Howard Jones Shakes The Metal Scene With His Monstrous Voice
The powerhouse dominating and shaping today’s metal
The moment Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer strummed their first note, heavy metal was born. Metal borrowed from the blues and jazz from its predecessor: rock and roll. Yet, they took rock by turning up the bass on their guitars and percussion, creating a heavier sound.
The artists in question were talented, but what stood out is they were Caucasian. Its precursor, rock and roll, started with African Americans, but drifted as the genre became popular with Caucasian Americans. Heavy metal’s appeal led many to believe it’s a white-only genre.
As a Latino, I’m insulted; I love metal. Many Latinos in the United States follow the same sentiment, as it’s a genre shaping our understanding of music. Well, that and Hip-hop, but the growing demographics of Latinos in the metal scene are increasing.
Alongside us is the African American community. During the ’90s, many black musicians took the reins, like Lajon Witherspoon from Sevendust, and most notably, Howard Jones: the former vocalist of Killswitch Engage. Howard Jones pushed metal with his powerful operatic baritone and punishing screams, leaving behind an unignorable mark.
