Death growl

The death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Sometimes death growl vocals are criticized for their "ugliness" and inability to be understood without an accompanying lyric sheet, but the presentation of gruff vocals contributes to death metal's abrasive style and often dark and obscene subject matter.

Death metal, in particular, is associated with growled vocals; it tends to be lyrically and thematically darker and more morbid than other forms of metal, and features vocals which attempt to evoke chaos, death, and misery by being "usually very deep, guttural, and unintelligible". Natalie Purcell notes, "Although the vast majority of death metal bands use very low, beast-like, almost indiscernible growls as vocals, many also have high and screechy or operatic vocals, or simply deep and forcefully-sung vocals." Sociologist Deena Weinstein has noted of death metal: "Vocalists in this style have a distinctive sound, growling and snarling rather than singing the words, and making ample use of the voice distortion box." The low, raspy, aggressive pitch of Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Conrad "Cronos" Lant of Venom and Tom Warrior of Celtic Frost were not unlike the death growl and may be thought of as precursors to the current style.