Improve your voice with singing lessons. A private singing teacher can help with techniques and tips to fine tune your vocals.

Also read what a classical singing teacher has to say about different metal singers and their singing styles!

Here are a bunch of vocal FAQ's Angela received over the last few years.... (Question -> Answer)

Q: What's your opinion on inhales? Ever tried them?

A: Inhales is a very unnatural way of singing. It’s all in reverse, like driving your car as fast as you can backwards.

It’s gonna end up in a pile of shit. I think. Feels totally wrong to me and is very drying for the vocal chords.

I am not too fond of super low growls, those who sound like a rumble. I like aggression in the voice.

Chuck Schuldiner is my fave death metal vocalist. He is almost singing. He's def. got a lot of tone in his voice.

A lot more cut throat than Chris Barnes these days.

Make your voice YOUR voice. Thats the coolest anyway. Put expression in it - the words you sing have a meaning.

So try to bring that across and you will be better than 90% of all these acrobats out there

who think it’s an exercise rather than a primal form of communicating emotions.

Q: I asked my friend if he could give me some tips and hints about growling for the beginners, but he replied that

"Nobody can teach me how to do it, it's the matter of either I've got "it" inside me or not", is that true???

My other friend said that if I'm just gonna smoke and drink I will have that voice automatically..

So I'm pretty much left on my own. I exercise my diaphragm every day, I'll buy the Melissa Cross DVD and see how it goes.

A: You need to get the DVD ‘The Zen Of Screaming 1' It is great for working at home.

As far as teachers go: Anybody will do. The basic breathing and singing techniques are

the same for opera, rock, pop and screaming. You don’t need to find a specialist.

Just anybody who knows how to sing really. Start there.

Smoking and drinking will destroy your voice, fuck up your health and give you cancer.

I don’t smoke and I don’t drink because i want to keep my voice and my health.

You got some very uneducated friends. I guess they are all very young.

Yes, some vocal chords can’t handle screaming. But you haven’t even started with the basics -

which is the right techniques for breathing and singing - so it is way too early to tell whether you can do it or not.

Try a teacher first, pay your dues, work hard, sing every day- then you will know.

Good luck!

Angela

 

Q: What kind of mic do you use live and what is your vocal sound live?

A: Well, I figured I ask our FOH Clem about my vocal sound live, as he knows a lot better than I do, haha. Here is his response:

“You know what? I hardly touch your voice.

If I have the luxury (like a headline show), I send it to a voice

doubler on an SPX or an Eventide, but just use a bit of it. It's not

really worth it most times.

One thing is I compress it pretty hard at 4:1, but really, you sing at

90-100% almost all night, so the compression is just to keep your

signal flat, rather than as a problem solver on a more dynamic  (ie:

no technique) singer.�

 

Q: Hey Angela, I only want to tell you how important your last concert in Madrid was for me. I saw you for the 4th time but it is not for that. 1 year ago, my doctor told me that I have a  problem with my vocal chords. I got cysts for many years...they don't know when it started. I've had an operation last September...2weeks without speaking and 3 months talking with a voice like trucker.

Before that I sang in a death metal band, but when my voice problems I stopped growling.

Today I still can not speak normally, if I talk more than an hour I feel tired and my voice gets rough.

Sometimes I feel like I will never sing again, and I start to cry because I really love to do it. I'm sure that a lot of people tell you things like this, but for me is important to tell you. Every time I listen to your music you made me feel strong.

Doctors tell me that I have to start rehabilitation later. I hope I will be better in April-May.

Thank you for your music and for letting me enjoy every gig!

Hails and kisses from Majorca.

Alex

A: Hello Alex, after such a heavy surgery it takes time to heal! Give yourself that time, even if its 2 years - it doesn’t matter in the long run of things. Remember, I joined arch enemy with 26 years old. I am sure you are a lot younger. You got all the time in the world!

Please see a speech therapist/vocal coach to learn techniques how to get your old voice back.

All the best

Angela