Comment by NeedMoreTea
7 years ago
I'd be surprised if it's that simple. If you'd not raised the point, I think I'd have guessed most had to grow on you with exposure like appreciating spirits or strong foods. Hang around with bikers or metal heads and you'll learn to love it whether you intend to or not... Or find something else to do fast. :)
After growing up with Sabbath, Lemmy, Maiden, ACDC, UFO etc, when I first heard death metal and growl vocals I just thought it sounded a bit naff. Yet somewhere along the way to middle age I grew to love them and also stopped noticing genres. There's now plenty of Ensiferum, Arch Enemy and so on in among bands of all kinds, classical and jazz I listen to these days.
For me it was absolutely an exposure thing. I spent years listening to metal with clean vocals but hating harsh vocals. Then I listened to one of Equilibrium's instrumental songs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DiJw9wIibw) and fell in love. I was disappointed to discover that most of their songs were "ruined" by the growled vocals, but managed to enjoy them in spite of that. Over a bunch of listens I learned to how to appreciate what Equilibrium did with growls, and once I "got" that I started enjoying a lot of other bands that I previously disliked.