Best Vocalist in Thrash Metal

Hello me, meet the real me... yuck.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Mustaine will never be considered a great "singer" but for the kind of music he does, he's got the perfect delivery... that snotty, angry, punk-influenced snarl...

That's how I see it.

I also like Chuck Billy and Katon De Pena.

Chuck Billy

[quote="sheets"]

Fat Freddy wrote:

Mustaine will never be considered a
great "singer" but for the kind of music he does, he's got the perfect
delivery... that snotty, angry, punk-influenced snarl...

Bingo!

I like Mustaine's vocals. He has that "snotty, angry, punk-influenced snarl". Couldn't have described it better myself.

TheNazgul wrote:

Chuck Billy
Dave Mustaine
Guy Ritter
John Bush
Ron Rinehart
Scott Waters

Thanks.

Dave Mustaine

I'm not really a fan of clean vocals in thrash. I guess I like my stuff really pissed off sounding! So here are my top 5

Tom "Angelripper" Such - Sodom
Miland "Mille" Petrozza - Kreator
Kai "KJ Khaos" Jaakkola - Deathchain
Kurt Bachman - Believer
Matt "Hellfiend" Harvey - Dekapitator

fingers wrote:

INVADERS wrote:

Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)

Dave Mustaine? are you mad he's got one of the worst voices in thrash to prove my point he actually was looking for a singer in late 1983 for Megadeth but he gave up since most of the singers didn't suit his style. His only vocal talents are mostly his songwriting skills and also his charisma and attitude. He's got a horrible voice that's probably the reason why his band wasn't as popular as MetallicA since James Hetfield has a better voice

Hetfield does have a better voice, but Mustaine is just one of my personal favs.
Alot of my fav vocalist have an acquired taste and are not your bog-standard vocalists but have something distinctive about them and their singing style:

Dave Mustaine
Scott Waters
Blitz
Warrel Dane
Matt Pike

[quote="ultmetal"]

sheets wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Mustaine will never be considered a
great "singer" but for the kind of music he does, he's got the perfect
delivery... that snotty, angry, punk-influenced snarl...

Bingo!

I like Mustaine's vocals. He has that "snotty, angry, punk-influenced snarl". Couldn't have described it better myself.

TheNazgul wrote:

Chuck Billy
Dave Mustaine
Guy Ritter
John Bush
Ron Rinehart
Scott Waters

Thanks.

It's all a matter of personal taste and what fits the music anyway. Most high end vocal teachers will tell you that pretty much all of the above mentioned vocalists are lousy from a purely technical perspective. (very limited range, sings off key much of the time, etc...) This is in no way a slight to these guys (esp. you Scott). If the vocals fit and support the music as well as come from the heart and you dig it that's all that matters.

Oh and +1 on Chuck Billy

I actually took vocal lessons for a long time back in the early 90's. However, if my vocal coach from back then heard what I was doing now, he'd probably have a heart attack!

"Best" vocalist in thrash and "favorite" vocalist are 2 seperate beasts, but whatever. I'll play along.

Some of my favorites (which may or may not be the best of the genre):

Dave Mustaine
Joey Belladonna
early James Hetfield
Chuck Billy (although I don't care much for the latter-day growling)
The guy from Death Angel, whose name escapes me at the moment
The guy from Evile, no idea what his name is
The guy from Sacred Reich

ultmetal wrote:

I actually took vocal lessons for a long time back in the early 90's. However, if my vocal coach from back then heard what I was doing now, he'd probably have a heart attack!

I live in a pretty music oriented city and there are some pretty expensive and well known vocal teachers here. A guy I went to school with for a while took vocal lessons from one of those teachers at about a couple of hundred dollars or so an hour. His mom paid for them and he eventually joined a local punk band. When his mom went to see them play she was horrified and made him pay her back every penny. I think it took him a couple of years to do so.

I took vocal lessons too and my teacher would also hate pretty much everyone listed in this thread.

Any vocal teacher pretty much hates everything metal though. Not ALL but a vast majority do.

My "subjective" list of favorites, I mean "best" :kickbutt:

Thumbs up for Long Beach

Ron of Dark Angel

Thumbs up for Marin County

Mark of Death Angel

Thumbs up for Phoenix

Dan and Phil of Sacred Reich

Thumbs up for Cypress

Katon of Hirax

oh yeah the kid who was on Hatchet's debut

Lurideath wrote:

I'm not really a fan of clean vocals in thrash.

I am exactly the opposite, I like both but I much rather do clean vocals than rough:

Clean:

Erik A.K. (as far as clean vocals, the best along with Joey)
Joey Belladonna (see above)
Guy Ritter
Jimmy P. Brown
Luke Easter
Mark Osegueda
James Hetfield

Rough (Shouts/Snarls/Growls):

Aaron Guerra
Scott Waters
Chuck Schuldiner
Max Cavalera
Steve Souza
Mille Petrozza
Tom Araya
Jose Barrales (Bonded By Blood)

Mix (rough & clean):

Chuck Billy
Bobby Blitz
Dave Mustaine

ultmetal wrote:

I actually took vocal lessons for a long time back in the early 90's. However, if my vocal coach from back then heard what I was doing now, he'd probably have a heart attack!

So would you say you were good technically speaking back then when you were taking the lessons? Did you resemble any established singer? I think you are a dead ringer for Steve Souza with a touch of Bon Scott nowadays.

Quote :

Dan and Phil of Sacred Reich

Who's Dan? I thought Sacred Reich only had Phil.

Quote :

Rough (Shouts/Snarls/Growls):

Aaron Guerra
Scott Waters
Chuck Schuldiner
Max Cavalera
Steve Souza
Mille Petrozza
Tom Araya
Jose Barrales (Bonded By Blood)

You put Aaron Guerra above Max Cavalera in the shout/growl dept? Interesting...

Tom Araya
Sabina Classen
Steve Reynolds
John Connelly
Phil Rind
Johan Lindstrand

Quote :

Steve Reynolds

I forgot about Steve Reynolds... he was cool!

Randy Rampage
Coburn Pharr
Joey Belladonna
Dave Mustaine
Barry Stern

Temple of Blood wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

I'm surprised by the people voting for Mustaine. I can sing with a head cold and win a contest?

Maybe it's for his attitude and lyrics. He is an original I think, you have to give him that.

I wouldn't go that far he does imitate King Diamond abit

Troublezone wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

I actually took vocal lessons for a long time back in the early 90's. However, if my vocal coach from back then heard what I was doing now, he'd probably have a heart attack!

So would you say you were good technically speaking back then when you were taking the lessons? Did you resemble any established singer? I think you are a dead ringer for Steve Souza with a touch of Bon Scott nowadays.

I sang tenor in a gospel choir for a long time. It was fun. It's very different from singing with Ultimatum.

TOM ARAYA!!!!!!

Slay-ER! Slay-ER! Slay-ER!

Warrel Dane
Erik A.K.
Russ Anderson
Chuck Billy