The metal community has lost one of its most underrated voices. Perhaps "underrated" isn't befitting Tim Aymar, as he was rated accurately by those who heard the man belt. It would be more pertinent to simply say that not enough metalheads had discovered Tim's gift for crafting potent, authoritative melodies that seemed to glide over the most obstreperous of riffs. Of course, some of the riffs I'm referencing were written by death metal deity Chuck Schuldiner.
I still remember the first time I spun Control Denied's The Fragile Art of Existence. I was bewildered by Tim's performance. How was it possible that this unknown cantor came close to upstaging the mighty Chuck? He could hit astronomical high notes, sure, but he could also manipulate his pharyngeal folds to suit a number of styles. His unhinged wail was just as impressive as his clean chest tone. I've always loved the berserk, apoplectic scream that closes "Expect the Unexpected." And then there is the impassioned singing that supports the midsection of "When the Link Becomes Missing."
I'm only describing one album, but as his fans are well aware, he appeared on a host of other recordings for many different bands. A little while back, I devoted a column to Pharaoh, a badass power/prog outfit. Tim left behind a seriously imposing body of work. For all intents and purposes, he was a good guy outside of the studio as well. Seventeen years ago (!), he was cool enough to grant an interview with a young freelancer who had no idea what he was doing. I don't really know what else to say. It feels weird to even write this.
Rest in peace, Tim. You rule.
No comments:
Post a Comment