The Contortionist’s Vocal Production Secrets w/ Michael Lessard

Alright, let’s talk about screaming vocals. Whether they’re front-and-center or a subtle texture, screams are a massive part of modern heavy music. Getting them to sit right and deliver that punch? That’s where the art comes in. We got a peek into how Michael Lessard, the voice behind the progressive metal giants The Contortionist, approaches using screams, even in unexpected places. His take offers some killer insights you can apply to your own productions.

Even if you’re working with a singer who doesn’t typically scream, or on a track that isn’t scream-dominant, understanding how to use them as a textural element can be a game-changer. It’s all about adding that extra bit of intensity or character to make a section pop. Check out the full session here. Let’s dive in!

Understanding the Screaming Palette

Before diving into layering, it’s good to know the basic flavors of screams you might encounter or want to create. Michael breaks it down into a few general categories:

• Low Screams: Think deep, guttural, and powerful. These often sit in the low-range and can add immense weight.
• Mid Screams: Your versatile workhorse scream, sitting in the mid-range. These can carry aggression and articulation well.
• High Screams: These are your piercing, often frantic-sounding high-range screams that can cut through a dense mix.
• Yelling: Michael also points out “yelling,” which he describes as sitting somewhere on the spectrum between singing and screaming. This can be great if you want aggression but with a bit more pitch definition.

The vocalist you’re working with will ultimately shape what’s possible. They might excel at one type, or have a wide range. Or, they might not scream at all! But knowing these categories helps you communicate your vision or experiment if you are the screamer.

Adding Screams: A Practical Walkthrough with Michael Lessard

So, how do you actually put these into practice? Michael demonstrated his approach by taking a section of a The Contortionist song that didn’t originally have screams and showed how he’d add them for impact. This is super useful because it highlights using screams as a production choice, not just a given. His target? The final chorus – the big climax of the song, perfect for layering in extra intensity.

Step 1: Experimenting with Registers – Finding the Right Fit

Michael’s first instinct was to try low screams. He laid down a new audio track in his DAW, labeled it (always a good habit!), and tracked some lows.

His immediate reaction? It wasn’t quite hitting the mark for this particular part. He even admitted having a hunch it might not be the best fit. This is a key takeaway: don’t be afraid to experiment and trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, pivot.

So, he undid the lows and decided to try mid-range screams instead. This time, it clicked. The mid-range screams provided the aggressive texture he was looking for without overpowering the existing melodic content.

Step 2: Building Width with Layered Mids

One good mid-scream track is a start, but to get that wide, larger-than-life sound, layering is your friend. Michael’s next move was to:

1. Duplicate the mid-scream track. This ensures a similar performance vibe for the second layer.
2. Track another mid-scream performance. It doesn’t have to be perfectly identical – slight variations are what create thickness.
3. Pan them hard left and hard right. This is a classic technique for creating width. In your DAW, you’d grab the pan knob on one track and crank it to 100% L, and do the opposite for the other, 100% R.
4. Blend them into the mix. He then subtly adjusted the levels of these panned screams, tucking them in so they weren’t overpowering but added a noticeable punch and width. This is a crucial step; you want them to support, not dominate, unless that’s the specific effect you’re after.

This initial blend is just to get a feel. The real finessing can happen later in the mix stage, perhaps with some nuanced EQ strategies for modern metal to make sure they sit perfectly.

Step 3: Adding High Screams for Extra Cut and Complexity

With the mid-screams providing a solid foundation, Michael felt they could cut through the mix even more. His solution? Add another layer of screams, this time in a different register: high screams.

The process was similar:

1. Create two new audio tracks (he duplicated one and renamed them for clarity – “New Scream High L” and “New Scream High R,” for example).
2. Track two performances of high screams.
3. Pan these hard left and hard right as well.
4. Blend these new high layers.

The idea here is that the different registers (mids and highs) will complement each other. When mixed, they can either sound like two distinct scream textures working together or be blended more cohesively to create one, richer, more complex scream sound. Michael did a quick solo of all four scream tracks (two mids, two highs) and adjusted their levels to get a rough but effective blend.

He emphasized that this is a starting point. A dedicated mixing engineer would take these layers and really dial them in, potentially using techniques like bussing the screams together for group processing or applying specific metal compression secrets to control dynamics and add punch.

Key Takeaways for Your Scream Layers

Michael Lessard’s approach offers some solid, actionable techniques you can try in your DAW right now:

• Screams as Texture: Don’t just think of screams as lead vocals. They can be powerful textural elements, especially for climactic sections.
• Register Matters: Experiment to find the scream register (low, mid, high) that best suits the musical part.
• Layering is Key: Single screams can sound thin. Doubling (or quadrupling, as Michael did) adds power and fullness.
• Hard Panning for Width: Spreading your scream layers across the stereo field creates a massive, immersive sound.
• Stack Different Registers: Combining mid and high screams (or other combinations) can help them cut through a dense mix and add complexity.

These techniques are fantastic for adding that extra “oomph” and professional sheen to your heavy tracks. It’s about making deliberate choices to enhance the song’s energy.

Want to see how pros like Michael Lessard and the engineers behind bands like Gojira, Spiritbox, and Periphery build these vocal layers and integrate them into a full mix? At Nail The Mix, you get to watch them mix actual sessions from scratch. You get the raw multitracks from legendary albums – like those from The Contortionist themselves – and see every EQ tweak, every compression setting, every fader move. It’s an unparalleled way to learn how to take your mixes from good to great. If you’re serious about unlocking your sound and mixing modern metal beyond presets, seeing these techniques in action on real-world projects is invaluable. Check out the full session with Michael Lessard from The Contortionist to dive even deeper!