Most metal music has one thing in common, screaming. Many don't like it, but those of us that do appreciate the skill and risks that accompany it. Screaming is a form of singing in aggressive music genres such as heavy metal, punk rock, and metalcore. The different characteristics of screaming (intensity, pitch, etc.) vary between different genres and vocalists. Since the heavy metal genre's dawn in the late 1960s, singers only employed the technique occasionally with the exception of Robert Plant and Rob Halford for example. Screaming didn't even become a regular method until the explosion of the thrash metal genre in the 1980s.
Thrash metal was influenced by both heavy metal and by hardcore punk, which usually incorporated shouting or screaming. Chuck Schuldiner of the band Death first used screaming as a constant delivery of lyrics. The vocals of thrash metal is very diverse; some bands, for example Metallica, used very hardcore punk influenced vocals in their early albums. Slayer use shouts and yells that bear very little resemblance to hardcore punk.
Many bands change their vocal styles over the years, for example Asking Alexandria and Avenged Sevenfold. Both of those bands' earlier albums are more screaming than singing and differ from their newer projects which consist of mostly singing in some cases. The main reason behind these changes in style is mainly due to health concerns. Without the proper training, a person can really damage their throat and voice with screaming. Many vocalists that have used screaming tend to damage their vocal chords, throats, voices, and even experience major migraines. Some vocalists have had to stop screaming, undergo surgery to repair the damage to their vocal cords, and some have even had to stop making music altogether. Even with so many health concerns that accompany screaming, there are proper ways to do it. Melissa Cross is a vocal teacher that specializes in screaming and has taught many metal vocalists how to do it correctly.
Corey Taylor, Oliver Sykes, and Matthew Tuck have all had vocal training from Melissa Cross. From New York City, Melissa Cross spent many years attending Interlochen Arts Academy and the Bristol Old Vic Theater School in England. Even though she created the DVD The Zen of Screaming, a DVD that teaches the art of screaming, her background is in theater and traditional opera. She has gained national recognition as an expert in assisting vocalists in minimizing damage to their vocal chords, and even avoiding the damage all together. VH1, MTV, The Smithsonian and Discovery channel have all featured her on their shows. She has also held seminars in several countries. Her first DVD was called The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed. Her second DVD was titled The Zen of Screaming 2 and expanded on the instruction found in the first DVD. Her third was called ZOS3 - See the Sound, which incorporates a brand new method of teaching vocal use of all types and genres through the use of visual imaging was scheduled to release in the summer of 2012, but was launched on September 3rd 2018. You can find more information on Melissa Cross on her website www.melissacross.com. All of her DVDs and services are available for purchase there as well.
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