Product Details

• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Loudmouth
• DVD Release Date: February 21, 2006
• Run Time: 145 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000E97HVM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,393 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, March 18, 2006

By 

J. Nordstedt "the Milwaukees" (Jersey City, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed (DVD)

Nothing is more frustrating than being in a band, knowing what you want to do, but being unable to get there--either because you're not warmed up, you damaged your throat the night before, or you just don't know what you're doing. This DVD will help you solve all of those problems!

I've fooled around with other kinds of vocal instruction, but they are all too clasically based. Melissa Cross get's it. She gets that rock is not supposed to sound like opera. She has found a way to apply traditional vocal training without altering the intensity and grit essential to rock singing.

She covers everything from breathing and talking to hitting your pitch and screaming without hurting yourself. If you check out the bonus features she even swallows a camera to show you how you can hurt yourself while singing.

When I first got the DVD, I was afraid it would be a bunch of people screaming because they couldn't be musical in their band. But it turns out to be anything but that. Its great to see all of these guys who sing some really heavy stuff challenging themselves to be more musical and more expressive without killing themselves or sacrificing their artistic vision. Only Melissa Cross could get these guys to do this.

If you are a rock singer (you don't even have to be a screamer--though screamers are welcomed) or want to be a rock singer, you need this DVD.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, with a few drawbacks, April 29, 2006

By 

Willie V. Hughes (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed (DVD)

I bought this DVD after hearing a great story about Melissa Cross on NPR a few weeks ago. The value of the DVD is excellent because you can actually see how the exercises need to be performed, as well as hearing them. I also liked watching Melissa because she's very colorful and dynamic, and it makes you feel like you have your own vocal coach. How someone can learn to sing from a book is beyond me. The DVD also features actual footage of vocal chords in action. Melissa apparently swallowed a tiny camera and sang the correct and incorrect ways. It's very interesting to see the theory in action.

The package also comes with an audio CD that features warm-up exercises in different vocal ranges. A very nice addition. The production value of the whole package is excellent. I have seem some obvious "vocal lesson" scams on the internet that look like they were produced in someone's basement in an afternoon. This package is very professional, and contains a lot of content.

The three drawbacks I have to this package (and the only two reasons I gave it four stars instead of five) are as follows: (1) There is too much promotional information on the DVD. Throughout the entire video, various band members interviewed in clubs and back alleys keep singing the praises of Melissa and telling you how great she is. I felt a little like, "Hey, I already bought the DVD, you don't need to sell me on it. Get on with the program!" (2) The video was a little too focused on death metal and hardcore garbage-disposal vocals. I was hoping there would be more discussion of the styles of say Joe Cocker, Bruce Springsteen, or Steven Tyler (Aerosmith). Although I can see that death metal singers are probably the most aggressive, they don't have a monopoly on singing with passion, "fire" and "heat" (as the video calls the techniques). (3) Ironically, The Zen of Screaming didn't cover as much "screaming" as I wanted. It seems like only the last chapter of the DVD really focused on what I bought the video for: How to sing aggressively without hurting your vocal chords. The vast majority of the video was spent on essential fundamentals (which were no doubt important), but I could have used another 10-15 minutes of discussion on how the "heat" and "fire" techniques really works.

Overall, I would highly recommend this program. Hopefully the minor kinks in of the concept presentation will be worked out in future editions.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This is a huge publicity stunt and is a waste of money., March 25, 2007

By 

C. Carriger (Ft. Worth, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed (DVD)

Well, first of all, I am the lead singer for my band. I am a very good singer, I've had many singing lessons and am in choir. I know how to sing from my diaphram and sing with the correct vowel sounds, have good vibrato, and falsetto. BUT!! I wanted to learn how to SCREAM. I have done a few shows with a hardcore band and screamed for them and just devestated my throat. I wanted to learn how to SCREAM correctly and this dvd will not teach you how to SCREAM. It may say it does, but it does not. Pretty much the first hour of stuff was stuff I already knew about singing. She mentions how to make your voice scratchy in about 3-4 sentences and THATS IT. I need further explanation. I am extremely extremely angry because I just wasted my money on a crappy factless infomertial for Melissa Cross. This dvd sucks!