Thank you.
Although I have to say the whole credit for the idea goes to my friend, who also follows the thread, and gave this idea to me. I considered actually putting Mizzl here, but when I heard this, I knew I must do it.
On a side note, I don't have anything against Rick Astley himself. He actually has a nice, unusual voice and single-handedly owns 99% of modern pop.
[I'm entirely serious this time.]
Now, this is the serious and final place one. Sorry for keeping you waiting so long. Ladies and gentlemen...
LET'S DISCO!1. Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation)
I am the waking child.
I, the wayward son of a mountain lake
I set myself on fire
To breed the Perfect Element.
Will I ever walk again?
Falling far beyond the point of no return
Nothing to become and nothing left to burn...The above list has changed several times (around ten, I think), with some changes being rather significant, but he has been here, right at place one, since the beginning. In fact, I can say he has been here for at least two years - since I got an album called
The Perfect Element in my hands, an album which was something entirely new for me in many ways. Later only strengthtened by
Remedy Lane and "rediscovering" of
Scarsick, there is no way he could be anywhere else (I thought of a cleverer No Way reference, but couldn't think of anything decent, sorry
).
Reasons? Well... Let's begin with such things as his vocal range itself - I find it hard to believe it's exactly the same person singing Of Dust and, say, Disco Queen. As you probably have noticed already, it's not pure technical singing skills that impress me the most, but in his case, well, they are impressive. Then, I've mentioned several times here I appreciate versatility. Other than, guess what, normal singing, name another vocalist who is capable of rapping better than most "real" rappers (Scarsick and Spitfall are vocal masterpieces - if someone disagrees, name time and place of the lightsaber duel), screams that make you wonder if that is actually possible (
what should have been... you know), or even as far as faking female singing (LET'S DISCO!
). He does all of that with absolute perfection and honestly, I can't recall any Pain of Salvation song I do not like vocal-wise. Even otherwise average songs like Second Love or Mrs Modern Mother Mary gain a lot because of his singing. I don't know how he does that...
And finally, the most important reason, something nobody can argue with, I believe: emotion. Honest, true emotion in his singing, that makes the music sound entirely real. It can sound beautiful and comforting (like my beloved and seriously underappreciated Morning on Earth...). It can sound extremely angry. It can sound depressed. And finally, it can completely tear apart with strong emotion, in a way no one else can do, or even come close. I have never heard anything like his singing in Idioglossia, The Perfect Element, Undertow or Enter Rain in my life. I don't think I ever will.
Personal highlights:Morning on Earth, Idioglossia, The Perfect Element (
The Perfect Element)
Undertow, Beyond The Pale (
Remedy Lane)
Leaving Entropia (
12:5)
Enter Rain (
Scarsick)
And warm welcome to our new guest here...
Sisters (
Road Salt One)
This is the end!
Nothing left to say...