It has been said that “Wherever there is great metal, there are great vocals.” From the dawn of the genre to its decline and rebirth, vocalists have defined the truly great hard-rock and metal groups. Death Häus decided to venture into the brutäl wastelands of finding the greatest vocalists through history, coming up with four finalists: Bruce Dickinson, Geoff Tate, Ronnie James Dio, and Phil Anselmo. (Phil Anselmo was placed into the finals during the airing of the show, however it should be noted that James Hetfield won the user poll later in the evening.)
Ronnie James Dio: Renowned vocalist of Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and his own solo project, Dio sports one of the finest voices in Metal history. Known for his operatic style and flowing vocal melodies, Dio paved the way for future generations and is widely considered the father of Power Metal.
Elf (1972)- Never More
Rainbow (1976)- Stargazer
Black Sabbath (1980)- Heaven and Hell
Dio (1983)- Dont Talk to Strangers
Geoff Tate: Ignoring any personal issues the members of Death Häus might take with Tate, he is a phenomenal vocalist. Drawing from the styles of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) and evolving with the times, Tate’s ringing tenor has blown away listeners for decades.
Myth (1982)- Take Hold of the Flame
Queensrÿche (1986)- The Whisper
Geoff Tate (Solo Album, 2002)- Forever
Operation Mindcrime (2015)- The Stranger
Phil Anselmo: Known for his involvement in Pantera, Anselmo has been in a plethora of bands and worked with numerous other artists. His later harsh vocals offer an approachable alternative for those who don’t want to slog through hours of Death and Black Metal, while his early work is reminiscent of Rob Halford of Judas Priest.
Pantera (1988)- Death Trap
Pantera (1996)- Drag The Waters
Iommi (with Tony Iommi, 2000)- Time is Mine
Down (2012)- Bury me in Smoke
Bruce Dickinson: Another Metal legend, Dickinson made a name for himself as one of the greatest vocalists of all time with Iron Maiden. Dickinson’s soaring melodies and operatic style have cemented him in the annals of rock music for time immemorial.
Samson (1981)- Bright Lights
Iron Maiden (1983)- Where Eagles Dare
Bruce Dickinson (Solo Album, 1997 )- Welcome to the Pit
Iron Maiden (2010)- Mother of Mercy
In the end, our listeners spoke and voted Ronnie James Dio as the greatest voice in Metal history. While all these vocalists are amazing in their own right, Dio’s sound and contributions to the genre cannot be denied. If you’re interested in more of Dio’s work we strongly suggest the following:
Sign of the Southern Cross
Children of the Sea
Metal Will Never Die
Gates of Babylon
The Death Häus crew includes DJ TV, Foxx Jackson, Jimi Hernandez, and DJ Mad Mike. You can catch Death Häus on KFHS Radio Friday nights at 6:00 p.m.
Tune in next Friday, 6/2/17, for a night of the most brutäl Black Metal Foxx and TV can find. Chainsaw riffs and wraith shrieks abound!
With Tiger Media Network, I’m Chris Jacobs.