JASON NETHERTON (Misery Index) – Open and midrangy

Etter at trommisene har fått vel mye spalteplass her på Eternal Terror, så har vi startet 2 nye serier. Den ene er med gitarister og den siste med extreme vokalister. Dette intervjuet er det første i vokalistserien. Vi fikk muligheten til å møte Jason Netherton, vokalisten i Misery Index under bandets Oslobesøk tidligere i år, og her er Jason i The Deepthroat Series Part One.

 

  

ET – When did you start doing extreme vocals?
JASON – 1992

ET – What made you start to do extreme vocals?
JASON – My love for Death Metal and metal itself, it was something really passionate I felt about it and I started doing it myself.

ET – Can you describe the technique or the techniques you are using?
JASON – I do not know, I just tried to mimic my favourite vocalists at the time. It kinda hurted at first, and after a few days it did not hurt anymore.

ET – Has your technique changed during your career?
JASON – Yeah, I have become much more “open and midrangy”. I started very low, going with some kind of guttural thing, but I did not have as much power or force as the other guy in the band, so I switched to a more open, midrangy kind of scream.
The technique I use for this style is “Half from the gut, half from the throat”. The more guttural vocalists sing more from the gut, but I have an open tone which relies a lot more on the throat. This is something I have become adjusted to. It is almost natural to do it, but it takes a while to get up to that. If I do not do it for a few months it takes three or four days to get into it again and get adjusted to it.

ET – Have you ever hurted yourself by using a “wrong technique”?
JASON – Just learn not to overdo it. As soon as you feel discomfort, stop. Start again the next day. It is the same thing as if you are lifting weights. You do not want to lift 100 pounds the first day if you can only do 50. Do a little the first day, then the next day a little more, and your throat becomes adjusted to it. If you do 3 or 4 screams the first day and it starts to hurt, stop. Then do it again the next day, see if you can get one more out and then the next day one more.

ET – Do you have any routines that you do on a regular basis to keep your voice in shape?
JASON – No, but when I start to practice for a tour I just start off slow and drink tea with honey, warm water etc.

ET – Do you think it can be dangerous to do extreme vocals?
JASON – If you overdo yourself and try to force it, it is not gonna work. Start out slow and take it easy.

ET – What is most important for you – to make cool sounds and interesting rhytms, or to have a clear diction/pronounciation?
JASON – A little of both, depending on the song or the kind of riffs – the song in general. Lately I have started to pronounciate the words a little more clearly. I want people to understand the lyrics; they are a big part of the band. At the same time I want it to sound aggressive and angry.

ET – Do you think that extreme vocals can be made into a science, like “this is how it works for everyone, to make this sound you have to do this etc”? Or is it more intuitive and individual how to do it?
JASON – It is personal all the way. I do not think it can be made into a science. Maybe within the broader category of the science of the human voice and what its capabilites are, across the broad spectrum of jodling to opera to screaming, chanting etc, but it can not be made into a detailed science. If it was possible it would be the most worthless science.

ET – Do you have any advice to people who wants to start doing extreme vocals?
JASON – As I said, start off slow. Do not push it to the point where it hurts, just do a little bit every day. Develop your own style.

ET – Who do you want to challenge?
JASON – Barney Greenway of Napalm Death.

Der takker vi Jason for hans bidrag og sender pinnen over til England og Barney i Napalm Death.  Barney viste seg å være overraskende enkel å få i tale, så hans bidrag er allerede ett sted i editoren her i Eternal Terror.