Chinos Vocal Style On Koi No Yokan

[ToneDef]

I've just finished up my first listen of the new record. Always a main event, personally. It's difficult to form a concrete opinion on it after only one listen. It takes time for me to get familiar with it. I enjoyed it though, definitely. I love everything they do.

If there's one thing that I'm maybe not entirely fapping over, it's his voice. Chino is an excellent vocalist, obviously. And yeah, his voice has been discussed to death for obvious reasons over the years. But it feels like every album he tries to be more of a real singer, whilst his voice gets weaker with time. I still like it, but it doesn't sound like it's strong enough for what he's trying to do.

It still sounds great to me but I can't help but wonder what people listening to this band for the first time must think. Does he sound weak vocally and do I just ignore it, knowing the various issues he's had, vocally? It's hard to explain.

[TheShade1989]

To be honest, this is the only thing ppl are tlking about that I dont really understand. What, that he's tryna sing more? I dont know, that sounds weird to me, I guess I havent really listened to any of their albums and had those thoughts come to me. I dont know, it doesnt sound weak to me, but I guess I'm unobservant lol. His voice is different than it was on their earlier albums of course, but I'd expect that.

[ToneDef]

A lot of it is to do with the production but yeah, I guess it's that he's trying to sing more. He has on each album but he's always sounded better using it as another instrument instead of singing over everything, if that makes sense. I mean, he ain't fucking Whitney Houston and he's not trying to be. It just sits kinda funny with me. It doesn't take away from anything. It works with what they're doing. But it's on my mind when I listen to this record and Diamond Eyes. Like he's trying to do something he can't quite physically do. Not how he'd like to.

[optemoz]

Chino is the ONLY singer who can sing off key and make it sound cool. I think what everyone is getting at is how "polished" it sounds and not gutter or raw.

Take their ST album for instance, that was raw emotion, chino didn't give a fuck, he sang like he wanted to. I think this producer was obsessed with him hitting it perfectly, hence why he will have a miserable time with songs like Entombed and Gauze when they do them live. I dig the album, ALOT. But I prefer the gutter style Chino.

[gui]

Chino is the ONLY singer who can sing off key and make it sound cool. I think what everyone is getting at is how "polished" it sounds and not gutter or raw.

he's not the only one at all. but you might totally disagree with my choices

[Electron§]

...

Agreed.

Chino is the ONLY singer who can sing off key and make it sound cool. I think what everyone is getting at is how "polished" it sounds and not gutter or raw.

Damn straight. Ive heard performances before where his voice will crack while hes singing softly and it will still sound beautiful and gentle and yet somehow haunting.

Now it sounds like hes a bit of a perfectionist because his high vocal range has almost seemed to go up. His voice seems to have less fullness and youth to it which makes sense considering the circumstances. But some of the vocals he tries to pull of in "Leathers" and "Romantic Dreams" are not really necessary. They don't need to sound so high and forced. 

[Alectwin]

I think that Chino is capable to sing, he has a great voice range, and no, he is not Whitney Houston, but is a great singer, and is obvious that he is changing his style, maybe you like it, maybe not, but i think he is a good singer, not only a good "metal singer" / "rock singer"...

Maybe is because i love his voice tone...i don't know, maybe i'm a blind fanboy ?!?

[pony_01]

he's better now although he's not "RAW" as before, which i loved most. that's good for the band, cuz chino's vocal maybe more accepted by most of people and help to make new listener and fans too, i guess..

[TheShade1989]

...

Because he's gotta have ambitions, haha. Nah, I dont know either but ah well.

[x Rx King x]

Chino is the ONLY singer who can sing off key and make it sound cool.

pffft.....

Peter Steele, Billy Corgan, Ozzy, Chris Cornell, Rivers Cuomo, Les Claypool, Kurt Cobain, Maynard James Keenan, Paul Di'Anno, Matt Talbott, Layne Staley (not to mention Jerry Cantrell), Thom Yorke (sometimes (mainly OK Computer and In Rainbows (especially the backing vocals in Videotape)))...

I could go on.

[Diplo]

...

Sometimes I wonder if it's just the sound of him now when he sing like the high notes on Bored for example.


I agree, he tries to sing more like a real singer, in different way. I respect that but I will wait when Chino will return to his past style, I hope he can do it again.

And come on ! Sometimes this record lacks some screams, it's not so difficult in studios (not also difficult like his high notes).

[Mustang]

You gotta understand, with age comes certain constraints. Obviously Chino's vocals aren't as raw as they were on S/T, over time things happen and change, and I can understand and respect that. Chino wants to try whatever style he feels best suited to at the time, and it's not like it has an effect on the song if he sings instead of screams it. His vocal power on tracks like "Leathers" and "Gauze" is still evidence that his voice is great, stunning even. And that's the divide I noticed from most fans: they either love the new or hate it. I can see why, but personally I love both and it doesn't matter. It's still great music, right?

On a side note, DE gets unwarranted hate around here. smh

[Diplo]

You gotta understand, with age comes certain constraints. Obviously Chino's vocals aren't as raw as they were on S/T, over time things happen and change, and I can understand and respect that. Chino wants to try whatever style he feels best suited to at the time, and it's not like it has an effect on the song if he sings instead of screams it. His vocal power on tracks like "Leathers" and "Gauze" is still evidence that his voice is great, stunning even. And that's the divide I noticed from most fans: they either love the new or hate it. I can see why, but personally I love both and it doesn't matter. It's still great music, right?

On a side note, DE gets unwarranted hate around here. smh

I understand, but this high notes are not so different with the screams in terms of difficulty so ... I'm alright with a record without screams but here, some song of KNY need the Chino's rage because for me it's an important thing who have a real effect on some song.
And most importantly, the melancholic sound of Chino's voice is missing.
Without that, I think it's a really really good album, more than DE (I don't hate it, it's just the weakest album of them, still a fucking great music compare to the rest).

...

So it's not the fact that Chino sounds like that when he tries to sing like before, it's just a different way to sing. So can he use his diaphragm or he can't do it ?
You seem to know a lot of things in terms of singing, pretty interesting.

[Teknoman]

I think its a combination of things, Stef keeps going lower and lower on every record and when you change the tuning on the guitar you have to change your playing style a little bit cause the things you used to play before dont sound that good anymore... and Chino cant sing lower cause it will completely change Deftones sound so he has to go up...

Proof:
[Good Quality] Deftones ft. System of a Down -Toxicity (2009 - Benefit Show for Chi Cheng)

I'm not a 100% sure but the songs that Chino sings "naturally" are songs played on C or C#  (minerva, change, riviere) and he has some difficult times singing energetic songs like Leathers (played on A) 'cause he has to sing on a higher note and on top of that he has to sing it kind of loud... but i also noticed that its not too much of a trouble when he sings softly like in Rosemary chorus which is played on A# key.

[Diplo]

...

The main thing ? Begin to sing with his throat rather than his diaphragme ? So that's why he lost his melancholy vibe ?
How do you know that he sing with his diaphragm or his throat ?
Why this date ?

Sorry for the questions but I'm interested

[JVell]

I just wish he pumped out some more screams throughout the course of the record. "Graphic Nature" could have benefited from some and so could have "Rosemary" at the end.

[IceX]

Songs like Gauze are absolutely perfect vocally and I'm quite glad he has evolved his vocals over time. If it was all too aggressive the album wouldn't be as dynamic as it is.

[Bifrost]

I dont think you are gonna see that 'melancholy/rage' side of him too much anymore, he has matured and is in a better place now in his life (you can tell) its not as natural to him anymore- I think if it was up to him he wouldnt scream anymore at all, he just does it to appease the long time d'tones fans and occaisionally if a song really calls for it, he even busts out a few scream/singing in crosses

I remember an interview when he talked about record exec's criticizing the way he sings and when he started working with S Lopez, Lopez said he wanted him to really work on pronoucing his vocals clearly... I think that really effected his style

[Jerry_Curls]

I think its a combination of things, Stef keeps going lower and lower on every record and when you change the tuning on the guitar you have to change your playing style a little bit cause the things you used to play before dont sound that good anymore... and Chino cant sing lower cause it will completely change Deftones sound so he has to go up...

Proof:
[Good Quality] Deftones ft. System of a Down -Toxicity (2009 - Benefit Show for Chi Cheng)

I'm not a 100% sure but the songs that Chino sings "naturally" are songs played on C or C#  (minerva, change, riviere) and he has some difficult times singing energetic songs like Leathers (played on A) 'cause he has to sing on a higher note and on top of that he has to sing it kind of loud... but i also noticed that its not too much of a trouble when he sings softly like in Rosemary chorus which is played on A# key.

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

There are some examples on KNY that sound like old Chino. Romantic Dreams comes to my mind. I hear the desperation in his voice that has always attracted me. It sounds like he's on the verge of breaking down. I love it.

I'm getting used to this new style, but you know what...I feel like Chino doesn't think he would've made a great record if he stuck with the same formula. He's older now and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to keep singing the same way every time. It's like a challenge for him, I think. That's why he's done so many side projects...he's an artist and they need to express that. Sticking to what you always do doesn't get you anywhere.

People will never be happy. They have their expectations of what someone ELSE's work should sound like. Why don't they go out and make their own music? I sure a hell would like to make my own version of metal/shoegaze/electronic/dream/grunge music, but I just don't have it in me. Atleast, not yet.

I remember all the shit people gave S/T for his "lazy" singing style, but I loved it. KNY doesn't sound like that, but I'll live. I get to hear some of that in Rosemary and other songs, but its no biggie. I'll just have to get used to it.

[UrZ*]

I think its a combination of things, Stef keeps going lower and lower on every record and when you change the tuning on the guitar you have to change your playing style a little bit cause the things you used to play before dont sound that good anymore... and Chino cant sing lower cause it will completely change Deftones sound so he has to go up...

Proof:
[Good Quality] Deftones ft. System of a Down -Toxicity (2009 - Benefit Show for Chi Cheng)

I'm not a 100% sure but the songs that Chino sings "naturally" are songs played on C or C#  (minerva, change, riviere) and he has some difficult times singing energetic songs like Leathers (played on A) 'cause he has to sing on a higher note and on top of that he has to sing it kind of loud... but i also noticed that its not too much of a trouble when he sings softly like in Rosemary chorus which is played on A# key.

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

There are some examples on KNY that sound like old Chino. Romantic Dreams comes to my mind. I hear the desperation in his voice that has always attracted me. It sounds like he's on the verge of breaking down. I love it.

I'm getting used to this new style, but you know what...I feel like Chino doesn't think he would've made a great record if he stuck with the same formula. He's older now and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to keep singing the same way every time. It's like a challenge for him, I think. That's why he's done so many side projects...he's an artist and they need to express that. Sticking to what you always do doesn't get you anywhere.

People will never be happy. They have their expectations of what someone ELSE's work should sound like. Why don't they go out and make their own music? I sure a hell would like to make my own version of metal/shoegaze/electronic/dream/grunge music, but I just don't have it in me. Atleast, not yet.

I remember all the shit people gave S/T for his "lazy" singing style, but I loved it. KNY doesn't sound like that, but I'll live. I get to hear some of that in Rosemary and other songs, but its no biggie. I'll just have to get used to it.

This.. U guys are spot on. The tunings get lower and lower.. It effects the complete band (listen to bass and snaredrum on SNW or DE).. they sound so floppy and low! Bassguitar too..

As for live performances. And studio vs live is completely different mic'd.. Dynamic vs condensor mic! Chino would benefit from using one of those shure m4a2 or something. But they'd need one hell of a noisegate.

And ofcourse, playing 3-5 nights a week puts a strain on it. So he savors it and doesn't push it too much (long notes, high chest notes etc). When he was younger his chords could take way more beating, but he overdid it and blew out one of his chords in 2001. After that it was much weaker.

Still he has a great voice, and considering all the variety of stuff he does.. he's doing well. But yeah some more technique could help him (diaphragm)

oh and like the notes on poltergeist chorus. He can belt them out live, probably, but i think he's scared his voice will crap out.. i mean if it hurts he can't say i'll take a break for 30 mins (like he can do in the studio)