Totally Biased Top Ten List: Metal Singers

Best Dressed Frontman: Rob Halford from Judas Priest

The frontman of any band is the most difficult, most maligned position. And it's the only one with a serious psychological condition attached, the dreaded Lead Singer's Disease. Without too much ado, here's my favorite singers. This list is of course, completely subjective and totally biased. As with the drummers list, all artists are living and currently active.



Geoff Tate sings the National Anthem. No band required.

• Geoff Tate: This astonishing singer from Seattle has fronted Queensrÿche for almost 30 years. Tate has a deep chest voice and an honest-to-God opera tenor, a powerful, clear instrument with crisp diction and lots of power. And if all that's not enough, he did both Operation: Mindcrime and "Silent Lucidity."
  
  
• Rob Halford: The Metal God himself, Halford has a formidable multi-octave range with deep baritone range and a piercing tenor scream. Check out Judas Priest's astonishing Nostradamus record to hear how diverse he can be.
  
  
• Till Lindemann: The Rammstein frontman is gifted with a commanding stage presence and a powerful voice that can alternate between menacing growls, barked commands and operatic excess. And he sings most of Rammstein's lieder in German.
  
  
• Bruce Dickinson: Still my favorite Iron Maiden singer. The "Air Raid Siren" has aged well, with his powerful tenor in excellent shape, with the all-important high notes intact. There's a new Maiden record planned for 2010, and I can't wait.
  
  
• Ronnie James Dio: Dio's amazing career (he has fronted Rainbow, Black Sabbath, his own band and Heaven and Hell) is outdone only by his powerful multi-octave voice. And he can sing better than most guys half his age.
  

James LaBrie singing "La Mer" with the Frameshift project.

• James LaBrie: This Canadian singer gets a lot of grief from Dream Theater fans. But he sings their difficult music admirably. And if you like that, check out his work on Frameshift's 2003 album, Unweaving the Rainbow. Frighteningly good.
  
  
• Sharon den Adel: Of all the gothic/symphonic metal acts that have emerged from Northern Europe in recent years, Within Temptation are probably my favorite. Sharon den Adel has a strong soprano voice that soars over the band's orchestral textures.
  
  
• Doug Pinnick/Ty Tabor/Jerry Gaskill: King's X have been ripped off by almost every band to come out after 1990. Nobody can match the unique blend of Beatles-style harmonies and frenzied gospel shout. Bassist dUg Pinnick has an extraordinary instrument, but since all three guys in the band sing lead, they all make the list.
  
  
• Klaus Meine: The diminuitive Scorpions frontman has been at this longer than most of this list. And now that he's 59 (and the Scorpions are on the verge of retirement) his voice is in excellent shape. Now about der accent….
  
  
• David Coverdale: This last spot was a toss-up between Coverdale and Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillain, as both are fine exponents of the British blues tradition. Vocally, I'd give Coverdale the slight edge. Want to hear what a great singer he is? Pick up the unplugged Whitesnake disc Starkers In Tokyo and you'll hear what a great craftsman he is.