In a word? I think so. Also when and why did you abandon "diemtay?"
Someone I know, knows that I post under that name, so I changed it to avoid stalking lol.
Also, I'm suprised someone remembers me within just a week or two of being here haha. Is that a good thing, or bad?
Your avatar is pretty distinct and very clearly visible. Good thing I s'pose regarding the fact that I remembered you. Also I just started posting here again after a full year away so anyone who could be classified as a "n00b" but posts on a daily basis is definitely gonna stand out to me.
That said, accept my belated "welcome", grab yourself a Schlitz and that April '93 copy of Swank I left over on the coffee table for ya and make yourself at home.
Back on topic, I can say without any hesitation that the vocals thing is HUGE. Back in '99 I got into DT and a shit load of power/prog/tech metal bands and I always tried to get my friends into them. They'd usually be no worse than indifferent and sometimes even impressed by the musicianship UNTIL the vocals entered. I can't blame 'em either.
To this day there isn't one power metal band I listen to where I come close to enjoying the vocals. That whole soaring, wailing, five-octave thing is very impressive to me but definitely not my style. I think a part of the problem is that metal is generally a masculine thing and IMO an overwhelming majority of the singers in these genres sound overtly effeminate.
I'm all for virtuosic range in singing but I find so many of these guys have fantastic voices but the strength underneath it just isn't there and unless you have a "man's man" voice like Russell Allen from Symphony X for instance it ends up not sounding all that different from if a woman was singing it in the first place.