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The term clean vocals is used to describe melodic and clear singing styles. It is most notably used to refer to heavy metal music, as an alternative to harsh, screamed or growled vocals, which are mainly displayed in extreme metal bands. They can range from operatic vocals (such as singer Tarja Turunen) to simple melodies to harsh yelling, which would only be considered clean vocals when compared to death growls.
Clean vocals are most often employed in the genres of NWOBHM, progressive metal,thrash metal and power metal. Examples of vocalists performing these vocals as the main style of their respective band include: Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, Klaus Meine of Scorpions, Rob Halford of Judas Priest (also famous for his scream), Geoff Tate of Queensr˙che, Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian and Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray.
Bands can create contrast between harsh and clean vocals in two ways. One way, employed by bands such as In Flames, Opeth, My Dying Bride and Fear Factory is to have one singer produce both harsh and clean vocals. Other bands, such as Underoath, Dimmu Borgir, Sikth, The Project Hate, As I Lay Dying, and Caliban employ two singers-one for each style. Bands such as Vintersorg and Arcturus often shift between clean and growled vocals.
Many melodic death metal bands use clean vocals; well-known examples include Soilwork, In Flames, Gardenian, Scar Symmetry, and Dark Tranquillity. In the majority of songs, clean vocals are mainly used in the chorus or as back up vocals during verses, but songs like In Flames' "Only for the Weak" (Clayman) and "Ordinary Story" (Colony) are exceptions in that they use clean vocals in the verses and growled vocals in the choruses.
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