However, I remember reading something about how, back in the 1970s, there was some rivalry between Freddie Mercury and Rob Halford. Though it was less about vocals and more about trying to “out-gay” each other via stage mannerisms and wardrobe.
But yeah, I agree that Queen was not a metal band, any more than The Beatles were a metal band, despite delving into heavy metal here and there.
I would also say that AC/DC is not a metal band. Hard rock, yes; metal, no.
Ok, #2 might be Janne “JB” Christoffersson from Grand Magus. Almost forgot about that guy/band.
You must be thinking of someone else. They never met (Halford talks about how he wishes they had in interviews), and their only public interaction was a radio bit in which Halford challenged Freddie to a motorbike race. Plus, Halford wasn’t wearing much of the bondage club stuff in the 70s.
I’m surprised about all the love for Geoff Tate. He’s who I came in to mention.
As someone who hangs out in the symphonic and power metal section:
But really, I could just listen to Tarja all day and be happy.
Me too. I am not a huge Queensryche fan but he is certainly the best metal singer that I have ever heard by far. He is also a really good singer in general.
Musical genius…yes. Psychopath…absolutely. Legendary singer…c’mon, man.
Allow me to also add Messiah Marcolin, the former & recurring lead singer of Candlemass.
What? No love for Anneke van Giersbergen?
Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
My first list didn’t include him, actually, but then I had a flashback to my teens. Nostalgia notwithstanding, I’d say he does (or, well, used to do) anguished high-pitched cries better than just about any man in black metal history - as on Det Som En Gang Var (the song, not the album). And the more mature, post-prison-era double vocals he pulled on the Belus album - on the Glemselens Elv track specifically - are, IMHO, incredibly touching, moving, rewarding, call it what you will.
His range isn’t quite Dickinsonion, of course, but for sheer intensity, he is hard to beat.
The one thing about Tate is that his voice overshadowed the best thing about Queensryche: Chris DeGarmo’s playing and writing.
True, but I still can’t see how he is any less than #1 judging on pure singing criteria alone. He sings like a classical opera singer set to heavy metal music.
For those of you how aren’t familar with his vocals, here is an 80’s classic that showcases them. That isn’t a one-off performance nor is is doctored. He sings like that live and still can do it to this day for many different types of music.
…
Why have a thread asking for the top 5 metal vocalists and have 90% of the lists consist of non-metal vocalists.
These threads are always a head scratcher.
Steven Tyler?
That is true. Most people don’t have a good understanding of heavy metal vs hard rock. Unfortunately, most heavy metal bands have horrible singers and the genre has degenerated to the point these days so much that it is largely unlistenable.
Bottom line:
Geoff Tate is by far the best true singer in heavy metal if you look at it from that aspect alone. There is no other competition on that aspect alone.
Axl Rose is a good showman and Guns N Roses is my favorite heavy metal band overall (Appetite for Destruction only please) but he isn’t an especially good singer.
Ozzy helped define the genre and he was a passable singer as well as good promoter.
Nobody in Motley Crue could do anything worthwhile musically live to save their life outside of the studio. They sold albums but they were horrible musicians (and that comes from a fan) They depended on studios and sound engineers to produce marketable recordings.
Unfortunately, heavy metal has degenerated so much since the 80’s and early 90’t that I find it completely unlistenable for most of the modern acts. You reach a limit in which speeding things up more and more and resorting to cookie monster type utterances doesn’t work anymore. Heavy metal hit that limit a long time ago and it has yet to recover.
Is Phil Anselmo anywhere in this thread? If not why?
First Queensryche song I ever heard (I had the original EP on cassette). And Chris DeGarmo is from my hometown - he graduated high school a couple years ahead of me.
But here’s something about Tate’s voice, and something I’ve discovered about a lot of those metal vocalists with the high, powerful vocals: Their speaking voices:
GEOFF TATE TALKS FRANKLY ABOUT QUEENSRYCHE SPLIT
David Coverdale is another one I can think of off the top of my head.
Yup, it’s why I spend most of my time listening to symphonic metal from places like Finland and The Netherlands. Or hell, just metal in general from that part of the world (with the exception of Norwegian black metal — I just can’t do the “hail Satan” thing). There is a lot of good metal coming out of those countries.
OTOH, there are some newer bands that are trying to bring back the '80s metal sound. I’ve enjoyed White Wizzard:
And I particularly like the singer in that video. Sadly, thanks to the bass player/band founder being a complete douchebag, and going through six singers in two years, they’ve been dropped by their record label. Which is sad. That “Over the Top” video is the best metal video ever.
I guess you guys don’t like stoner/doom/drone call it whatever, but you’re glossing over a fairly large set by acting like all American and UK metal since the 1990 is sped up. Exactly the opposite for a while there, and acts like Electric Wizard are still around.
I dislike showboat vocals in metal, so I don’t have anybody to add to the list.
Ehh, some people have a narrow view and probably think acts like Sleep are hard rock. But I love that stuff, and I’ll call it Metal all day long.
Whether they’re showboats or not, I’d list your favorites.
What’s the worst that’s going to happen? Someone will say they’re not metal enough? Piffle! Grind them up!
Robert Plant
Lemmy Kilmister
Page Hamilton
Josh Homme
Matt Pike
OK, so Plant was a big showboat. Most of my vocalists aren’t even known for vocals, so I thought I’d have at least one guy on there who could indisputably sing.
This. I also happen to have a very broad view of what is and isn’t metal. Having said that:
Jon Garcia - Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida
Uta Plotkin - Witch Mountain
Justin Broadrick - Napalm Death, Godflesh, Jesu, about 4000 other side projects
Scott Kelly - Neurosis
Julie Christmas - Made Out of Babies, Battle of Mice and solo work