If you've been around the heavy music world much, then it's likely no secret to you that hard rock singers tend to have some of the most controlled, dynamic and skilled voices in the industry-- despite what stereotypes might assume. This, paired with their penchant for lyrics that explore the subtle thoughts and struggles of the human condition, often makes these artists incredibly powerful in more stripped down musical settings as well as their hardcore home. Be it mellow melodic pop, acoustic singer/songwriter or worship ventures, some of heavy music's biggest frontmen have held their own on the softer spectrum as well. Here are 8 of my favorite hard rockers who took on a lighter style (and nailed it).
1. Stephen Christian (Anberlin, Anchor & Braille)
Few vocalists are as instantly striking and memorable as
Stephen Christian.
Anberlin, the pseudo-emo alt rock band from Florida, climbed their way to fame on searing guitar hooks and Christian's haunting, otherworldly vocals, enjoying a whirlwind 12 year career before deciding to amicably disband at the end of 2014. Throughout this period and after however, Christian has often pursued outlets that allow him to stretch other creative muscles-- one of those outlets being side project
Anchor & Braille. Each of the project's three albums has been vastly different in sonic texture, with the music seeming to be whatever Stephen Christian creatively needed it to be at the time. Their last project
Songs For the Late Night Drive is a moody, shimmering electro-pop masterpiece, thriving on subtlety where Anberlin was musically forthright. This year Stephen has taken a new musical tack yet again, with his post-Anberlin years on staff with a New Mexico church leading him into the world of worship. His new project
Gloria is full of accessible worship tunes capped off by a voice still as captivating as ever.
The hard side: "
Paperthin Hymn" from
Never Take Friendship Personal
The soft side: "
Gloria" from
Wildfires
2. Devin Williams
Rock vocalist and songwriter
Devin Williams has made waves since his independent career launched in 2009, most notably with the chart-climbing single "Here for You" from his pivotal 2014 release
Destruction of Kings. With both Devin and his band involved weekly in leading worship in their local church in middle Tennessee, the move to create a worship-focused project was one that made sense. The result is the brand new EP
We Are Forever Yours, featuring six songs showcasing the more worshipful side of the singer's heart.
The hard side: "
I Will Overcome" from
Destruction of Kings
The soft side: "
Hear Our Hearts Sing" from
We Are Forever Yours
3. Matty Mullins (Memphis May Fire)
Memphis May Fire is one of those bands that seems to lead a charmed existence: they've enjoyed runaway success in the mainstream post-hardcore scene, a success that has been in no way hindered by the fact that they are incredibly passionate proclaimers of the gospel of Jesus. Lead singer
Matty Mullins, in particular, has been relentlessly dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus with the same level of passion he brings to his blistering vocals. In 2014 he presented that message in a new way through an unexpected medium: Christian pop rock. Matty grew up listening to CCM and has cited artists like the
Newsboys for influencing his early years, and both his self-titled solo album and his 2017 follow-up,
Unstoppable, provided an outlet for that musical history. With slick melodies, polished hooks and lyrics centered around a vibrant experience of God's love, Mullins' solo projects prove that sometimes the best Christ-focused pop can come from unexpected voices.
The hard side: "
No Ordinary Love" from
Unconditional
The soft side: "Unstoppable" feat. Jordan Feliz from
Unstoppable
4. Jared Hartman (Flyleaf, Kat&Jared)
Jared Hartman found his footing in the music industry as guitarist for Platinum-selling hard rock outfit
Flyleaf. He helped hone in on a sound that would carry them through iconic albums like
Flyleaf and
Memento Mori, staying with the band through lead singer rotations and the band's final album
Between the Stars. With Flyleaf currently indefinitely on hold, Jared and his wife Kat have moved on to serving as worship leaders at their home church in Temple, Texas. The result is a new set of songs pointed vertically lyrically and towards a mellower sound. The new songs are led by Kat's vocals, but Jared's rocker-turned-soft guitar sensibilities guide the tracks musically.
The hard side: "
Fully Alive" from
Flyleaf
The soft side: "
We Adore You" from
Kat&Jared
5. Jordan Feliz (A Current Affair)
It would be hard for anyone who has turned on an AC radio station or attended a major CCM tour in the past year to have missed the buzz surrounding
Jordan Feliz. His single "The River" propelled him to stratospheric success before he even released a debut record (full length
The River finally hit shelves April 22, by the way). What most people don't know is that those punch-in-the-gut vocals were honed in a hardcore band. I loved California hardcore outfit A Current Affair years ago when they were beginning to gain traction in the late 2000s, and I was thrilled to see Feliz's vocals surface in a new setting last year. His seemingly effortless ascent in this new genre proves his skill and tenacity as an artist.
The hard side: "
The Thief" from
The Real Devastation EP
The soft side: "
The River" from
The River
6. Aaron Gillespie
In a list highlighting musical versatility,
Aaron Gillespie might be the most versatile of all. With a musical career that began in definitive hardcore band
Underoath when he was just 14 years old, Aaron would go on to tour the world with the band before leaving to focus on his own alt rock act
The Almost, his worship releases under his own name, and then a position as touring drummer for alternative music darling Paramore. In the past year he's been splitting his time between worship gigs and Underoath's reunion tour, and he seems completely at home in both positions. Although it's not certain how he'll be allotting his time once Underoath's reunion tour wraps, one thing is clear: Aaron Gillespie is unstoppable, no matter the genre he chooses to engage.
The hard side: "
Writing on the Walls" from
Define the Great Line
The soft side: "
Praise Him" from
Grace Through the Wandering
7. Dustin Kensrue (Thrice, The Modern Post)
For many of us alternative music scene kids in the mid-2000s,
Thrice was a name that stood in the hallowed company of defining acts like Underoath. Their brand of soul-searching, socially conscious rock was helmed by
Dustin Kensrue's visceral vocal style. When Thrice went on hiatus a few years ago, Kensrue came into his own as a solo artist, releasing stripped back, reverent worship on
The Water and the Blood and Christmas project
Lowborn King (under the band name The Modern Post). The fence between the heavy and light is one the singer continues to straddle gracefully as early 2016 has seen him releasing an album of raw acoustic covers (
Thoughts That Float On A Different Blood) and also announcing the return of Thrice with new single "Blood on the Sand."
The hard side: "
Image of the Invisible" from
Vheissu
The soft side: "
It's Not Enough" from
The Water and The Blood
8. Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter, NYVES)
Ryan Clark, best known as lead singer of brutally heavy Solid State band
Demon Hunter, is a true renaissance man. In addition to his role fronting a metalcore band with widespread success and a diehard fanbase, Clark has also spent years serving as an art director both on staff with Tooth & Nail Records and independently, with credits including everyone from Jeremy Camp to August Burns Red to mainstream acts like Sleeping With Sirens. And somehow on top of all of this, he has found time in recent years to found a side project titled
NYVES alongside
Project 86's Randy Torres. NYVES brings some of the same brooding tones found in Demon Hunter's discography to the table, but recasts them in pulsing electronic sonicscapes. The result is often chillingly beautiful.
The hard side: "
Not Ready To Die" from
Summer of Darkness
The soft side: "
Return" from
Anxiety
9. Matt Baird (Spoken)
Spoken is a band that has gone through its own series of metamorphoses, ranging from hard rock to a more metal-influenced sound before landing on the melodic post-hardcore position found on most recent album
Breathe Again. The consistent factor in all of their incarnations has been lead singer Matt Baird's vocals, which effortlessly range from smooth to scorching. That versatility has led Baird to frequently perform acoustic sets around Spoken's touring schedule, a habit that found its way into studio form with last year's solo album
Keeper of My Heart. The project features tender, worship-oriented songs with simple musical arrangements that frame the most vulnerable aspects of Matt Baird's voice.
The hard side: "
Falling Apart" from
Breathe Again
The soft side: "
Keeper of My Heart" from
Keeper of My Heart
10. Aaron Watkins (Random Hero)
Random Hero is a more recent arrival to the heavy music scene, claiming a name for themselves over the past 8 years with a relentless work ethic that has taken them across the country and through the festival circuit several summers in a row. It's experience that has honed a strong voice in lead singer
Aaron Watkins, who showed his soft side last year in his pop rock worship EP
Chasing After You. Although this EP wasn't as far of a departure as some of the other selections on this list, it did show an entirely different side to Watkins' voice and songwriting skills.
The hard side: "
Freak Show" from
Breakdown EP
The soft side: "
Sweetest Melody" from
Chasing After You EP
Check out a Spotify playlist of these song selections below. Did we miss any rockers who also own a softer style? Sound off in the comments!