// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "No Clean Singing" say to the shower? You can't wash away our off-key tunes.
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Website type | Music, news and media |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Owner | Islander |
| Creators |
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| Website | nocleansinging |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | November 2009 |
No Clean Singing is an American heavy metal news and media website based in Seattle. The website primarily covers extreme music,[1] with a focus on various forms of Death Metal, Black Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, and Doom Metal, especially those featuring "bands with vocalists who exclusively scream, growl, or otherwise avoid melodic, 'traditional' singing".[2][3]
Their primary focus, however, remains bands who err towards the heavier and/or more extreme end of the spectrum, especially those who have less mainstream exposure, and the ethos of the site is to avoid outwardly negative reviews[4] in favour of "...[writing] about music I liked and wanted to recommend [...] [and] to support music I enjoy rather than tell people what they shouldn't listen to or make fun of bands."[5]
History
[edit]No Clean Singing was founded in November 2009 by Islander, Alexis, and IntoTheDarkness.[1][6]
The site was originally named as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Islander's dislike of Bury Your Dead vocalist Myke Terry's switch to a more stereotypical mix of "good cop/bad cop" harsh and clean vocals, which he considered part of "an awful trend".[5]
However, Islander [5] has also stated on several occasions that the name has evolved even more into an in-joke, as they frequently make "exceptions to the rule"[7] for bands like Ulver, Green Carnation, Caronte, etc.
As of 2025 the core staff of the blog compraises editor Islander, deputy-editor Andy Synn (who joined the site in 2010[8]), and long-time fan-favourite writer DGR (who joined the site in 2011[9]), but also features frequent contributions from guest writers in multiple US cities, as well as countries like France, Norway, and Slovenia.[10]
In a May 2016 interview, Islander reported that No Clean Singing had received 1.1 million page views and about 260,000 users in the previous six months, with 40% of its internet traffic coming from the United States.[5]
Some of the site's most popular posts feature artists like Gojira (35,000 views), Devin Townsend (17,000 views) and Cattle Decapitation (17,000 views),[5] but the site has also been instrumental in promoting the works of more underground acts such as Body Void, Allegaeon, Spectral Wound, and more.
Although the site itself does not feature any advertising, Islander has had to pay to promote the site on Facebook;[5] he has publicly criticized the platform's EdgeRank algorithm for limiting the site's (and other blogs) reach unless they paid for promotion.[11][12]
In 2017, No Clean Singing collaborated with Invisible Oranges and Southwest Terrorfest to launch the Northwest Terrorfest.[13][14] The website continues to sponsor the festival.[15][16][17]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Blog jam: No Clean Singing". The Guardian. June 26, 2012. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Archer-Capuzzo, Sonia; Capuzzo, Guy (2021). Metaldata: A Bibliography of Heavy Metal Resources. Music Library Association & A-R Editions, Inc. p. 24. ISBN 9780895798923.
- ↑ Roche, Jason (March 21, 2013). "Our Top Ten Online Resources for Metal Knowledge". LA Weekly. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ↑ Guard, Old (April 2, 2014). "Mainstreaming Metal - Part 3: Fraud (The Home Team)". Last Rites. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Choksi, Kunal (May 12, 2016). "Interview with No Clean Singing owner Islander". Transcending Obscurity. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Islander. "About". No Clean Singing. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Islander (July 3, 2010). "NoCleanSinging: Exceptions to the Rule".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Synn, Andy (September 23, 2010). "Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra". NoCleanSinging.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ DGR (December 28, 2011). "The Best of 2011: DGR". NoCleanSinging.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Islander (November 21, 2025). "Happy 16th Birthday to us!".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Neilstein, Vince (March 26, 2014). "Is Facebook Trying to Extort Bands and Brands?". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Islander (March 22, 2014). "The Latest Extortion From Facebook". No Clean Singing. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Cory, Ian (February 6, 2017). "Northwest Terrorfest adds Warning, Young And In The Way". Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Injection, Metal (February 6, 2017). "Bringing Warning To America: An Interview With Terrorfest Founder David Rodgers". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ "Northwest Terror Fest announced full 2023 lineup ft AUTOPSY, MISERY INDEX, GHOUL, & more". lambgoat.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Macmillan, Paul (December 21, 2023). "Northwest Terror Fest with Repulsion, Amenra, Forbidden, Primitive Man, MVTANT, and More, Opening Next Batch of Tickets". Ghost Cult Magazine. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ↑ Diers, Kevin (April 18, 2023). "Northwest Terror Fest Returns for Three Days of Brutal Riffs". The Stranger. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.