Extreme Metal Vocals: Musical Expression, Technique, and Cultural Meaning
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Huddersfield
Department Name: School of Arts and Humanities
Abstract
"At last! A book about heavy metal as music." This opening exclamation in Sheila Whiteley's preface to Andrew Cope's history of Black Sabbath (Cope 2010) laments a long-standing practice in popular music studies of under-emphasizing musical details. Despite this practice, musical details are necessary to understand popular music and society. They impact the circulation of meaning within systems of genre, the infrastructure of the music industry, and the aesthetic values of fans. As Whiteley's statement makes clear, metal scholarship has focused primarily on sociological issues raised by the music's transgressive ethos, lyrics, and subculture. Indeed, the often explicitly violent or Satanic themes of extreme metal (i.e. death metal and black metal) appear to invite this emphasis. But to seem powerful and convincing to fans, extreme metal must communicate transgression musically. How this is done has, for the most part, gone unexplored.
The project remedies this gap with four articles that synthesize linguistic, acoustical, historical, and musicological studies of vocal techniques. The first will be a reception study of verbal descriptions of extreme metal vocals, taken from magazines and online reviews. From this chart of semantic relationships, the second article will use spectrograms to demonstrate patterns between the descriptors and musical aspects of extreme metal vocals that correlate to different time periods and genres. The third article applies these acoustical findings to study the rhetorical qualities of climactic song sections. Finally, the fourth article's kinetic approach uses motion-capture footage of vocalists to see how their movements communicate tension, anticipation, and climax without requiring participants to verbally articulate that information or consciously reflect on their actions. Ultimately, the project will offer unique insights into extreme metal's appeal and contribute to debates about musical meaning and its relationship to identity.
The project remedies this gap with four articles that synthesize linguistic, acoustical, historical, and musicological studies of vocal techniques. The first will be a reception study of verbal descriptions of extreme metal vocals, taken from magazines and online reviews. From this chart of semantic relationships, the second article will use spectrograms to demonstrate patterns between the descriptors and musical aspects of extreme metal vocals that correlate to different time periods and genres. The third article applies these acoustical findings to study the rhetorical qualities of climactic song sections. Finally, the fourth article's kinetic approach uses motion-capture footage of vocalists to see how their movements communicate tension, anticipation, and climax without requiring participants to verbally articulate that information or consciously reflect on their actions. Ultimately, the project will offer unique insights into extreme metal's appeal and contribute to debates about musical meaning and its relationship to identity.
Organisations
| Description | One objective was to better understand how audiences interpret differences between distinct extreme metal vocal styles (i.e. interpretive differences). We achieved new statistically significant understandings of how they perceive those differences. We achieved those results with new participant experiments that provided new evidence: open-ended verbal descriptions and pre-selected verbal tags. Researchers can build upon these findings by refining the choice of verbal tags according to genre relevance. The results and our discussions help to disentangle studies that currently conflate aesthetically distinct groups of subgenres. A related objective was to better understand acoustical differences between different extreme metal styles. We found previously unrecognized differences in spectrogram results between vocal styles. Our experimental results found that harmonicity is the most important acoustical feature in distinguishing metal vocals from conventionally sung styles. My presentations [in Lyon, Croatia and the MMT Forum] demonstrated new connections between biological and zoological research on the animal roars and metal vocals that improved our understanding of stylistic differences. Specifically, they gave us more precise knowledge of why auditory roughness and inharmonicity are effective in metal because of their relationship to evolutionary mechanisms and environmental cues. We also learned what distinguishes metalcore vocals from extreme metal vocals (i.e. death metal and black metal) in terms of techniques, physiology, and acoustics. For techniques, we discovered that pharyngeal constriction is central to the metalcore vocals of Randy Blyth (Lamb of God). We discovered that many metalcore vocalists introduce forceful exhalation and vocal-fold vibration simultaneously with the other techniques that death metal vocalists use. That results in a signature sound of simultaneously occurring inharmonic and harmonic sounds previously unacknowledged in the literature. This acoustical discovery plus the experimental results provide new evidence for major genre distinctions between hybrid genres of punk and metal (i.e. metalcore) versus more traditional genres of extreme metal (i.e. death metal and black metal). We discovered key audio features that researchers can build machine-learning algorithms around for more efficient database construction, analysis, and teaching. For instance, we found that a feature called percussive/harmonic ratio (PHR) can accurately predict whether an audio sample contains a sustained vocal sound. Algorithms can now be designed around low levels of PHR to isolate musical clips that can be used by researchers to study the role of vowel acoustics in musical expression within extreme metal vocals, another key objective of this award. This knowledge can be used to efficiently construct databases of sustained vowel sounds for analysis and teaching. One objective was to study the role of vowel acoustics in relation to musical form. My studies of the Montreal Growlers Choir achieved this objective by showing novel ways that a composer has used vowel acoustics during key moments in musical form such as the introduction and climactic moments of closure. My results showed new evidence that vowel acoustics operate similarly to more known musical parameters such as pitch and dynamics and that they can be used in parallel ways. These lessons will help composers write more intuitive vocal music for performers and experiment with counterintuitive special effects. Both the introduction and climactic moments of closure provided new evidence that vowel acoustics are central to the achievement of perceptual heaviness in metal within extreme metal vocal styles. Specifically, I found that low formant frequencies are important for perceptual heaviness and that vowel rhotacization (lowered third formants) can create especially heavy moments of closure. This award met the objective of uncovering new findings for how extreme metal vocalists move their body during performance, creating new evidence of musical expression that complements other parts of the project. Our output detailed how musicians' movements anticipate moments of intensity and climax, revealing skillsets previously unacknowledged with metal vocalists that correspond with previous cognitive studies of musician abilities. We found evidence of physical gestures that mimic lyrical content. This helped to connect more obvious types of musical meaning with less obvious types such as vowel acoustics. We found that these gestures also mapped onto vowel acoustics, showing vocalists gazing upwards while vocalizing high vowel formants and uttering the word "high." Similarly, vocalists hunched and pointed downwards while using lower formants and uttering the word "low." These connections strengthen our growing body of evidence around the expressive importance of vowel acoustics. We found new evidence that vocalists in different subgenres move differently on stage in ways that enhance our understanding of aesthetic ideals in those genres. We found that metalcore vocalists tense their faces and necks, reflecting high levels of exertion and emotive arousal. This helps to corroborate emerging theories around vocal production in those styles such as the importance of forceful exhalation and pharyngeal constriction. We also found that metalcore vocalists crouch close to the front of the stage, reflecting aesthetic ideals around minimizing physical and figurative distances between audience and performer. This sheds new light on genre relationships between metalcore and its punk precedents as well as less obvious connections to genres like folk music. We also found that metalcore vocalists frequently cup the microphone with their hands while in this position. Our research uncovered some previously unacknowledged reasons for this such as protecting vocalists' teeth and, in the case of metalcore vocalist Courtney LaPlante, shielding her body with her arms to protect her from being groped near the front of the stage. These findings are important because they counter popular narratives that microphone cupping is a uniformly bad practice for audio-engineering or stylistic reasons and suggest that this received wisdom may not benefit the needs of female vocalists. We found that black metal vocalists sometimes show similar physical stances to crooners, reflecting a previously understudied dimension of sensuality in a genre with a reputation for austere transgression. |
| Exploitation Route | Sociologists and musicologists can use the results of our participant experiments to better understand and explain key differences between the aesthetic ideals of extreme metal and punk hybrids in order to better understand the distinct value systems that underlie different communities of music fans and musicians. They can similarly use our findings about genre-specific physical stances to better understand the distinct performative goals of vocalists in separate genres like metalcore and black metal. Vocalists and vocal coaches can use our acoustical findings about stylistic differences between metal voice types to better explain the effects that different high-profile vocalists achieve and to refine their own vocal practices. Researchers in multiple domains can use our findings around key audio features to build machine-learning algorithms for more efficient database construction, analysis, and teaching. Coders can use our findings around percussive/harmonic ratio (PHR) to design machine-learning algorithms around low levels of PHR to isolate musical clips conducive to steady-state vowel measurements. (See the Researchfish Narratives.docx document for an elaboration). Composers can use my findings around how vowel acoustics operate similarly to pitch and dynamics in order to write more intuitive vocal music for performers and experiment with counterintuitive special effects. Music analysts can use our findings around how vocalists move in anticipatory ways in relation to musical climax as well as expressive ways that express word painting, and match their performances of vowel acoustics in order to better recognize when vowels are being performed in meaningful ways. More work around vowels is thus possible. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Education Healthcare Leisure Activities including Sports Recreation and Tourism Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | Today, on 7 March 2025, I shared my project findings with Alyssa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), a high-profile, professional extreme metal vocalist. White-Gluz asked me questions about vowel formants, pitch, and inharmonic sounds, which allowed her to understand her voice in much greater detail. She is using the new knowledge about acoustics to better communicate about the techniques she uses and to better understand which techniques cause her fatigue and discomfort. She asked active questions about our results, suggesting further lines of inquiry. She voiced her opinions about prior books on female metal musicians and spoke at length about the kinds of representation that she wants from future research. In particular, she asked for the kinds of research questions that male performers receive around detailed technique and analysis. My project contributes specialised knowledge about acoustics and genre that help her to voice her frustrations around gendered pressures while touring. My findings around stylistic phenotypes resonate with her experiences of genre and allow her to better explain precise techniques and situations that she wants to branch away from. Specifically, she talked about pressures to sound male and my project helped her to understand how those pressures relate to her self-conscious lowering of her voice during speech and certain styles of vocal performance. My project has inductively identified that styles of metal related to hardcore punk construct authenticity around toughness and relatability. These findings helped her to explain how pressures to be tough and sound manly motivate her hardcore screams in ways that she is actively looking to change. By showing her new findings around acoustics and physiology as well as new visualisations of vowels and genre, my project is helping her to explore new sounds that allow her to be herself rather than imitate others. Another high-profile vocalist, Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation) told me that he has been wanting to learn more about his metal vocals for decades and is grateful for how this research is revealing new information about what makes his individual style unique as well as what he has in common with his peers. My findings on vowels is helping the Growlers Choir in Montreal, Canada to better rehearse. Previously, their director used hand signals derived from sign language. My findings allowed him to distinguish between written vowels and acoustic vowels, creating clearer conducting techniques to help his vocalists better rehearse. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Healthcare,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | Coding development for an interactive application for the web page for Extreme Metal Vocals: Musical Expression, Technique, and Cultural Meaning |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Fund Vocal Research with The Charismatic Voice |
| Amount | $318,580 (USD) |
| Organisation | KickStart International |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 04/2026 |
| Title | Smial-Graphs |
| Description | Smial-graphs are a graphical interface for the analysis of vowel formants in extreme metal vocals. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The tool has been used in two research outputs currently in press and demonstrated in two public workshops. |
| Description | A Second Presentation at the Music and Music Technology (MMT) Research Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A small audience of 5 to 10 postgraduate students and faculty attended for a research presentation, which generated questions and discussion, and the audience reported greater understanding of the topic and interest in its partnership with The Charismatic Voice YouTube channel. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Co-chairing the Popular Music Studies Research Group (PMSRG) at the University of Huddersfield |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Five research group meetings were held online during the school year for varied participants of up to 15 members per session. Meetings included formal presentations, informal discussions around predetermined topics, and a workshop for writing in progress. I presented research from the project at one meeting in 2023. Postgraduate students reported that group meetings were very helpful with writing and that it helped them meet other pop music researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://research.hud.ac.uk/pmsrg/ |
| Description | Co-designed workshop/tutorial for participants at the Timbre 2023 conference: "Methods for Analyzing, Composing, and Arranging for Extreme Metal Choir" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Workshop to the participants of the Timbre 2023 conference, co-organised with Pierre-Luc Senécal, the director of the Growlers Choir. Participants learned to do extreme metal vocals and learned about how the Growlers Choir rehearses as well as how this project analyses their music. The main conference organiser told me afterwards that some delegates called it the highlight of the conference and that it was exceptional in its delivery as a participatory workshop rather than a one-way lecture. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://timbreconference.org/timbre2023/schedule/ |
| Description | Interview for national news (The Times) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Times music critic Will Hodgkinson and a photographer visited my office to interview me about my research and to take photos for the newspaper. In addition to answering his questions, I taught the reporter how to do the metal vocal techniques that I study. He reported on the surprising complexity of metal vocals, the extensiveness of my database, the innovative ways that my project uses linguistics, and my project's plans for an app that vocalists can use to train their voices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/roar-can-our-rock-critic-learn-to-sing-extreme-metal-brkk9hjnh |
| Description | Presentation at the Music and Music Technology (MMT) Research Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This was a talk around my research plans and their connection to previous research that introduced postgraduate students and faculty to major debates and questions in my topic and provided a creative and engaging window into some commonly missed nuances in the music. This sparked discussion where one faculty member highlighted how an animation I presented allowed her to hear new details and made her rethink her approach to teaching. It also helped me network with a postgraduate vocalist who later met with me to help shape my later research and conference presentations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Workshop on Vowel Explorations for Extreme Metal Choir |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | An estimated 50 undergraduate students participated in an interactive workshop on extreme metal vocal techniques and the creative use of vowels for extreme metal choir. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |