Best vocal performance on an album?

[Random Axe]

I'm not looking for the best vocalist in the genre because that's way to subjective. What I'm looking for is the best performance, from first note to last, from first verse to final verse, the best vocals on one album. We're talking the kind of performance that you feel everything, the anguish, anger, frustration, joy. If there is one album that stands out as having the best vocal performance, list it here. I'm looking for the one album that absolutely defines a singer's career.

My pick is Ray Alder on A Pleasant Shade of Grey.

I know a lot of people did not "get" this album, and I cannot fault them at all. It's a moody, complex piece that either grabs you or does not. Without Ray's hauntingly beautiful and emotive performance, this album would have been unlistenable. He sells every lyric and pushes every note through a cathartic, soul-ravaging grinder. Having seen this album in its entirety live I really connected to the performance more than any other vocalist.

There are a few others that sorta come close to me, but this is head, shoulders and torso above the rest. Thoughts?

 

[grogg]

Well, one of the reasons I'm heading to PP this year is to see Mercy Falls in its entirety. To me, Tommy's vocal performance on this album captures all the emotions you have described to near perfection.

 

[OrionSon]

Probably Kai Hansen on Somewhere Out In Space. No clue why, but this singing mixed with the occasional screams are the perfect mix on that one CD.

 

[Fire breath]

For me it's a very easy answer. Daniel Heiman - A Flame to the Ground Beneath.

 

[General Zod]

Geoff Tate, Rage for Order.

Strangely, one of my favorite performances (first song to last), is Chris Cornell's performance on Temple of the Dog. The track "Times of Trouble" is just flawless.

 

[Hammerlock]

Tom Englund, In Search of Truth. Absolutely unmatched, "Different Worlds" still gives me chills over a decade after I first heard it.

 

[sccaldwell]

My pick is Ray Alder on A Pleasant Shade of Grey.

An excellent choice…I was also blown away when I saw them perform it live, front-to-back.

However, my personal choice would be one of the following:

Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Part 1
Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape

My hardest decision was actually choosing between albums by those two bands, although albums by Conception (Flow), Symphony X (The Odyssey), Enchant (both Break and "Juggling 9 or Dropping 10"), and Alter Bridge (Blackbird) were also in the running for me.

Craig

 

[Random Axe]

Perfect Element was my second choice with Mindcrime coming in third. The strange thing is I really don't like the PoS as much as others do. But, I though vocally it was a masterclass and a benchmark for other singers to aspire to. Sadly, Daniel himself never lived up to this again.

 

[Justin G]

DC Cooper on his solo album.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Staley/Cantrell - Dirt or Mike Patton - The Real Thing.

 

[lane_miller]

I am going to go way back in time: Ian Gillan, Deep Purple In Rock

 

[Sir Exar Kun]

So many good answers already (APSOG, DC Cooper, Mercy Falls, PoS all are excellent candidates).....

Others that hit me instantly, and to this day can still generate goosebumps:

Circus Maximus The 1st Chapter (best debut album I've ever heard)
Angra - Holy Land (Andre remains one of my favorite singers period)
Dream Theater - Awake (James takes a bashing around here, but he is THE voice of prog metal for me)
The Gathering - Nighttime Birds (really either Mandylion or NB, as Anneke's vocals are so damn smooth!)
Richie Sambora - Stranger in this Town (total wildcard of the bunch here, but the blues vibe on this album melds PERFECTLY with Richie's voice; this is a desert island level disc for me, crazy as that sounds)
Vanden Plas - pretty much ANYTHING but I'd vote Christ-0 (Andy's vocals are arguably the best in the business)

I know you asked for ONE, but honestly..... Just no way to narrow it down that far.

 

[Azrael LenGraden]

Geoff Tate, Rage for Order.

I like that but for me I would go RJD on HOLY DIVER.

 

[Azrael LenGraden]

Tom Englund, In Search of Truth. Absolutely unmatched, "Different Worlds" still gives me chills over a decade after I first heard it.

Oh yeah...that still give me chills as well....

 

[nomisofsiman]

Rob Halford on his solo band's first album, "Resurrection." As a note, this is the original version before the bonus tracks.
Beyond that, I hate to go with the obvious but Kiske on the two Keeper albums is pretty damn near perfect.

 

[TheLongshot]

Vision Divine - Stream of Consciousness

 

[NorseBlood]

This is a great topic. For me, a good vocal performance must be part of a good song with a band, otherwise I would like opera (which I don't). A few vocal performances come to mind right away in no particular order. I'll update my list as I think of more. Some of these will be old.

Judas Priest, Stained Class, Beyond the Realms of Death
Nightwish, From Wishes to Eternity, Deep Silent Complete
Buddy Guy, Rhythm and Blues, Whiskey Ghost
Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti, Ten Years Gone
Black Sabbath, Sabotage, Symptom of the Universe
Iced Earth, The Dark Saga, Vengence is Mine
Savatage, Poets and Madmen, Morphine Child
Savatage, Streets, Believe
Stratovarius, Visions, The Kiss of Judas
Thin Lizzy, Live and Dangerous, Cowboy Song
Lacuna Coil, Karmacode, Our Truth
Pain of Salvation, Remedy Lane, Ending Theme

 

[Bryant]

Tough one

Vanden Plas - ummm... Far Off Grace maybe ?
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Tesla - Mechanical Resonance
Bloodbound - Tabula Rasa
Metal Church - Blessing in Disguise

Bryant

 

[espz]

Really? No one has said Jon on Streets? I feel every word on that album! And I will live in just a few short days! It is the big three for me. Tate on Operation mindcrime is a master work of vocals. And I'll go with Images and Words for Labrie. Those are the three albums that define all the music we listen to.

 

[Palabra de Dios]

Kamelot - The Black Halo (Roy Khan is probably one of the most gifted singers in power metal history)
Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter (Totally blew me away from the first listen on)
Anathema - Judgement (Vincent Cavanagh makes me want to cry, and is absolutely stunning on tracks like "Anyone, Anywhere")
Black Sabbath - Headless Cross (Tony Martin was simply flawless on the tunes on this album)
Opeth - Blackwater Park (Akerfeldt has the best death growl in the business, hands down)