MARJA PANIC (The Way of Purity)

After a break, it’s time to pick up The Deepthroat Series again and our first victim is MARJA PANIC, the female vocalist of THE WAY OF PURITY.

When did you start doing extreme vocals (What year and at what age)?

I started in a black metal band when I was 14 in 2000

What made you start to do extreme vocals?

I had some friends that were into metal music and one day they gave me some black metal cds and I immediately recognised I could use voice in the same way, I thought "hey, I can do that I know". I was sure because I sing since  I was very little and when I was a child I had a lot of fun using voice in different ways, experimenting with it..

Can you describe the technique or the techniques you are using?

I use only one technique and i don’t honestly consider it like growl or screaming. It’s mine and I don’t even try to emulate other vocalists. When I started it was pretty natural for me, I was lucky ‘cause I used the right breathing technique without knowing it.. I took some singing lessons after many years and they were very useful to improve and understand new stuff.

The important thing for me is to not exaggerate, we can produce powerful sounds with a few efforts. Studying your own voice and obviously the warming up are very important as well… I have my personal exercises I use to warm up my voice, I created them knowing how I’m going to use my voice. It’s like a long and never ending trip in which you can’t never stop to learn.   I take a lot of inspiration from Demetrio Stratos, I consider him my personal teacher especially because of his unconventional approach to the vocal chords.

Has your technique changed during your career?

No, my technique is always the same, but the results are different, practice is very useful and makes your voice stronger.

Have you ever hurt yourself by using a "wrong technique"?

No, I hadn’t, but when I make a lot of practise with The Way Of Purity we have very intensive rehearsal which last hours and hours, so I had to recognize my limits and when it’s time to stop.

Is there something you do on a regular basis to keep your voice in shape? Any routines?

Yes, of course. I sing with clean vocals very often and overtone singing. I like to study the ancient use of the voice from different cultures.

Do you think it can be dangerous to do extreme vocals?

Yes if you don’t know the basics of singing and if you don’t know what you are doing, but in my opinion extreme vocals are not that strange thing, I think almost everybody can do that. You need to practise obviously and doing it in the right way but I noticed even children sometimes while they are playing make some particular effects with voice that sound like a perfect growl…

What is most important for you – to make cool sounds and interesting rhythms, or to have a clear diction/pronunciation?

Both things are very important for me because I sing (or scream) in harmony with a song and it’s important people can understand what you are saying especially with The Way Of Purity because we concentrate everything on our message, Animals and Earth Liberation. But usually if you take some singing lessons the pronunciation of letters and the way you should open your mouth when you sing are one the first things you should learn.

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?

I think there are still a lot of studies to do about it…Many singing teachers still don’t consider extreme vocals like something you can do without hurting yourself..because they never did it.  But of course it could be made into a science,  always keeping in mind that every voice is unique and that intuition and individuality are very important. It’s a way for knowing yourself somehow even in the Psychological aspect.

Do you have any advice to people who wants to start doing extreme vocals?

I suggest vocal lessons for first but from people who are confident with metal music and that used vocal technique for many years. If you want to sing you have to know the basics of singing and your vocal range and obviously you should have a "good feeling" with your voice accepting it for what it is without imitating other vocalists remembering that voice is a matter  of vibrations and your entire body is like a resonating chamber and you can send these vibrations in different places of it depending on the sound and the tone you want.

Mention three extreme vocalists whose style you admire, and explain your choice. What specifically do you like about the styles of those three? Also mention three vocalists (not necessarily extreme vocalists) which you have been influence by, and explain in which way you have been influenced by each of them.

Vocalists I admire also influenced me, I would say Cadaveria because she was the first vocalist I have ever heard and she inspired me very much at the beginning, Peter Tägtgren and Quorthon because of their creativity.

Who do you want to challenge in this series? (Who should be the next extreme vocalist to answer these questions?) Give a brief explanation for your choice.

I wouldn’t challenge anyone honestly, everyone of us has a personal path and I respect people who really believes in what he/she does and never stops.

 

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