A Question On Screaming

Was just wondering, I can't seem to trace back the excessive screaming in some metal bands ie. the beginnings of the death growl and, as I call it, the banshee shriek, any earlier than some early 80's German thrash...

Do any of you know who actually started the screaming thing and why?

       

No, I mean just screaming not singing. I mean stuff like, Kreator, Sodom, Sepultura and Death, that type of screaming.

John Entwistle 

Its either Motorhead or Venom - I used to be into them as a teen and there was nothing else like them

I'd say the first band with vocals that could be considered harsh were Venom. That's just  what I can say, I'm not sure how accurate I am.

Tom Waits ? (beats easily any Death Metal growler)

(This has become a challenge for me . . .)
Okay, hehe

When it comes to Carcass, for the un-initiated, Carcass is one of the 1st to take "Gore"
to the extreme, I chose the One Vid/Audio Track on YOUtube with the "Lesser Gross"
Cover, but it still may offend so I didnt embed it here (Some may think its silly and funny,
but usually this stuff depresses me, but Carcass just had something about them, maybe
because they were the 1st to out-do everyone, but they're extremely talented musicians).
Their later stuff gets a bit more coherant and technical, and they start doing away with
Gore lyrics, Like Death - too many bands started to copy them, in-turn, the Genre "Gore
Metal" was invented (...great ).  Also known as "Gore-Grind" and "Splatter Metal"
(as mentioned in Wiki).

"Reek of Putrifaction" has both the Death Metal and Screaming (INSANE at that):
Demo Version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AaYheE2lzU
Album Track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrsdTWbJiiI&feature=related
I prefer this one because it sounds like a bloody nightmare!
The Story (Very interesting):



Heres the 5 others that may answer or fuel the debate:

Napalm Death "Unchallenged Hate" (1988)

Cookies with the screaming toward the end, no melodic
vocals to be found in its 100 yard radius .

Venom "Black Metal" (1982)

You know, I was never a Venom fan, but I've heard a few songs back when
they debuted and after.  I seem to remember some "screaming", but here
its more of a "Grunting" type vocals.  So maybe in their later years they
started that(?).

Possessed "Seven Churches" (1985)


Bathory (1984)


Death (1987)

Cookie, Screaming and Grunting!

Now dont beat me up FusionKing! ow Ow OW STOP WITH THE HIT-TING!!!!
And Lucas, I like Tom Waits very much.  Hehe, just add heavy guitars!

FusionKing wrote: YEAH, I get all that (thanks by the way) But does anyone know who the first band ever to simply scream/growl without singing was?

If anyone can find THAT 1st Band and Album, it will be pretty interesting


Recent note:
Sometimes you can't trust a Wiki.
So I decided to Google "1st Metal band to use harsh vocal style" and I found these:
1. Screaming (Music): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screaming_(music)
Notice when you look at the Punk and Heavy Metal sections, hardly any Bands are mentioned.
The Heavy Metal Section has Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax as its examples, with brief
aknowledgements to Rob Halford, Zeppelin and Deicide .  But really none of the "founders" are
linked to this style of vocalization.
Yet go to Post-Hardcore and Nu Metal and "Other Genres" and there are plenty of Names to go
around.  So the article is very biased.

And then there was this quote:
"Musicologist Deena Weinstein has noted of death metal, "Vocalists in this style have a distinctive
sound, growling and snarling rather than singing the words. Making ample use of the voice
distortion box, they sound as if they had gargled with hydrochloric acid." 
I wonder really, how many of these bands use a Distortion Box, seeing numerous Death Metal
Bands and being in front of Chuck Schuldiner, Mikael Akerfeldt and Jens Kidmen to name a
few, they were using their natural voices, I can attest to that.
I can remember alot of folks saying that back when the scene was developing, but I think it was
Just a way to criticize the music because they did not like it.


2.  Death Growl: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_growl
Its written by the same person and "mentions" a few Bands.  This must've been some kind of
quicky High School essay because its poorly written and has Prompts that ask,
"Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting
only of original research may be removed." 
It seems both were written without any self-knowledge, personal experience or reputable sources
and fundamental History of the various Musics.  It also feels as though the person took certain
Paragraphs from Books that "sound Underground enough" and added to the Article, while skipping
a host of founding Metal Bands.  I also suspect that the Book sources are written by journalists who
know more about Rock Music than Metal and its sub-genres.  I once Read a Book about Modern
Rock, and in the Heavy Metal section, Megadeth was considered "The Pioneers of Death Metal".
Deth + Metal = Death Metal *ding!

3. This Article is not bad at Wapedia, "Death Metal":
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Death_metal
But some Genre definition are "loose" and some important Bands are left out.
Apparently this is a "Wiki" page on Death Metal as well.  So I guess Wiki has better articles about
individule Bands than "Genre" definitions.

If anyone finds better resources, it be very cool to see them.  And you'll make FusionKing happy .



Edited by MAVIIIVAM - 21 May 2010 at 11:33pm

Edited by Certif1ed - 24 May 2010 at 4:48am

Cookie monster growls started with Venom.

Edited by Black Flag - 24 May 2010 at 9:25pm