Harsh vocals have long been a defining feature of metal music, embodying a raw, primal energy that sets the genre apart. While not all metal subgenres utilize harsh vocals, their presence is unmistakably metal, evoking a sense of darkness and power that resonates with fans. The visceral, guttural delivery of death growls and shrieks adds a layer of intensity to the music that cannot be replicated by any other instrument or technique.
Delving into the history of harsh vocals reveals a lineage that stretches back further than many might suspect. Accounts from the 10th century describe Viking songs as filled with growling sounds akin to untamed beasts, hinting at a primal connection between harsh vocals and ancient musical traditions. Even in the 11th century, the Devil’s lines in a morality play were to be delivered in a chaotic and inhuman manner, reflecting the enduring association between harsh vocals and themes of darkness and evil.
The modern era saw the emergence of recognizable harsh vocals in the music of bands like The Who and Mike Oldfield, laying the groundwork for the evolution of this vocal style. However, it was not until the early 1980s that harsh vocals as we know them today began to take shape, with bands like Venom incorporating growls and shouts into their music alongside Satanic imagery.
By the mid-1980s, the landscape of harsh vocals had expanded significantly, with bands like Mantas and Possessed pushing the boundaries of death growls and creating a new standard for extreme vocal delivery. Black metal also made its mark, with Bathory and Amebix introducing rasping, shrieking vocals that perfectly complemented their occult and dark lyrical themes.
As the late 1980s arrived, bands like Death and Sarcofago further refined and solidified the death and black metal vocal styles, with Chuck Schuldiner and Sarcofago’s vocalists setting new standards for aggression and intensity. Cannibal Corpse, with Chris Barnes at the helm, perfected the growling death metal style, ushering in a new era of extreme vocal performance that would influence generations of metal vocalists to come.
Throughout the evolution of harsh vocals, metal music has continually pushed the boundaries of extremity and innovation, with vocalists striving to create ever more grotesque and inhuman sounds that complement the intensity of the music. The history of harsh vocals up to 1990 marks a pivotal moment in the development of extreme metal, setting the stage for the genre to explode into a myriad of subgenres and styles that continue to shape the metal landscape to this day.
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