Science Friday How Death Metal Singers Make Their Extreme Vocalizations
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Dec 30, 2025 Dr. Amanda Stark, a speech pathologist and vocology researcher, explores the anatomy behind extreme vocalizations alongside Mark Garett, the lead singer of death metal band Kardashev. They discuss the scientific methods used to analyze death metal screams and demonstrate various scream types. Mark shares vocal techniques, such as using cartoon voices to teach extreme sounds. Amanda reveals how their research might benefit vocal rehabilitation, challenging misconceptions about vocal damage in metal singers. It's a deep dive into the science of screams and sounds!
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Different Anatomy Drives Extreme Vocals
- Extreme metal vocalizing recruits many supraglottic structures beyond the true vocal folds.
- Amanda Stark says these singers coordinate multiple tissues and don't always oscillate true vocal folds like clean singers.
In-Lab Screams: Cameras, Electrodes, MRI
- Researchers put a camera through the nose to watch singers scream and sometimes add electrodes to throat muscles.
- Artists also lay in MRI scanners to visualize interactions across the vocal tract, which they found fun and revealing.
False Chord Demo On-Air
- Mark Garrett demonstrates a classic false chord scream live on the show, noting it's loose and relaxed.
- He uses this familiar example to show how extreme sounds build on everyday vocal gestures.