What is wonderful for fans of the genre is extremely interesting for researchers dealing with sound formation – A At the University of Utah They examined the skills of a deathcore singer. Experts examined an artist at the forefront of his genre in a soundproof room at the university.
Will Ramos is one of the cultivators of extreme metal, and his vocals also reflect this extreme, as he can roar like an alligator. However, the singer is able to do so much with his voice, and in the next moment it seemed as if we were hearing the echoes of the cave. Contrary to expectations, he treated his voice as a highly developed instrument.
Ear, nose, and throat specialist and speech pathologist Amanda Stark, who led the research, said research into such harsh sounds is still in its infancy. “Our goal is to understand how a snoring or raspy sound differs from clear vowels, normal speech, or just a different style of singing. The researcher hopes that with Ramos' help, they can figure out how to learn this style of singing without snoring damaging the vocal organs.”
The first step in this work is to make noise-free audio recordings in the university laboratory. The next step is to know the anatomical details from the larynx to the lips that contribute to singing. Although we already understand that in the case of classical singing styles, in the genre represented by Ramos, the same processes do not necessarily occur in the singer's throat.
Researchers use a method used in cases of various voice disorders and diseases. For example, Ramos' vocal cords were examined with the help of an endoscopic camera, and muscle activity in the throat was measured. Finally, with the help of MRI, they also revealed individual anatomical details during singing. No one has used these methods before to examine the style of a heavy metal singer.
It turns out that Ramos stretched his vocal cords on the side of his throat when he snored — vocal cords typically open when breathing or close when speaking. It is common that this type of loud singing damages the sound-producing organs. However, the successful decades-long careers of many metal singers and their consistently well-functioning sound-producing organs belie this, and of course there are certainly those who may have problems.
In audio recordings prepared for the tests, Ramos not only grunted and screamed, but also spoke in many different vocal tones. This did not tire his throat, and according to the researchers’ tests, his vocal organs were in excellent health.
Ramos was able to master these exceptional sounds while maintaining the integrity of his vocal cords. According to experts, other people can also succeed, and their techniques can be taught.
