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Deep within the labyrinthine halls of a Utah imaging research center, a gaggle of voice scientists crowded around a small window with expressions of utter astonishment. Trading theories in hushed voices, they peered into the tiny, soundproofed room where their study participant got ready to do what he did best. As the University of Utah researchers watched, he cupped his ears, opened his mouth and roared: a guttural, crocodilian rattle that rolled out from the two-way mic.

To those unfamiliar with Will Ramos’ oeuvre, which includes the songs “Chokehold” and “Hammer Smashed Face,” the sound seemed almost inhuman. But as one of the biggest names in the musical genre known as deathcore belted out another note—this one strangely resonant, as if he stood in a cave instead of a cramped recording lab—he proved that the human voice is an instrument that defies expectations.

To understand that instrument, the researchers embarked upon a comprehensive scientific study of the harsh vocals that characterize deathcore and other genres, revealing for the first time the complex internal acrobatics that produce these unique sounds.

“We’re still in the infancy of being able to understand harsh vocals,” said Amanda Stark, a speech-language pathologist in otolaryngology in the U’s Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and the lead researcher on the study. “The goal is to begin to understand how a scream or a harsh vocal is different from a clean vowel, a spoken sentence or other singing styles.”

Stark hopes that by breaking down the technique of skilled harsh vocalists like Ramos, she can lay the groundwork for artists to learn harsh vocals safely, prove to the skeptic that these singing styles aren’t inherently damaging, and empower everyday people to explore the full potential of their voices.

Sound strategy

Collecting high-quality sound recordings was the first step in the research process. Capturing each note in the absence of background noise or instrumental accompaniment let the researchers define the precise acoustic differences between, for instance, a “moose scream” and a “pterodactyl scream.”

They could also start to predict which parts of the vocal anatomy, from the larynx to the lips, control different aspects of each sound. But especially in cases like Ramos’, whose singing styles are understudied in voice science, understanding how the sounds were produced—and whether they’re causing damage—required a look at the complex internal workings of the throat.

This is where the expertise of the Voice, Airway, Swallowing Translational (VAST) research lab came to the fore, as techniques routinely used for patients with voice disorders were repurposed to understand Ramos’s unique sound. The research team looked at Ramos’s vocal cords with an internal camera and used a technique called electromyography to measure the activity of his throat muscles. Finally, they captured video of his internal vocal acrobatics in real-time using dynamic MRI. Together, this panel of tests provided a comprehensive view of how Ramos sings, screams and squeals.

“Electromyography and dynamic MRI analysis were firsts for the musical genre, according to Elizabeth Zharoff, producer of the YouTube channel The Charismatic Voice.

“Nobody has done this before. Ever,” she said. The research is the subject of Zharoff’s documentary titled “The Science Behind Vocal Distortion,” released on May 31.

The results were stunning, according to researcher Derrik Legler, a U speech-language pathologist in otolaryngology. Song and speech are produced in large part by vibrations of specialized tissue in the throat called the vocal folds. These are attached to cartilage-based structures that normally just open to allow us to breathe and close when we use our voice, but Ramos was torquing his to one side as he sang.

“It’s so fascinating,” Legler said. “Watching his throat do that was—it doesn’t usually do that. The human body just doesn’t usually do that.”

Stark hopes that studying vocal specialists like Ramos, the singer in the band Lorna Shore, can expand the scope of what’s possible for everyone with a voice. Professional singers have the expertise to demonstrate a wide range of vocal strategies in a research setting, revealing new aspects of the human voice that are applicable to the population at large.

“If we study these ‘unicorns’ that have this diversity in their sound, it can empower other people to say, ‘I can have that diversity in my own voice,’” Stark said. “‘Holy cow, I don’t have to just expect my voice to sound like this. I can do this.’”

Changing the landscape

There’s a common perception that harsh vocals are physically unhealthy. To the untrained ear, the rough-edged growls of deathcore sound like they must be painful. But while some metal vocalists do damage their voices, others have careers that last for decades with no apparent harm.

Partway through the voice recording session, after Ramos had sung dozens of acoustically distinct vocals, Stark asked him to rank his level of vocal fatigue on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most fatigued he’d ever felt. “Maybe a two,” Ramos replied, in a completely normal speaking voice.

Unlike an untrained scream, Ramos’ singing doesn’t cause vocal strain.

The voice scientists in attendance judged Ramos’ vocal health as “fantastic,” an assessment that was later borne out by dynamic MRI scans. Ramos had learned how to scream, squeal and hiss like a teakettle, all without jeopardizing his vocal cords.

By demonstrating that harsh vocals can be sung safely, the researchers hope to reduce the stigma around deathcore and related musical genres. Having a clear picture of how to produce those sounds without compromising vocal health could also teach aspiring artists to master these styles.

“How cool would it be if someone could go to Juilliard to learn harsh vocals?” mused Kirk McCune, COO of The Charismatic Voice. “It changes the landscape of how music can be created.”

• Sophia Friesen Manager, Science Communications, University of Utah Health
  ‭(510) 495-7528‬ sophia.friesen@hsc.utah.edu