Ever wonder how those metal singers get their "Cookie Monster" vocals?

[Blazer]

Here's how.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

From a munchkin to Satan just like that. wow

[uwe]

It must affect their brain after a while. That explains a lot of the lyrics.

[Barklessdog]

Uwe, you sound like an old man!

[uwe]

I know. Dave is a bad influence on me!

But I still have reasonably varied tastes. CDs in my car stereo are currently: new Heaven & Hell, new Pet Shop Boys, new Depeche Mode, new CD by former Suede singer, new Superfurry Animals, Chickenfoot (being neither a Satriani, nor a Hagar, nor a Van Halen nor a Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan, I'm baffled how well this turned out), a Deep Purple sampler, a Cher Greatest Hits (yup, I like the Shoop Shoop Song), Ian Gillan's One Eye to Morocco and Katie Melua's new live recording! Plus Marilyn Manson's new one which once again shows his heavy eighties Brit New Wave influence, but he can be catchy too (screamy Manson vocals start a 2.35):



  
That is reasonably eclectic, no? I forgot Joe Bonamassa's new one!

[Dave W]

Not fair. I never liked cookie monster vocals when I was young either. 

[uwe]

Yes, thanks for reminding us, Dave. People didn't even have cookies back then. Those Great Depression years were tough.

[gweimer]

If I recall the famous Christmas lecture of the Univ. of Illinois in Champaign, the same effect can be acheived with Nitrogen gas.  That Christmas lecture was always packed, since it was a fun exploration of little chemistry tricks, like mixing sugar with hydrochloric acid.

[Dave W]

Yes, thanks for reminding us, Dave. People didn't even have cookies back then. Those Great Depression years were tough.

They also didn't have heavy metal music.

But there was still plenty of bad taste to go around.

[bobyoung]

It must affect their brain after a while. That explains a lot of the lyrics.

You can understand the lyrics?







(Old and proud of it)

[uwe]

"Arrrrgh-aaaargh-barf-baaaaarf"!

Most of the lyrics fall into that category. But my son always makes fun of his friend who's a great death metal fan and sings all these cookie monster lyrics along in that absolutely sweet, tuneful and innocent voice of his. I do have one Slipknot album, but I like the parts best where the singer actually sings with his real singing voice which is not even a hardrock shouter's voice, but rather pop.

[hieronymous]

I do have one Slipknot album, but I like the parts best where the singer actually sings with his real singing voice which is not even a hardrock shouter's voice, but rather pop.

I definitely find cookie-monster vocals more tolerable when combined with more melodic, normal-voiced singing. Recent Opeth stuff is great (killer Hammond organ too - almost a Deep Purple vibe on some songs) and the switching between vocal styles adds to the tension and release.