell Allen, Hansi Kürsch, Damnagoras....

Written by ForeverDarkWoods on 16.02.2009 at 20:06

Most of the bands I listen to have male vocals though, but theat's mostly because there's like ten bands with male vocals for every single band with female ones... If there were more bands with female vocals I'm guessing it would be more equal.

Aye, that's right.
Although I still don't think I would choose female vocals.

Even if like more male vocalists, IMHO it's because of the quantity, and not the quality, as there are many great female vocalists out there.

Since I am SO picky when it comes to female singers (I don't know why, really) I chose male clean vocals. They both are very different typically.

Written by -DC-002- on 16.02.2009 at 22:07

Since I am SO picky when it comes to female singers (I don't know why, really) I chose male clean vocals. They both are very different typically.

Oh, I know why. You can't trust women.

But seriously, there aren't that much good female fronted bands, so it's normal. I'm listening only few of them and still I can't say I prefer women in this case...

That's completely dependable on, well, everything.

Technique doesn't really matter (as long as the singer doesn't breathe into the microphone), what matters is the subjective parts of it - emotion, "balls" (female singers can also have this - see Original Sin), general likeness (whether I like it or not) and that something extra (you know what I mean). Since the quantity of good male vocals is greater than the quantity of good female vocals I'm forced to choose the option "male vocals". But in general, it's really a case-by-case type of thing.

(Sadly, more often than not, female-fronted bands tend to be shit.)

Written by Ragana on 16.02.2009 at 21:00

Written by ForeverDarkWoods on 16.02.2009 at 20:06

Most of the bands I listen to have male vocals though, but theat's mostly because there's like ten bands with male vocals for every single band with female ones... If there were more bands with female vocals I'm guessing it would be more equal.

Aye, that's right.
Although I still don't think I would choose female vocals.

I'm thinking if female vocals were more common in metal the music style itself would shape accordingly and they would be made to sound just as fitting for metal as male vocals are.

That's part of the reason that I chose both. It all depends on the music as much as on the vocalist.

Like Chris Amber sad depends of band, style, because I like clear vocals but if its on power metal, band slike freedom call, helloween, sonata arctica definityly it sucks,
Mainly i like man vocals, because heavy metal, doom, thrash, speed hard rock its mainly male, but Crytal Viper(Marta Gabriel), Doro, Biro ''Metal Lady'' Ilona , onw beautifull voice into heavy metal, sorry Tarja Nightwish it dont counts us clean IMO, because there operactic elements and whit out vocal studies its not possible sing, so generaly into HM I like male vocals , but in doom , gothic , black female passages can be good, so I vote for male, since mously HM are male style

EDDIT: Both It dont counts since there isnt mamy femle vocal bands like Crystal Viper, Doro so ....

I DO like female vocals, but I actually do have a preference for the sound of the Male voice when properly executed. I mean, a woman can hit the same note, but won't have the same effect as Hansi Kursch on the song "Valhalla" when he's like "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" *Harmonized solos.* That's just my opinion. I mean, I love Nightwish, and I'm very fond of EToS and Tristania, as well as Sinergy. But I just like Male better.

Well, I can't make any difference by sex.. Because there may be a man with a very good vocals, and also same for a woman.. But as my personal opinion I enjoy male vocals more.. Especially when it's Mikael Akerfeldt vocals..

Male. Theres only a small handful of female fronted metal bands I can actually tolerate.

Written by Doc G. on 18.02.2009 at 23:16

Male. Theres only a small handful of female fronted metal bands I can actually tolerate.

Same for me.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.02.2009 at 23:26

Written by Doc G. on 18.02.2009 at 23:16

Male. Theres only a small handful of female fronted metal bands I can actually tolerate.

Same for me.

Same here as well... I'm also very very picky when it comes to female vocalist because a lot of the girls just want to sound "beautiful" and that's not enough for me.
I enjoy very few girls' voices in the metal scene.

Totally doesn't matter to me, what matters is how the vocals fit in with the rest of the music.
I really enjoy female vocalists, though there aren't many I find quite worthy.
Marta from Crystal Viper is way too good, same with Audrey Sylvain who does guest/clean vocals for Alcest and Amesoeurs.
Other than that, no other female vocalists come to mind!

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.02.2009 at 23:26

Written by Doc G. on 18.02.2009 at 23:16

Male. Theres only a small handful of female fronted metal bands I can actually tolerate.

Same for me.

Actually come to think of it, the only clean vocal woman band I enjoy is Girlschool and Doro/Warlock. Lee Aaron's "Metal Queen" has a few decent songs on it, but everything else I've heard from her is dreadful.

Tarja Turnenenenen, Liv Kristine, Ville Valo, Cristina Scabbies....all unbearable IMO.

Written by Doc G. on 20.02.2009 at 03:54

...it, but everything else I've heard from her is dreadful.

... Ville Valo...

I wonder if the HER fangirls will start lambasting you now.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.02.2009 at 11:11

Written by Doc G. on 20.02.2009 at 03:54

...it, but everything else I've heard from her is dreadful.

... Ville Valo...

I wonder if the HER fangirls will start lambasting you now.

Well, I'm not worried, the argument is over before it begins.

Written by Doc G. on 20.02.2009 at 03:54

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.02.2009 at 23:26

Written by Doc G. on 18.02.2009 at 23:16

Male. Theres only a small handful of female fronted metal bands I can actually tolerate.

Same for me.

Tarja Turnenenenen, Liv Kristine, Ville Valo, Cristina Scabbies....all unbearable IMO.

LOL....
I agree with that list... Except for Liv Kristine [I just like her songs on Theatre Of Tragedy though]

If theres one thing I hate in metal above anything else, apart from Metalcore which is on top of the pile, its female clean vocals!! I cant stand it and it detracts from the music substantially. The only female vocals i could ever tolerate was the previous vocalist for Dark Moor. That chick had a seriously awesome voice, mostly because it didnt sound very female. I also kinda like the female vocals that spring up once in a while on the old Dark Lunacy albums - because its not annoying and actually ADDS to the music.

But all these other bands like Nightwish, Epica and operatic shit that follows the same path as those 2 dont have a place in metal.

Written by [user id=1909] on 20.02.2009 at 14:11

If theres one thing I hate in metal above anything else, apart from Metalcore which is on top of the pile, its female clean vocals!! I cant stand it and it detracts from the music substantially. The only female vocals i could ever tolerate was the previous vocalist for Dark Moor. That chick had a seriously awesome voice, mostly because it didnt sound very female. I also kinda like the female vocals that spring up once in a while on the old Dark Lunacy albums - because its not annoying and actually ADDS to the music.

But all these other bands like Nightwish, Epica and operatic shit that follows the same path as those 2 dont have a place in metal.

Why do you hate female singers so much? For what reasons to you find it to be a detraction? There are some Very talented ladies out there. Tarja Turinen, Floor Jansen, Angela Gossow. Sabina Classen, all are really, really good. Check em out. It's not like all Chic metal bands are Kitty

Oh shit, Sabina and Angela aren;t clean vocals. So my bad, we can replace them with Doro Pesch and Liv Christine.

Written by Arian Totalis on 20.02.2009 at 16:35

Written by [user id=1909] on 20.02.2009 at 14:11

If theres one thing I hate in metal above anything else, apart from Metalcore which is on top of the pile, its female clean vocals!! I cant stand it and it detracts from the music substantially. The only female vocals i could ever tolerate was the previous vocalist for Dark Moor. That chick had a seriously awesome voice, mostly because it didnt sound very female. I also kinda like the female vocals that spring up once in a while on the old Dark Lunacy albums - because its not annoying and actually ADDS to the music.

But all these other bands like Nightwish, Epica and operatic shit that follows the same path as those 2 dont have a place in metal.

Why do you hate female singers so much? For what reasons to you find it to be a detraction? There are some Very talented ladies out there. Tarja Turinen, Floor Jansen, Angela Gossow. Sabina Classen, all are really, really good. Check em out. It's not like all Chic metal bands are Kitty

Well I dont have a concrete reason for not liking it, apart from thinking it sounds shit lol I guess I have a bit of chauvinistic approach to it - it just detracts from the power that is put forth by a band and female vocals are so one-dimensional. It always sounds a bit operatic, which I DETEST. Apart from the woman from Arch Enemy who has great vocals but I dont like Arch Enemy So that kinda doesnt count.

To me females are cool for keyboards or bass or whatever they end up playing, but they should steer clear from vocals. Its too fairy and "phantom of the opera", which is gay.

I like phantom of the Opera

Written by Arian Totalis on 20.02.2009 at 17:41

I like phantom of the Opera

May I support you!

Written by [user id=1909] on 20.02.2009 at 17:26

Its too fairy and "phantom of the opera", which is gay.

Undear fucking Satan, I so fucking much hate when people say shit like "Undear fucking Satan, I like so fucking much hate it, it's so totally fucking gay!"

I can't stand it. It's so totally GAY!

Written by Arian Totalis on 20.02.2009 at 17:41

I like phantom of the Opera

May I support you again?

Speaking of POTO, I must say that Sarah Brightman is a wonderful singer...her voice is brilliant and I must say that for me, she is better than lady Turunen....I was glad to hear symphonic metal colours on her later works....she's adding some heavy sauce to some of her songs finally....

And what would there be without these angels of music we all have....you brought them out already....
Me, who I generally am a totally untro0 goth/symphonic/classical/POP/ALANIS MORISSETTE listener...oh the blasphemies I commit...I proudly say how bored I am sometimes when listening to growling or something similar ( I know we should be speaking of clean vocals only but the hell....) which, unless performed by someone talented and professional, can be just boring....clean vocals are able to express melodies better and female vocals can be especially expressive (then again, male vocals can also do it...)...and melody, mind you, is the most important thing about the music...and how well the melodies are brought out....

Fairies? Bring them on, that'd be awesome!

And, sadly enough, I must admit that I am not that professional to judge anyway because I was always too lazy to listen to relatively boring heavy, power, thrash, death, black....

I like that folk/symphonic/gothic/melodic "shit"....I will go now and cut myself....



...another slice of cheesecake....

Written by [user id=1909] on 20.02.2009 at 17:26

Its too fairy and "phantom of the opera", which is gay.

May it be known! Liking women sing is sooo gay! Real man prefer trolls over fairies! They're more cuddly.

And there just had to be a tool voting "Clean vocals suck in metal".

I like both, it just happens that all of my favourite bands have male vocalists, except for Arch Enemy. But depending on the band, I also enjoy female vocals.

A lot of bands use female vocals here and there, out of my favourite bands Anathema, Dark Traquillity, Opeth, Dream Theater, have used female vocals on certain songs and it usually work pretty well. Of course the lead singers of all those bands are male but still I thought I should mention it.