You realize how special Dave's voice is when you try to sing Megadeth songs and try to replicate all of his little details and features and you simply can't, and because of that, the song feels off, it feels it's lacking something. The right singer for the right band!
@@Scrubermensch ok give me a few days I honestly don't even know the song. Do I have to try to sound like mustane or can I do my own thing? I promise no growls.
@jeffersonaraujoelcristiano Yeah, especially the deep cuts like: The Doctor Is Calling, Wanderlust, Ecsacy and Time. Mustaine's vocals are great on those tunes. Well written melodies too.
he is but he isnt. is he a classically trained singer? no. is he a good singer? ehh debatable at best. that being said no one can picture/hear anyone else singing Megadeth's songs. it's part of their iconic sound. Dave himself admitted that he's not a good singer and had auditions when starting the band but he couldn't get the desired sound he was looking for so he very reluctantly decided to sing himself. call him s dick, an asshole, a jackass, whatever you want but dude is a legend.
That was decades ago, when he could use the excuse to not finding a singer. There's been over 30 band members come and go from MD, not a single one a singer. He has enough money to hire as many great mercenary guitarists but not for vocals? Bull.. Also liking his vocals is basically Stockholm Syndrome is what you're essentially saying. Not a MD or Dave hater, he's a legend, but he could have easily gotten a singer in the last 30 years.
@PikeBishop1 could he hire a better vocalist. Absolutely. Wouldn't sound like Megadeth anymore then. And yes I'm aware that was decades ago. Megadeth as a band and Dave really didn't start making real money well into the 90's. By then his singing was tolerable and in some cases improved. That being said. It's part of Megadeth's signature sound now. Wouldn't be Megadeth with Dave snarling and screeching every other verse or chorus
@@goodini026 I had so many people who I had listen to them, even on his 'better' stuff vocally in the 90s, that laughed and couldn't take it serious. He could've got a vocalist decades ago, it doesn't cost millions to get a damn singer, I just think it was an ego thing and he had it in his mind he wanted to be both. I mean it's just the MD sound now I get that, it is what it is.
One of the coolest things about metal music is how much variety the vocals can have. You can have some of the most complex, operatic singing, to a dude essentially yelling into a mic in the same GENRE, and as long as it's done tactfully, it can serve the song
You may not like how it sounds, but he is a good singer, he knows what he is doing and he sounds exactly like he wants to sound, no bad singer can do that
Dave voice is theater.. it's a bit, he's a character that he's portraying. I'm totally fine with that and enjoy his singing because it fits the songs. Sweating bullets would sound stupid without his tongue in cheek sneer. I live his lines in psbwb, they are just trying to be fun.
I personally love his vocals! also nice to see another megadeth video! I watched your video where you listened to ever Megadeth song I while ago and it was just as great as this video!
I love the sound of Dave's voice, like for example, just listening to the isolated vocals for let's say, Five Magics, he's got that crazy rasp, that distinct tone he has in his voice and I wonder if I could ever hear anyone replicate that, or even sound as good as Dave would do it anyway. I'm most definitely biased for being a megadeth fan but I love Dave's vocals. I've never been into clean vocals really, Dave's vocals are an acquired taste. (I like his vocals on 99 ways to die, alot)
In every light he is a great singer very melodic actually, I can understand his nasal timbre can be off putting but he always conveys the proper emotion. Great video man great analysis as usual, especially love that you use Back in the day in one of the examples, that's a song that I go to to show people his voice
I love Mustaine's vocals bro. LoL to your Five Magics description. Spot on man. "He truly sounds like an unhinged wizard hopeful, in the song, looking to aquire vast magical powers." Well said.
I think Dave Mustain has a very unique voice and it suits Megadeth songs perfectly. But I can see why not everyone would like his voice, however the incredible musicianship in the band far succeeds any other metal band of their era and beyond ..
You will appreciate his voice when you hear someone else sing Megadeth songs. Also, I always imagine his voice to be some typical wicked/trickery devil voice you hear in games (and movies?)
This is possibly one of the hottest takes I possess, but I personally am a huge fan of Dave's voice. I do understand why people have a distaste for it, but it really speaks to me on a deeper level. Like you said, he's very emotional with his songs and he conveys it very well. Dave's not just a music artist, he's a writer. He tells stories through his songs, incredibly unique stories which illicit unique emotions. And this is why I really enjoy hearing his voice because it's almost stylized in a way, he sings in a way that you can't just replicate. He's crafted his own voice to fit the stylization of his songs and the unique stories he tells through his music. He has very gnarly, grunge-y vocals and they fit perfectly for his music. They're very different ingredients that blend together perfectly, it's like ear-candy for me when they're put together.
Dave's voice certainly has a lot of personality, like you said, it fits the songs and brings the emotions in the lyrics out. I love it. 😄 Also, I f*cking love Psychotron! 🤘
I love Dave's voice. I don't just tolerate it. He is legitimately one of my favourite metal vocalists. Sure, technically you could argue he is not the most accomplished singer out there, but he is very unique and fits his songs perfectly. The fact that he can also play some crazy riffs while singing too is next level. Good on you mentioning Back in the Day, it is such an earworm, and amazing singing by Dave. The System Has Failed is a very underrated album.
Dave's voice keeps growing on me, I can now appreciate how unique his vocals are. The instrumental aspect of Megadeth makes his voice work. If the riffs were more generic, I wouldn't be a fan, but Dave is a genius riff and lyric writer. I feel similarly about Alexi Laiho. In fact, unlike Dave, I find his vocal performances on some songs to be rather unpleasant, but like Dave, he was such an amazing composer that, to me, the instrumental aspect is so impressive that I can just completely disregard his vocals. RIP Alexi Laiho, and long live Dave.
since i became a megadeth fan last year, i really didn't understand why people are calling him a bad singer when his singing style is the perfect match for the songs Megadeth produces, i think most people forget the context of the singing, material the lyrics and as you have said his style even tho to some they might sound goofy, but to me it just fits the lyrics, riffs and the story telling as the lyrics progress, your breakdowns truly are worth a sub, please don't stop doing this videos i first run upon your channel last week i think when watching about five magics now i might consume all of your contents
I find it quite awesome that a few people really get into classic metal from the 80s etc when it was long before they were born. But I'll say this. Dave Mustaine spent his entire existence trying to reach commercial success after watching Metallica become the biggest Metal band of all time after kicking him out. Now many will never understand what Metallica was. They were so far superior to anyone else, it's difficult to describe. Not one metalhead ever, in any way, diminished Metallica.Dave is one of the all time greats. But his vocals were a detriment to Megadeths overall popularity in the early years. Believe me. I was there. Many just couldn't stand his vocals
I’ve actually grown very fond of Dave’s vocals. I think they add a lot to his music. He’s not and has never been a bad singer, just a unique one. I actually find his voice really genuinely beautiful at times. one example is in “I thought I knew it all”
As a singer myself, I'd say Dave's singing is very very peculiar and actually never sounds bad in the recordings. Like, if someone argues it's bad it's just their personal taste, but from a technical point it's absolutely fine. I like his voice myself and i find it sometimes very hard to replicate because his lack of conventional technique makes him do some really weird things with his voice. I think his main problem is his inconsistency in live shows. It doesn't make sense to take into account these days' lives since he's gone through a lot of stuff, and even without that, aging would still be a reasonable excuse. But even in his prime his live voice was inconsistent, and I can see that singing while playing that stuff is INSANE, I don't even understand how he managed to sound the way he did while playing. But, hey, hetfield manages to do that, although most metallica riffs are arguably easier than megadeth's, so in theory it's possible to sing good while playing crazy stuff. Dave's not able to do that consistently, but i wouldn't say that this is enough to make their shows any less enjoyable.
I always felt that Dave’s voice maybe is not the most conventional thing but, I think the songs are written in Dave’s voices in mind and it works so well.
Wow. That side by side of the Five Magics versions was brutal. Original is superb, hands down. Even the gallop riff is so much sharper. The way he delivers "Magics Five" is so intense. All of the feeling is lost in the remaster.
simply put, he ain't a bad singer but his voice isn't everyone's cup of tea. several of his songs are actually great to sing and are moderately challenging while still being fun.
I would love to see a content like the Five Magics analysis, but about other masterpieces like Holy Wars..., Hangar 18, Take no Prisoners, Good Mourning, Looking Down the Cross, Hook in Mouth, Liar, Mary Jane, Ashes in Your Mouth, Reckoning Day, Elysian Fields, Blood of Hereos and even She-Wolf or Use The Man and 99 Days to Die. Perhaps a multi-material on group of the least. All these contain everything you're talking here about: musical complexity, unusual lyrical choices, vocal singularities - all makes Dave's performaces an abundant salad of music and cultural history. Most of best Megadeth songs are like a story, movie or theatrical performance. Dave derives from many many cultural references and it can be felt in his music. It is obvious right from the start of discography: Last Rites starts with a Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D Minor , intro to Symphony is a sampled and shifted Domine Jesu Christe(from Mozart's Requiem) then we have the Skull beneath the skin's riff right before the first solo - it is something very familiar (to me at least). These Boots of course - Nancy Sinatra's cover and on PS Willie Dixons I ain't superstitious. Looking down the cross's breakdown right before the 2nd solo, maan... Patterns or motifs he uses are always of a certain purpouse. i.e Good mourning black friday clean/acoustic guitar part that comes right after "Good Mourning" has a feel of a classic horror movie, or even a mean cartoon. The phrasing he uses later in the song is just good-old classic inversion. But due to poor expense all of these subtleties are only heard in isolated tracks. Also the fact that KIMB and PS was played on lowered pitch tunnings (some say 1/4 step down, others say A=432Hz = ca. 37 cents down) makes it harder to find out all of these little zests and thus (what I believe) they are very much underrated. I mean, who else does this; or more importantly - who else does this with such intensity and becomes succesful to a similar extent? To me is like you say but not only of his vocals - of his music in general - he is the only one that can do all of these things and turn them into agressive, raw, malicious and wicked metal tracks. His singing skills may be little, he stands for me as a incredible vocalist though. But I think this is the style he chose for Megadeth. The mission to derive the emotion, phrasing and aggressiveness into the song was much more important to him than singing "correctly" which often becomes... boring. Human mind is designed to look for imperfections in music, that's why most people like groove and dislike dehumanized modern electric music, where everything is clean and right on time to the core. If you go to the theatre you may also find some disturbing details and dirty pieces that you don't always like or accept. But in total, in the culmination they are designed to create a catharsis like experience in the viewer. Megadeth's all the same - part speed thrash/heavy songs to yell and jump to, but part a complex, politically and socially concerned and full of contradictory musical solutions just to derive the message, the feeling, the situation.
Watch "Evolver" (making of Youthanasia) and tell me Dave has a bad singing voice or doesnt care about his performance. One of my favorite studio diaries of all-time and it does a great job showing exactly how hard he tries for a great performance (even if he wont admit it lol). I think your conclusions are spot-on here, just because some of his deliveries arent conventional does not make him "bad". Hell, even now after throat cancer he sounds fantastic on the new album and he has the rare live performance where he can still capture the 2000's voice. Dude is 60+ now and Im happy to take whatever he has to offer.
Honestly Dave’s voice peaked in the early 2000s when the overall music peaked in the 90s which is prob why there is a big disconnect because id say the world needs a hero has his best vocals. Tbh people forget that Dave actually sung incredibly high during peak megadeth and a little big after like its insane how high he sung tornado of souls. Yes his voice hasnt aged super well but at least megadeth isnt lazy even though dave struggles with vocals now. I think this is one of those “not that good but fits the music” type cases because i think the vocals add what the songs need in megadeth. Not to mention its important to realize dave also has to play insanely complex riffs whether its alternate picking chugging or super hard blues and even solos alongside singing.
I always thought of his voice as not having the best timbre, but he had good pitch range and wrote really good vocal melodies that utilize that range. I actually love his vocals on So Far So Good So What. They're probably the most classically thrashy and gravely there. His clean voice obviously gets nasally and I think that's where most of the criticism comes from. If he had used more distortion in his voice more regularly I think that sentiment wouldn't be as prevalent.
While he's not the best singer (and he's NOWHERE NEAR THE WORST EITHER WAY FAR FROM IT), he sings a lot better than he's given credit for by many people. The thing he does best is convey his emotions through his voice, which to me is the point of singing. While my top favorite vocalists are Geoff Tate and Bruce Dickinson, I still consider Dave Mustaine up there in my list of favorite vocalists. He does, however, have the best example of angry dark vocals above all which is the absolute most perfect attitude for thrash metal. He reminds me a bit like David Bowie with his tendency to do character acting when he sings. David Bowie also got crap for his vocals by some if I'm not mistaken. Both men are (and was for Bowie) musical geniuses.
Unfortunately it is and it is something that stops many people from being able to enjoy their music, which is not very smart. Take Chuck Schuldiner in Control Denied as an example, when you listen to the demos in which he sings with a clean voice it doesn't sound good at all, the guy knowing his limits, what did he do? The most intelligent and objective thing for that project, look for a Heavy Metal Vocalist, for that reason I highly respect Chuck, the man stepped aside for the benefit of his music.
And it is something that makes many people enjoy their music, specifically his singing, more than they do enjoy "technically good" vocalists which do everything by the book.
Dave Mustaine is one of my favorite metal vocalists. The emotions in his delivery have really resonated with me all my life. This combined with his amazing song writing have gotten me through some dificult times in my life. Tons of respect for this man.
When I was first recording my first album, the producer said something to the effect of "huh, you kinda sound like Megadeth's singer!" And I was very torn if it was a genuine compliment or a faux one hahaha all in all Megadeth is in my top 3 favorite bands. Dave sings very well in world needs a hero, cryptic writings and United Abominations
Prince of darkness from the risk album is another good song with cool vocals to show the prince of darkness and how dark the song is supposed to sound, to me I love that song a lot it’s so good. Trust from cryptic writings is also a very good vocal song to
I always loved his vocals on SFSGSW. They’re full of piss and vinegar. It’s that Mustaine agressive snarl which was most prevalent on that specific record. The dude sounded genuinely mean and pissed off… love that shit.
Dave's singing is so full of nuances in the delivery, it's amazing. It's like he acted the lyrics, he's not technically sound but no one siongs with his passion and feeling. He's like a punk singer to me
At the end of the day, he has character and is in tune (most of the time). He has an excellent sense of melody and the delivery is perfect, seeing as he wrote the lyrics and music.
I remember my uncle describing Mustaine's singing as "constipated straining", it's been 30 years and that is still the best way I've heard it described. Each time I put one of their songs on, it sounds more convincing, especially when he sings the lines where he grits his teeth.
I remember playing gta vice city and listening to the rock radio station (which is what got me into thrash and classic heavy metal in the first place while also being my first exposure to megadeth, maiden, slayer and more), and hearing peace sells for the first time and thinking "wow this singing is awful and I like the song less than the others" but it stood out from the rest and by the third time I heard it I really loved it and wanted to listen to more megadeth. Gta was always there to extend my music taste with each new game (until 5 lets not talk about 5)
@@AcidifiedMammoth yeah and its only music that would be on the radio in that time, so vice city is in 1986 miami so the music is only from back then. I don't know about the first two but I know the third one didn't have a rock or metal station and 5 is just a little weak in that department
I would like to highlight Dave's voice on "Diadems". It's perfect! If someone doesn't like his voice, just don't listen. I love! And I bet many who criticize him don't even know how to sing. 😁
He has My favorite voice ever in songs, especially in dystopia, holy wars, she wolf, tornado of souls and hangar 18, to name the more normal singing type, and still he is My favorite growl type singer too for example in nightstalkers. There hasn t been and probably never will be a better voice/singing style combo in My Life.
A big part of Mustaine's sound is that he's gritting his teeth while vocalizing through difficult guitar parts. He stayed on pitch & improved as a singer through the 90s. He was capable of a more open sound than the iconic snarl people mock. I agree with the points in this video.
"Yes, he is." *video ends there* In all seriousness, I think a way to sum up Dave as a vocalist (not a singer) is to admit that while his vocals aren't the best (even on his best attempts), his *interpretation* of the lyrics tends to be on point 👌. So he's more of an interpreter than a singer. One of my favourite Dave performances is in one of the songs you mentioned, namely Symphony of Destruction. At the end of each verse where he repeats the last words (for example "explodes...explodes"), the way his voice sounds is genuinely menacingly awesome. He adds a bit of "thunder" in his voice at the second repetition too (well I cannot explain it better but I think you know what I mean). "I enjoy them, and if you enjoy them too, then let others trash his vocals." But it's more fun if I join in the trashing 😉.
IDK nobody goes to drum teachers going "teach me to play like Lars." I feel like it's the same with Mustane nobody really cares to do a voice like him. "Watch him become a god," and "hello me is me again."
He is a lot better on some things on his career than people might think, on naturals I mean try and listen what he does on Last Rites Loved To Death, and Looking Down The Cross, the breath support, the character, and its high, for someone that wasn't trained as a singer. Lucretia, also Bad Omen, Mary Jane, My Last Words. I love the depraved feel and hate feel from Hook in mouth.. Its very punk, i love the rasp, agression. He wasn't that nasal before RIP. Liar is a tour de force when it comes also to the rapping part. Blood of heroes is great, Killing road is amazing, also the intimate feel of Trust. Also "Travel" with bluesy stuff, and Psychotron... I like the more mature drop he had on Endgame, Headcrusher and stuff. You choosed stuff that illustrate well the analysis too.
dave’s voice is like growling and angry witch i actually like i mean now it’s bad you know only because he’s old but like he’s sounds better then veins neil but like if you listen he does the deep growl then the high pitch growl witch i think sounds cool.
Not the best but very unique in Metal tbh, "Lucretia" has his best raw high pitched vocals imo. Also he plays stupendously complicated riffs while singing at the same time which is difficult to pull of in live situation✌🏻
I love Dave's voice. If I try and imitate his singing I will inevitably start coughing. He has a very unique voice and even though it kinda sucks he got kicked out of Metallica, I'm really glad because I don't know if I want to live in a world where Megadeth never existed.
You realize how special Dave's voice is when you try to sing Megadeth songs and try to replicate all of his little details and features and you simply can't, and because of that, the song feels off, it feels it's lacking something. The right singer for the right band!
i mean i can do a pretty good dave mustaine singing voice impression but theres so many things im missing that makes his voice so goododdddddd
Same with Tool.
It's a bad impression of axl rose his voice isn't unique.
@@PowuhToSeven try to sing looking down the cross then, it's a hell of a hard song for a "bad" singer.
@@Scrubermensch ok give me a few days I honestly don't even know the song. Do I have to try to sound like mustane or can I do my own thing? I promise no growls.
I thought of Dave’s vocals on rust in peace sounded like an evil Neferious supervillain plotting to bomb the world or something.
Dude that’s a great way to look at it lmao
Spot on
Consider he sings from the POV of a nuke on the title track that fits
I went through the stockholm syndrome to love Dave's voice and it's so worth it
"you try to take his bAaAAlls"
his voice is fucking herendous but it's amazing lmao
I heard it as balls too lol, it is actually pulse
Man i remembered one megadeth show when mustaine forgot lyrics to Symphony of Destruction and started laughing
I love Dave’s voice, nobody sounds like him. Especially his singing on Youthanasia and System Has Failed is so good.
Yes! Youthanasia was his peak. The System Has Failed is underappreciated too. I wish more tunes were played live from that album.
Also Cryptic Writings, Countdown to Extinction and Risk.
@@antology7, I wish they played some Youthanasia songs and from Risk too.
@jeffersonaraujoelcristiano Yeah, especially the deep cuts like: The Doctor Is Calling, Wanderlust, Ecsacy and Time. Mustaine's vocals are great on those tunes. Well written melodies too.
he is but he isnt. is he a classically trained singer? no. is he a good singer? ehh debatable at best. that being said no one can picture/hear anyone else singing Megadeth's songs. it's part of their iconic sound. Dave himself admitted that he's not a good singer and had auditions when starting the band but he couldn't get the desired sound he was looking for so he very reluctantly decided to sing himself. call him s dick, an asshole, a jackass, whatever you want but dude is a legend.
That was decades ago, when he could use the excuse to not finding a singer. There's been over 30 band members come and go from MD, not a single one a singer. He has enough money to hire as many great mercenary guitarists but not for vocals? Bull.. Also liking his vocals is basically Stockholm Syndrome is what you're essentially saying. Not a MD or Dave hater, he's a legend, but he could have easily gotten a singer in the last 30 years.
@PikeBishop1 could he hire a better vocalist. Absolutely. Wouldn't sound like Megadeth anymore then. And yes I'm aware that was decades ago. Megadeth as a band and Dave really didn't start making real money well into the 90's. By then his singing was tolerable and in some cases improved. That being said. It's part of Megadeth's signature sound now. Wouldn't be Megadeth with Dave snarling and screeching every other verse or chorus
@@goodini026 I had so many people who I had listen to them, even on his 'better' stuff vocally in the 90s, that laughed and couldn't take it serious. He could've got a vocalist decades ago, it doesn't cost millions to get a damn singer, I just think it was an ego thing and he had it in his mind he wanted to be both. I mean it's just the MD sound now I get that, it is what it is.
@@goodini026 🎯
@@PikeBishop1people miss the point of THRASH VOCALS.
Personally, I love Dave’s voice. It’s a big part of what makes me love Megadeth so damn much.
I can’t even imagine anyone else in Megadeth.
Bruce Dikinson.
@@jeffersonaraujoelcristiano Nope
One of the coolest things about metal music is how much variety the vocals can have. You can have some of the most complex, operatic singing, to a dude essentially yelling into a mic in the same GENRE, and as long as it's done tactfully, it can serve the song
Sometimes you even have different singings in the SAME SONG which is even cooler
You may not like how it sounds, but he is a good singer, he knows what he is doing and he sounds exactly like he wants to sound, no bad singer can do that
It was Dave's vocals that drew me to the band in the first place. Been my favourite band since I was around 17.
It doesn't matter if he's good or bad - because he's great!
Please continue Rust In Peace individual song analysis some time that 5 Magics video was such a fun thing to find and introduced me to your channel.
Yessir 🫡
Dave doesn't sing, he delivers lyrics.
Its an acquired taste for sure, I think he really had great vocal moments on songs like I Thought I knew It All and Addicted to Chaos
In my eyes, or should i say my ears, it’s different and i personally like it a lot, in the records it’s flawless
Dude Dave is the man. His voice fits perfectly with his music
Dave voice is theater.. it's a bit, he's a character that he's portraying. I'm totally fine with that and enjoy his singing because it fits the songs. Sweating bullets would sound stupid without his tongue in cheek sneer. I live his lines in psbwb, they are just trying to be fun.
I personally love his vocals! also nice to see another megadeth video! I watched your video where you listened to ever Megadeth song I while ago and it was just as great as this video!
Youthanasia is forever my favorite album
In metal we don't care about voice ..its all about good riff and songs
Think what you will of the album itself, but his best performance is on Cryptic Writings. He pulls off some pretty good notes here.
Love that album
Washington is next is hands down his best vocal performance. And “coming home” is also an interesting softer song with very good vocals.
Tied to a pillar no where to be found, screaming for your life no hears a sound , help me!!!! Best vocals
I love the sound of Dave's voice, like for example, just listening to the isolated vocals for let's say, Five Magics, he's got that crazy rasp, that distinct tone he has in his voice and I wonder if I could ever hear anyone replicate that, or even sound as good as Dave would do it anyway.
I'm most definitely biased for being a megadeth fan but I love Dave's vocals. I've never been into clean vocals really, Dave's vocals are an acquired taste. (I like his vocals on 99 ways to die, alot)
I didn't like Dave's voice at first, but it grew on me and now he's one of my favorites.
Cryptic writings was amazing.... the songs and voice all matched perfectly
One of his best performances is "My Last Words" on Peace Sells. Fantastic!
+ hook in mouth
New subscriber, from Peru! 🇵🇪
In every light he is a great singer very melodic actually, I can understand his nasal timbre can be off putting but he always conveys the proper emotion.
Great video man great analysis as usual, especially love that you use Back in the day in one of the examples, that's a song that I go to to show people his voice
I love his vocals they have tons of character and aggression, particularly on the earlier albums
I love Mustaine's vocals bro. LoL to your Five Magics description. Spot on man. "He truly sounds like an unhinged wizard hopeful, in the song, looking to aquire vast magical powers." Well said.
I think Dave Mustain has a very unique voice and it suits Megadeth songs perfectly. But I can see why not everyone would like his voice, however the incredible musicianship in the band far succeeds any other metal band of their era and beyond ..
I’m looking forward to the deep dives into the other Rust In Peace tracks. The Lucretia and Five Magics videos were amazing.
You will appreciate his voice when you hear someone else sing Megadeth songs.
Also, I always imagine his voice to be some typical wicked/trickery devil voice you hear in games (and movies?)
This is possibly one of the hottest takes I possess, but I personally am a huge fan of Dave's voice. I do understand why people have a distaste for it, but it really speaks to me on a deeper level. Like you said, he's very emotional with his songs and he conveys it very well. Dave's not just a music artist, he's a writer. He tells stories through his songs, incredibly unique stories which illicit unique emotions. And this is why I really enjoy hearing his voice because it's almost stylized in a way, he sings in a way that you can't just replicate. He's crafted his own voice to fit the stylization of his songs and the unique stories he tells through his music. He has very gnarly, grunge-y vocals and they fit perfectly for his music. They're very different ingredients that blend together perfectly, it's like ear-candy for me when they're put together.
totally agree!
Dave's voice certainly has a lot of personality, like you said, it fits the songs and brings the emotions in the lyrics out. I love it. 😄
Also, I f*cking love Psychotron! 🤘
reckoning day is a strong vocal performance
My first Megadeth listen was Youthanasia album. I loved the vocals.
I love Dave's voice. I don't just tolerate it. He is legitimately one of my favourite metal vocalists. Sure, technically you could argue he is not the most accomplished singer out there, but he is very unique and fits his songs perfectly. The fact that he can also play some crazy riffs while singing too is next level. Good on you mentioning Back in the Day, it is such an earworm, and amazing singing by Dave. The System Has Failed is a very underrated album.
Dave's voice keeps growing on me, I can now appreciate how unique his vocals are. The instrumental aspect of Megadeth makes his voice work. If the riffs were more generic, I wouldn't be a fan, but Dave is a genius riff and lyric writer. I feel similarly about Alexi Laiho. In fact, unlike Dave, I find his vocal performances on some songs to be rather unpleasant, but like Dave, he was such an amazing composer that, to me, the instrumental aspect is so impressive that I can just completely disregard his vocals. RIP Alexi Laiho, and long live Dave.
since i became a megadeth fan last year, i really didn't understand why people are calling him a bad singer when his singing style is the perfect match for the songs Megadeth produces, i think most people forget the context of the singing, material the lyrics and as you have said his style even tho to some they might sound goofy, but to me it just fits the lyrics, riffs and the story telling as the lyrics progress, your breakdowns truly are worth a sub, please don't stop doing this videos i first run upon your channel last week i think when watching about five magics now i might consume all of your contents
"last year"? You've had 40+ years...
I find it quite awesome that a few people really get into classic metal from the 80s etc when it was long before they were born. But I'll say this. Dave Mustaine spent his entire existence trying to reach commercial success after watching Metallica become the biggest Metal band of all time after kicking him out. Now many will never understand what Metallica was. They were so far superior to anyone else, it's difficult to describe. Not one metalhead ever, in any way, diminished Metallica.Dave is one of the all time greats. But his vocals were a detriment to Megadeths overall popularity in the early years. Believe me. I was there. Many just couldn't stand his vocals
No one else sounds like him. His voice is unique and the songs don’t feel the same without his voice
I’ve actually grown very fond of Dave’s vocals. I think they add a lot to his music. He’s not and has never been a bad singer, just a unique one. I actually find his voice really genuinely beautiful at times. one example is in “I thought I knew it all”
Great video. Thank you for the insight into Dave’s unique singing and style.
As a singer myself, I'd say Dave's singing is very very peculiar and actually never sounds bad in the recordings. Like, if someone argues it's bad it's just their personal taste, but from a technical point it's absolutely fine. I like his voice myself and i find it sometimes very hard to replicate because his lack of conventional technique makes him do some really weird things with his voice. I think his main problem is his inconsistency in live shows. It doesn't make sense to take into account these days' lives since he's gone through a lot of stuff, and even without that, aging would still be a reasonable excuse. But even in his prime his live voice was inconsistent, and I can see that singing while playing that stuff is INSANE, I don't even understand how he managed to sound the way he did while playing. But, hey, hetfield manages to do that, although most metallica riffs are arguably easier than megadeth's, so in theory it's possible to sing good while playing crazy stuff. Dave's not able to do that consistently, but i wouldn't say that this is enough to make their shows any less enjoyable.
I always felt that Dave’s voice maybe is not the most conventional thing but, I think the songs are written in Dave’s voices in mind and it works so well.
Wow. That side by side of the Five Magics versions was brutal. Original is superb, hands down. Even the gallop riff is so much sharper. The way he delivers "Magics Five" is so intense. All of the feeling is lost in the remaster.
This "actually" in the title makes it sound as if more people doubt he is a bad singer than don't.
Which is a ridiculous notion.
He's an amazing singer.
simply put, he ain't a bad singer but his voice isn't everyone's cup of tea. several of his songs are actually great to sing and are moderately challenging while still being fun.
The System Has Failed is such an underrated album.
As is Endgame.
100%. One of my top 5 from megadeth
He's not a horrible singer, i would say he is no a good nor bad singer, he's a smart singer, he adapts.
My Last Words is Dave’s best vocal performance and I will hold that opinion until the day I die.
I would love to see a content like the Five Magics analysis, but about other masterpieces like Holy Wars..., Hangar 18, Take no Prisoners, Good Mourning, Looking Down the Cross, Hook in Mouth, Liar, Mary Jane, Ashes in Your Mouth, Reckoning Day, Elysian Fields, Blood of Hereos and even She-Wolf or Use The Man and 99 Days to Die. Perhaps a multi-material on group of the least. All these contain everything you're talking here about: musical complexity, unusual lyrical choices, vocal singularities - all makes Dave's performaces an abundant salad of music and cultural history.
Most of best Megadeth songs are like a story, movie or theatrical performance. Dave derives from many many cultural references and it can be felt in his music. It is obvious right from the start of discography: Last Rites starts with a Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D Minor , intro to Symphony is a sampled and shifted Domine Jesu Christe(from Mozart's Requiem) then we have the Skull beneath the skin's riff right before the first solo - it is something very familiar (to me at least). These Boots of course - Nancy Sinatra's cover and on PS Willie Dixons I ain't superstitious. Looking down the cross's breakdown right before the 2nd solo, maan...
Patterns or motifs he uses are always of a certain purpouse. i.e Good mourning black friday clean/acoustic guitar part that comes right after "Good Mourning" has a feel of a classic horror movie, or even a mean cartoon. The phrasing he uses later in the song is just good-old classic inversion. But due to poor expense all of these subtleties are only heard in isolated tracks. Also the fact that KIMB and PS was played on lowered pitch tunnings (some say 1/4 step down, others say A=432Hz = ca. 37 cents down) makes it harder to find out all of these little zests and thus (what I believe) they are very much underrated. I mean, who else does this; or more importantly - who else does this with such intensity and becomes succesful to a similar extent? To me is like you say but not only of his vocals - of his music in general - he is the only one that can do all of these things and turn them into agressive, raw, malicious and wicked metal tracks.
His singing skills may be little, he stands for me as a incredible vocalist though. But I think this is the style he chose for Megadeth. The mission to derive the emotion, phrasing and aggressiveness into the song was much more important to him than singing "correctly" which often becomes... boring. Human mind is designed to look for imperfections in music, that's why most people like groove and dislike dehumanized modern electric music, where everything is clean and right on time to the core.
If you go to the theatre you may also find some disturbing details and dirty pieces that you don't always like or accept. But in total, in the culmination they are designed to create a catharsis like experience in the viewer. Megadeth's all the same - part speed thrash/heavy songs to yell and jump to, but part a complex, politically and socially concerned and full of contradictory musical solutions just to derive the message, the feeling, the situation.
Watch "Evolver" (making of Youthanasia) and tell me Dave has a bad singing voice or doesnt care about his performance. One of my favorite studio diaries of all-time and it does a great job showing exactly how hard he tries for a great performance (even if he wont admit it lol). I think your conclusions are spot-on here, just because some of his deliveries arent conventional does not make him "bad". Hell, even now after throat cancer he sounds fantastic on the new album and he has the rare live performance where he can still capture the 2000's voice. Dude is 60+ now and Im happy to take whatever he has to offer.
Well said
i love the vocals on symphony opf destruction demo! better than the original.
Honestly Dave’s voice peaked in the early 2000s when the overall music peaked in the 90s which is prob why there is a big disconnect because id say the world needs a hero has his best vocals. Tbh people forget that Dave actually sung incredibly high during peak megadeth and a little big after like its insane how high he sung tornado of souls. Yes his voice hasnt aged super well but at least megadeth isnt lazy even though dave struggles with vocals now. I think this is one of those “not that good but fits the music” type cases because i think the vocals add what the songs need in megadeth. Not to mention its important to realize dave also has to play insanely complex riffs whether its alternate picking chugging or super hard blues and even solos alongside singing.
I always thought of his voice as not having the best timbre, but he had good pitch range and wrote really good vocal melodies that utilize that range. I actually love his vocals on So Far So Good So What. They're probably the most classically thrashy and gravely there. His clean voice obviously gets nasally and I think that's where most of the criticism comes from. If he had used more distortion in his voice more regularly I think that sentiment wouldn't be as prevalent.
While he's not the best singer (and he's NOWHERE NEAR THE WORST EITHER WAY FAR FROM IT), he sings a lot better than he's given credit for by many people. The thing he does best is convey his emotions through his voice, which to me is the point of singing.
While my top favorite vocalists are Geoff Tate and Bruce Dickinson, I still consider Dave Mustaine up there in my list of favorite vocalists. He does, however, have the best example of angry dark vocals above all which is the absolute most perfect attitude for thrash metal.
He reminds me a bit like David Bowie with his tendency to do character acting when he sings.
David Bowie also got crap for his vocals by some if I'm not mistaken. Both men are (and was for Bowie) musical geniuses.
Great video and lets not forget that hes playing really hard riffs at the same time aswell
Great point
Unfortunately it is and it is something that stops many people from being able to enjoy their music, which is not very smart. Take Chuck Schuldiner in Control Denied as an example, when you listen to the demos in which he sings with a clean voice it doesn't sound good at all, the guy knowing his limits, what did he do? The most intelligent and objective thing for that project, look for a Heavy Metal Vocalist, for that reason I highly respect Chuck, the man stepped aside for the benefit of his music.
Good point, although it would have been sick if Chuck Did go sing, but did it all in the voice he used on the Painkiller cover 👌👌
But the high screams are brillant, it depends the demo from death " moment of clarity " is great singing
And it is something that makes many people enjoy their music, specifically his singing, more than they do enjoy "technically good" vocalists which do everything by the book.
My absolute favorite singer.
💀
Dave Mustaine is one of my favorite metal vocalists. The emotions in his delivery have really resonated with me all my life. This combined with his amazing song writing have gotten me through some dificult times in my life. Tons of respect for this man.
varvis hype!!
BASED REED
Allways loved his vocal as some mention unique i love when someone uses their own style just like his guitar tecnique
When I was first recording my first album, the producer said something to the effect of "huh, you kinda sound like Megadeth's singer!" And I was very torn if it was a genuine compliment or a faux one hahaha all in all Megadeth is in my top 3 favorite bands. Dave sings very well in world needs a hero, cryptic writings and United Abominations
Love Youthanasia and The System Has Failed. Great video!
Brilliant analysis!
Is he a bad singer?
I never really cared
I like his voice
To me It's just different. Not good or bad
Prince of darkness from the risk album is another good song with cool vocals to show the prince of darkness and how dark the song is supposed to sound, to me I love that song a lot it’s so good. Trust from cryptic writings is also a very good vocal song to
I always loved his vocals on SFSGSW. They’re full of piss and vinegar. It’s that Mustaine agressive snarl which was most prevalent on that specific record. The dude sounded genuinely mean and pissed off… love that shit.
Dave's singing is so full of nuances in the delivery, it's amazing. It's like he acted the lyrics, he's not technically sound but no one siongs with his passion and feeling. He's like a punk singer to me
Dave slams in matching tones and feel for the songs.
Took me, as an older metal head, but he nails it in brutal force.
Great video
At the end of the day, he has character and is in tune (most of the time). He has an excellent sense of melody and the delivery is perfect, seeing as he wrote the lyrics and music.
i absolutely love his singing style in "the threat is real". low pich fits really well
I remember my uncle describing Mustaine's singing as "constipated straining", it's been 30 years and that is still the best way I've heard it described. Each time I put one of their songs on, it sounds more convincing, especially when he sings the lines where he grits his teeth.
That’s the whole point. His vocals are supposed to be like Sid Vicious while his plays his guitar like a brain surgeon
I remember playing gta vice city and listening to the rock radio station (which is what got me into thrash and classic heavy metal in the first place while also being my first exposure to megadeth, maiden, slayer and more), and hearing peace sells for the first time and thinking "wow this singing is awful and I like the song less than the others" but it stood out from the rest and by the third time I heard it I really loved it and wanted to listen to more megadeth. Gta was always there to extend my music taste with each new game (until 5 lets not talk about 5)
You're telling me GTA has always featured Heavy Metal music? I never did notice. I only got into metal 3 years ago.
@@AcidifiedMammoth yeah and its only music that would be on the radio in that time, so vice city is in 1986 miami so the music is only from back then. I don't know about the first two but I know the third one didn't have a rock or metal station and 5 is just a little weak in that department
VARVIS HYPE
BASED VITO 🙏🏻
Dave’s voice is awesome! My all time favorite! Live he can be a little off. But mostly he does great!
I would like to highlight Dave's voice on "Diadems". It's perfect! If someone doesn't like his voice, just don't listen. I love! And I bet many who criticize him don't even know how to sing. 😁
He has My favorite voice ever in songs, especially in dystopia, holy wars, she wolf, tornado of souls and hangar 18, to name the more normal singing type, and still he is My favorite growl type singer too for example in nightstalkers. There hasn t been and probably never will be a better voice/singing style combo in My Life.
No one else can pull those songs off like Dave . Maybe John Bush , I'd like to see that combo .
A big part of Mustaine's sound is that he's gritting his teeth while vocalizing through difficult guitar parts. He stayed on pitch & improved as a singer through the 90s. He was capable of a more open sound than the iconic snarl people mock. I agree with the points in this video.
His voice is great, period.
"Yes, he is." *video ends there*
In all seriousness, I think a way to sum up Dave as a vocalist (not a singer) is to admit that while his vocals aren't the best (even on his best attempts), his *interpretation* of the lyrics tends to be on point 👌. So he's more of an interpreter than a singer.
One of my favourite Dave performances is in one of the songs you mentioned, namely Symphony of Destruction. At the end of each verse where he repeats the last words (for example "explodes...explodes"), the way his voice sounds is genuinely menacingly awesome. He adds a bit of "thunder" in his voice at the second repetition too (well I cannot explain it better but I think you know what I mean).
"I enjoy them, and if you enjoy them too, then let others trash his vocals." But it's more fun if I join in the trashing 😉.
I really don't understand what's in peoples' minds when they judge singing voices.
IDK nobody goes to drum teachers going "teach me to play like Lars." I feel like it's the same with Mustane nobody really cares to do a voice like him. "Watch him become a god," and "hello me is me again."
He is a lot better on some things on his career than people might think, on naturals
I mean try and listen what he does on Last Rites Loved To Death, and Looking Down The Cross, the breath support, the character, and its high, for someone that wasn't trained as a singer.
Lucretia, also Bad Omen, Mary Jane, My Last Words.
I love the depraved feel and hate feel from Hook in mouth..
Its very punk, i love the rasp, agression. He wasn't that nasal before RIP.
Liar is a tour de force when it comes also to the rapping part.
Blood of heroes is great, Killing road is amazing, also the intimate feel of Trust.
Also "Travel" with bluesy stuff, and Psychotron...
I like the more mature drop he had on Endgame, Headcrusher and stuff.
You choosed stuff that illustrate well the analysis too.
8:06 Best Megadeth song of the soft.
dave’s voice is like growling and angry witch i actually like i mean now it’s bad you know only because he’s old but like he’s sounds better then veins neil but like if you listen he does the deep growl then the high pitch growl witch i think sounds cool.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention anything from cryptic writings or the world needs a hero…I do agree that youthanasia is probably him at his best tho
Peace Sells > Rust In Peace
I'm really surprised that this is even a question.
Great analysis 👍🏻
Not the best but very unique in Metal tbh, "Lucretia" has his best raw high pitched vocals imo. Also he plays stupendously complicated riffs while singing at the same time which is difficult to pull of in live situation✌🏻
I love Dave's voice. If I try and imitate his singing I will inevitably start coughing. He has a very unique voice and even though it kinda sucks he got kicked out of Metallica, I'm really glad because I don't know if I want to live in a world where Megadeth never existed.
I knew five magics sounded different on my old cd from the 90s now i know why. I thought that part sounded cooler on the original.