Metal Screamers Part II
February 26, 2007 by Jo Minor
Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
Through all the years in heavy metal’s existence, Rob Halford of Judas Priest always becomes the target of unflattering comments and discussions - mostly about the fact that he openly admitted his homosexual nature in recent years - but no one can deny the man’s talent and vocal prowess behind the microphone.
Halford has been with legendary British heavy metal band Judas Priest from the start, although he did leave for some time to pursue his solo career (Halford) and another band of his (Fight). He came around full circle when he announced his return to the band that brought him fame and success - ousting American replacement Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, who later joined American power metal leaders Iced Earth.
Fans of Judas Priest will testify that no one else belongs behind the mic in Judas Priest, and Halford proved that to be true enough when his comeback album, Angel Of Retribution, garnered rave reviews from all ranks.
An extremely gifted frontman, Halford possesses an impressive vocal range - spanning at least 4 octaves. His work with the band, on live and studio recordings alike, have made the man a true legend of metal and rock ‘n roll. We hope to hear more of him in the latest Judas Priest offering, chronicling the life and times of the mystic Nstradamus, due to be released this year.
Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
Iron Maiden, like most bands in the heavy metal genre, went through numerous lineup changes before settling with a steady one some years into their career. Bruce Dickinson, as it turned out to be, was one of those people who came into an already amazing band and just made everything about Iron Maiden better.
Dickinson came in for the band’s third album, entitled Number Of The Beast - arguably the best Iron Maiden record ever. His predecessor, the volatile and equally impressive Paul DiAnno(can’t recall the spelling, but I’ll call refer to him as “DiAnno” anyway), left due to creative differences with the other members of the band - after finishing 2 outstanding albums: the self titled debut and Killers.
When Dickinson came in, he carried some of DiAnno’s vocal qualities, and also had within his vocals an impressive, almost-operatic approach to singing. The first recorded result, of course, was the brilliant and groundbreaking Number Of The Beast.
Dickinson was with the band save for a period where he left to further his solo career (as it’s usually the case for vocalists) but returned to front Iron Maiden once again, and has been a regular feature to this day.
Last year’s Maiden release, A Matter of Life and Death, was brilliant and displayed a band comfortable at the very pinnacle of its creativity. And, of course, Dickinson was there to top off an impressive vocal performance.
Matt Barlow (Iced Earth)
Matt Barlow was a relative unknown before he stepped into formidable American power metal band Iced Earth, but once his haunting screams and powerful singing was recorded on tape for the Burnt Offerings album there was no stopping the mercurial rise of one of metal’s brightest stars.
Barlow delivered unbelievable vocal performances for most of Iced Earth’s albums, including the aforementioned Burnt Offerings, The Dark Saga, Horror Show and Something Wicked This Way Comes. His unique, soulful singing and terrifying, high-pitched screams earned him a massive reputation and a loyal fan base.
Sadly, Barlow announced his retirement from music to serve in the law enforcement field after the 9/11 terrorist attacks - and proved to be the most devastating effect of the 9/11 incident to the fans of Iced Earth. Barlow’s outstanding vocals have been sorely missed, and even the skillful Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens can’t shake off the ‘Barlow replacement’ tag - almost every Iced Earth fan hopes to see Barlow come back, but it isn’t a likely scenario.
One of heavy metal’s brightest talents has called it a day, apparently for good.
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