Top 10 Greatest Death Metal Vocalists
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner (1967-2001) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known as the founder and vocalist, guitarist and bassist of the American heavy metal band Death. He is considered the most influential figure in Death Metal, with some publications referring to Chuck as the "Godfather of Death Metal". Schuldiner died in December 13, 2001 of brain cancer, his death subsequently leading to the disbandment of Death, but has remained influential among many aspiring metal artists.
He was also known for his polite and life loving attitude and openly condemned stereotypes of metal musicians being harmful and evil. Chuck is amazing. I don't really like the death growls like cannibal corpse style kind of vocalist. I like chucks vocals his first three albums was brutal but sounded really good then his vocals involved into a high pitch type and I was amazed when I first heard it. I love chuck and mikael akerfeldt the best. It would be very ausome to hear a full song with chucks soft vocals like he did for a minute on painkiller but that's chuck still a badass caring dude. Man I wish he didn't die like that he only drink and smoke a little grass which isn't bad drugs but got brain cancer. Well at least he's in a better place R.I.P. chuck we love you ( not in a gay way)
Just the best. This guy can do some crazy riffs while singing, and his vocals on his cover of Painkiller are more high pitched than that of rob halford (the guy who originally made it, he's from Judas Priest). All the while, he has a very recognizable voice in death metal, and his growls are bone chillingly low. Plus, he pretty much founded death metal, and few bands are even near as influential as him and the greatest death metal band, Death! It's funny though, because his band's name would name the genre too.
Chuck Schuldiner. He's the greatest singer AND guitarist of all time and that's a fact. No question about it. What he was doing to metal at the time was never seen before back in 1987. Scream Bloody Gore is a very solid album and Leprosy, Death's second album, also known as Best Metal Album Of All Time, was just so much more better in every instance than Scream Bloody Gore. Leprosy is just a masterpiece where literally every song is a hit and there's no skipping. Then Spiritual Healing was meh but Human was amazing and they changed their sound further on Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic was masterful and The Sound Of Perseverance is clearly one of their best albums. All the way till the end with Control Denied he was always making amazing music. RIP Chuck. You really are an inspiration to me.
#1. He innovated this extreme growling style
#2. His voice was insane and the craziest of all DM vocalists.
#3. He had the deepest death growl ability.
#4. He was a lead guitarist and a lead vocalist as well. (takes too much talent too play two such major roles alone).
#5. He was the father of Death Metal and the founder of the best Death Metal band ever!
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician, prominently known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth, as well as being the former vocalist of death metal supergroup Bloodbath for three albums up until 2012.
He also has a side project with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson known as Storm Corrosion. They released their self titled debut in 2012.
Akerfeldt also performed lead vocals on Katatonia's sophomore album "Brave Murder Day". He is best friends with their regular lead singer, Jonas Renkse. If we were looking at this from a non-biased point of view, we would see that this man is the best death metal vocalist (and one of the best metal vocalists or even vocalists in general) by far. Absolutely NOBODY else has death growls that sounds this good. I don't think that the word "growls" does this man justice. He death ROARS. Not only is he an amazing growler, but he has one of the most beautiful singing voices that I have ever heard, which is even more important. He can go from angel to demon or vice versa in the blink of an eye. And not only is his sound and technicality impressive, but he writes some of the deepest, most poetic lyrics that you are likely to hear in music. A true prodigy of his craft.
While Opeth can be a daunting band for me (Genuinely great, but I find their pacing to be aggravating at times, and that results in many of their songs being tiring and boring for me), one thing I cannot deny is that Mikael Åkerfeldt is a monstrous vocalist of a high caliber. His soft vocals are very polished and soothing, yet his growls are just seething with rage, frustration and chaos. Two contrasting vocal styles which are conveyed by a singer seamlessly. It makes Åkerfeldt a Metal vocalist one should really look up to.
He's awfully talented, his voice is like snow falling symphony when he's singing with Opeth and it just turns into a monstrous growling when he's with Bloodbath!
Never saw such 180degree variations in my entire life anywhere else!
Some of the most beautiful clean singing out there. Also has the most brutal guttural growl that still manages to be clear and understandable. Great combination of clean and harsh.
George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher is an American extreme metal vocalist for the American death metal band Cannibal Corpse and the lesser-known melodic death metal band Paths of Possession. George Fisher is obviously the greatest of all time. Chuck Schuldiner is overrated, since he does more high-pitched screams. Corpsegrinder is so mighty with his monstrous growling and it is obvious that he has mastered it fluently. Death growling is not easy on the throat, but Corpsegrinder seems willing to growl no matter what. And on top of it all, he is very friendly and cool to be around.
great vocalist! He got insane high pitched screams and strong monstrous growls. He's style is very recognizable. He is perfect vocalist for cannibal corpse and He has also done some great job in his own melodic death metal band paths of possession, it's really great stuff, (maybe best vocal work he's ever done, if you don't know band you should seriously check it out). I would have thought that he's voice would fit to melodic death metal, but it was perfect.
He brings a lot more energy to Cannibal Corpse's music as opposed to Barnes. Barnes is more about sounding brutal, but Corpsegrinder, as previously stated, has a greater presence in the band and brings a lot more energy in both the studio and at live shows. In my opinion, Corpsegrinder is actually one of the greatest metal frontman out there today.
One of the best death growlers in metal and masters of the "monstrous growl". Peter Tagtgren in "Nightmares Made Flesh" by Bloodbath is a close second. Corpse's newest album, A Skeletal Domain, is their best yet, and this guy really tears it up. Top notch death metal vocalist, in my opinion.
Johan Hegg, born in 1973 in Stockholm, Sweden, is the singer of melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. He joined the band in 1991. Amon Amarth being the first DM band that I ever listened to, Johan was of course the very reason I can do death metal vocals today; he's the very reason DM is my favourite genre of metal. This man manages to perfectly balance power and melody. With his vocals... Well, Amon Amarth just wouldn't be the same band I fell in love with when I was 15. AA isn't my favourite band as it was, but it--and he--is the reason I and many like all the DM we do today. He is without a doubt the most pleasurable DM vocalist to listen, which is why AA is Melodeath.
His growls feel natural and flow very well with Amon Amarth's music. Its also surprisingly intelligible and accessible for a casual Death Metal listener. Johan is certainly a good vocalist, and honestly, Amon Amarth is the best band I'd consider a Death Metal mascot for contemporary time.
Johan Hegg! This name defines everything about death Growl! This beast does everything can be told about growl. His voice is so balanced and so individual... Bah it can't be explained more.
With his Thor alike low and deep growls really suits their viking realated lyrics and melodic riff; just listening AA songs makes me feel like I'm in the clash of the gods! HAIL AMON AMARTH!
Chris Barnes is an American musician mainly noted for his deep-throat vocals, explicitly violent lyrics. Barnes was a founding member of Cannibal Corpse before his dismissal and would later form Six Feet Under, which he fronts to this day. His vocals in C.C and six feet under are incredible, he just gets more unique and better every album, No one grinds in a melody and sounds like a zombie out of a creek that's been drinking hydrologic acid as it's roaring at you.
Chris Barnes was excellent on the first 4 Cannibal Corpse albums. But his work on Six Feet Under is mostly pretty abysmal.
Just watch Cannibal Corpse eats Moscow alive. He has the most badass style.
He is the best death metal vocalist
He was great at cannibal corpse
I like he's albums tomb of the mutilated, the bleeding, eaten back to life and butchered at birth
He DESERVES number 1
David Justin Vincent, also known as Evil D, is an American musician who is best known as the former lead vocalist and bassist for the death metal band Morbid Angel as well as the bassist for Genitorturers. I have a lot of respect for this man, he never fails to ace his work both as a bassist and as a vocalist.
For me his voice makes the perfect death growl, many of the others either sound screechy like chuck schuldiner or like the cookie monster like george fisher
He's already on the list.
Glen Benton is an American death metal musician. He is best known as the vocalist and bassist for the death metal band Deicide and was also a part of the band Vital Remains, where he has performed in recording sessions as well as live with them on a few occasions.A controversial musician, Benton is known for his theistic satanist views and actions. He was originally going to commit suicide at age 33 in order to achieve a life opposite that of Jesus Christ, but he passed the age in 2000 and did not kill himself. In 2006, he stated that the statements he made were "asinine remarks" and that "only cowards and losers" choose to kill themselves. ...read more.
I remember when I first heard Desire. I was already a fan of Morbid Angel, Entombed, Carcass, Suffocation etc. But when I heard Deicide and Benson's Vocals, I was blown away. He has this naturally demonic and aggressive voice that comes across fast and fluent. Early Deicide was at another level of speed, percussive brutality and heaviness.
Mikael Åkerfeldt's voice is brutal but what he lacks is speed and intensity like Glen Benton. To be a great death metal vocalist one has to be able to sing with such speed and intensity.
He sings as if the devil himself is speaking from within him. Utmost brutality, speed and intensity combined.
He not only has a brutal voice but he can sing brutal and fast as well. He has the complete package.
Mark "Barney" Greenway is an English extreme metal vocalist, who has been a member of Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, and Benediction. Barney Greenway's vocals sound like a 20-foot monster ripping through the roof of a building... Powerful, deep, brutal, and massive. A great vocalist among the many great vocalists in death metal/grindcore/deathcore.
#1 why? Benediction - Subcunsious Terror, Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption, the vocals are so intense, dark and brutal The BEST!
Technically it's grindcore, but what the hell.
The most brutal, agressive and powerful harsh voice I've ever heard!
Frank Mullen, is the vocalist of the American death metal band Suffocation, and met band mates Terrance Hobbs and Mike Smith in high school. His growls is brutal but still natural. I like when he squeal from growl and than show the most brutal powerful vocal in death metal music. I like that he does exhales. That's interesting because he does music where is inhales more often. With John Gallagher he is the best vocalist ever.
Just so much rage and power in his vocals. He changes it up from album to album too so great variety
When I think brutal death metal vocals, I think Frank Mullen.
I find Tardy's vocals to be humorous at times. Heck, the animated music videos convey that even more :P.
I personally like Tardy's vocals. Its not too gravelly, but its deep and seething enough to give it a notable identity enough.
The most unique and original sounding death metal vocalist ever! No one sounds like him!
Reminds me of Chuck Schuldiner during the Human era. Love this guy!
His voices ages like a good wine. Getting better every year!
You have any doubt about his talent? Listen to Seven Churches then!
And, he was an influential figure, as well.
Way more extreme than your run-of-the-mill thrash vocalist!
His vocals were mixed with thrash but were ok.
Brutal and relentless with a no holds barred punk attitude. The man got great pipes! Underrated underground Death Metal vocalist imho.
Listen at salvation in vain... Killer
He has the best voice on earth!
He's just nice
Joseph "Joe" Duplantier is a French musician best known as the guitarist and vocalist of metal band Gojira. One of my top 3. Joe Rules!
He is the best
Such a generous dude. He has so much guest vocals on smaller bands and he always chats and drink with fans. Great vocalist and cool guy outside of the stage
He is the vocalist from Asphyx / and he is ex vocalist of Pestilence and Hail of Bullets.
The best Death Metal vocalist. Absolutely brutal.
Should be number one
Jeffrey Walker is a bass guitarist and vocalist from Windle, St Helens, UK. He is best known for his work with death metal band Carcass for which he is also the main lyricist. A unique, crazy, but already classic voice. Jeff is getting older but his voice just doesn't change!
Jeff is classic. One of the best death metal vocalist of all time!
Songs like edge of darkness says why he should be number one.
His voice rip flesh from the bones.
Jari Mäenpää (born 23 December 1977) is a Finnish heavy metal multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He is the founder of metal band Wintersun for which he records all instruments. Before forming Wintersun, Mäenpää was best known for his role in the folk metal band Ensiferum. Surprised to see him this high, but he deserves to be at least in the top 5. He sings amazingly both cleanly and uncleanly and he still sounds better than almost everyone who focuses on only one of those styles.
Hero in a Dream, Winter Madness, Battle Song, Death and the Healing, Sword Chant, Token of Time, Tale of Revenge and Guardians of Fate are some of his best.
Dan Greening, aka Lord Worm, is the original vocalist for Cryptopsy, a Canadian technical death metal band. He is also an English teacher. Lord Worm's voice is complete madness. If you are a brutal death metal fan, he is your perfect choice!
Can't get gored more by anyone else!
His growls are as powerful as corpsegrinder's and brutal as chris barnes' ones! And his scream in open face surgery is insane!
Lord worm is king of screams when it comes to death metal. even though you can't understand a word listening to none so vile or blasphemy made flesh, the first time after a while he grows on U. lord worm is ten times better then matt mcgatchy. matt defietly needs to learn from lord worm on how to be better. but overall lord worm needs to be in top 10.
Bengt Mikael Stanne is the vocalist and one of the lyricists for the Swedish melodic death metal band, Dark Tranquillity and the ex-vocalist for Swedish power metal band HammerFall. The best one in my opinion. His growls and screams are superb, sometimes even soft and gentle although still brutal, which makes him unique in the metal scene. On top of that his clean vocals are simply beautiful and so atmospheric. Whenever you see him perform live you know how much passion he puts into music!
He has a very notable rasp and scowl in his growling vocals, which gives Mikael a nice identity of its own in the Death Metal community. His baritone clean voice is also excellent.
The Man of dark tranquillity! His growls are soft and evil, dark and gloom. Mikael is much better than many others written up here.
Mikael has a truly unique and recognizable growl. He writes superb, artistic lyrics. And his clean vocals are excellent too.
Petri Lindroos is a melodic death/folk metal guitarist and vocalist. He is currently the lead vocalist in Ensiferum and, prior to this, was a founder and lead vocalist for Norther.
He has a perfect deep brutal voice, not a screechy one, so you can feel the power of one of the best death metal bands, as bolt thrower, and you can hear the lyrics too.
If you listen how deep this guy whispers "speear... heaad" or the intensity of the growl at the beggining of "Eternal War" and if you still have doubts on who's the best (and one of the most unique) DM voice ever, search for medical help... Quickly!
Karl willetts and johan hegg are the best death metal vocalists
Best growl in the history of metal, and he does it perfectly live.
He is very good.
This man's voice is amazing.
Alissa White-Gluz is a Canadian vocalist, best known as the former lead vocalist and one of the founding members of the Canadian metal band, The Agonist, and current lead vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal group, Arch Enemy. Great vocalist in both death and clean singing. She should be higher than Oliver Sykes who is not even death metal. She should at least be in the top 20.
Wow Alissa should be like number 10 she is just amazing!