Heavy/screamy cookie monster vox, differences between chorus and verse?

[Chris.]

I have a band I'm mixing right now and their vocals are pretty much just the low throaty screaming/cookie monster sound through their entire song. They assure me they have chrouses.

I was wondering if I could get some advice from other people that record/mix these type of bands. Do you do anything to the vocals to differentiate between the verses and the choruses? I know for other kinds of music people usually do, but I just can't think of anything that would work the same for this vocal style.

 

[zed32]

use more layers during the chorus to make the vocal sound bigger, that should help it stand out. track the chorus vocals like 3 or 4 times and layer and pan them as you see fit to make it sound cool.

 

[jonnyc]

I hand the talent an sm57 and tell him to have at it. If they can't make their versus's and chorus's sound different, or whatever, then that's on them. Sometimes I the really growly parts I'll slam the preamp to get a little distortion on the track but really these are just about the easiest vocals to record.

 

[Chris.]

I hand the talent an sm57 and tell him to have at it.

That's pretty much what I did. I was just wondering if anybody does anything fancy for choruses.

 

[Dogman]

you could hae them do a chorus that is sort of spoken, and add it really low in the mix. Or, take a main part, add it as a another track, and use a chorus or delay on it, and pan that way out...it should sound like another person somewhat.

 

[Zed10R]

That's pretty much what I did. I was just wondering if anybody does anything fancy for choruses.

This can work VERY well....IF the vocalist is good enough....

Have one chorus vocal at original pitch...hopefully that pitch is dead on and an actual note that is in key with the riffage...

Have another vocal 1/3rd step higher, but it's gotta be DEAD ON in pitch, timing, and phrasing.

Hace a 3rd vocal 1/5th higher than the previous 1/3rd....again....it's gotta be dead on.

pan dead center and mix as you/them see fit.

Presto...insta death chorus.

 

[Newbie dude]

I'm not a huge fan of this type of music, but when I listen to bands like Cannibal Corpse and Vader, the vocals are pretty consistent volume and eq wise all the way through.

 

[metalhead28]

I think this sort of thing is pretty dependant on their songwriting. I mean you can only do what would sound right with the music. What is it calling for, or how does it change during the so-called choruses? Maybe someone else in the band could do BG vocals. I've done that before with bands like that.

My only advice, if this is a hardcore band...don't let him "sing" during the choruses! There is nothing worse than a screamer trying to half ass sing a chorus in a hardcore song. I'd rather jam a pencil in my ear than listen to that.

 

[j-boy]

Cookie Monster... don't you mean Oscar the Grouch? I thought he was the one with the growly voice.

 

[zed32]

Cookie Monster... don't you mean Oscar the Grouch? I thought he was the one with the growly voice.

nope, he means COOOOKIEEEEE. he had a pretty good growl to his voice.