Mark Salomon (1,840 views)

[TheCMRecluse]

Mark Salomon
Associated Acts: The Crucified (1986–1993, 2009–present) Outer Circle (1993–1998) Stavesacre (1995–2010, 2014–present), Neon Horse (2007–2009), White Lighter (2010–present)
Vocal Range: C2-F♯5 (3 octaves, 6 notes)
Vocal Type: Speaking Easy Baritone

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Summary}
Regarded as one of the most essential vocalists in Christian hardcore music, Mark Salomon is considered as one of the most versatile vocalists in the scene. His voice has been described as a smooth baritone with a lot of soulful tone and a frantic delivery being able to switch his voice in seconds from power cleans to a raspy vibrato. In his time with his first band the crossover thrash band, The Crucified he specialized mostly in yelling and screaming and while his unclean vocals do not have much distortion, he makes up for his delivery in a fast, panicked manner and also rap-style flow with a few moments of melodic singing which he started to do more in his short-lived punk band Outer Circle and would become more prominent with his second official band and first supergroup the alternative metal/hard rock tinge, Stavesacre. While being a baritone, in Stavesacre he mostly sings in a high register being able to belt notes with a strong control being able to sing notes up to the beginning of the fifth octave. In a side project and third supergroup, Neon Horse he manages to expand more of his versatility more being able to sing in an over-the-top Ozzy-inspired style inflections as well as deeper crooning, passionate falsettos and more distortion to his yells. The Ozzy-inflections got more prominent in his other supergroup, White Lighter as he sings in a raspier texture. It is no secret that he is a busy vocalist having done a lot of bands and music projects but no matter what he is one of the most authentic and gifted singers in the Christian scene and most people in the scene credit his works for them to start their careers of their own.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Discography Checked}
The Crucified
Genre: Crossover thrash
EPs
KGB Demo (1985) A3-G4-B4
Take Up Your Cross Demo (1986) A2-B2-G♯4-B♭4
Nailed Demo (1987) D3-G4-B♭4
Studio albums
The Crucified (1988) D3-C5
The Pillars Of Humanity (1991) F2-B♭4

Outer Circle
Genre: Punk rock
Studio albums
Outer Circle (1998) B2-D3-B4

Stavesacre
Genre: Alternative metal/post-hardcore/hard rock
EPs
Bull Takes Fighter EP (2004) A2-C5
Against The Silence EP (2009) E2-D3-C♯5
Studio albums
Friction (1996) A2-B4
Absolutes (1997) D3-B4-C5
Speakeasy (1999) G♯2-A2-B♭4
(stāvz'ā'kər) (2002) F♯2-C5
How To Live With A Curse (2006) C3-C5
MCMXCV (2017) C2-B2-C♯5

Neon Horse:
Genre: Gothic rock/post-punk/indie rock
EPs
Habit Of Creature EP (2024) D2-B4
Studio albums
Neon Horse (2007) E2-G2-C5-F♯5
Haunted Horse: Songs Of Love, Defiance, And Delusion (2009) E2-A2-B2-B4-E5

White Lighter:
Genre: Stoner rock/art rock
Studio albums
White Lighter (2014) F2-F♯2-C5-D5

Significant High Notes:

F♯5 ("Crazy Daisy")
E5 ("Some Folks", "The Bathroom Wall")
D5 ("Crazy Daisy", "Go. Stop", "Hard Love", "Omens")
C♯5 (Against The Silence (Long For More), "The Tower", "Straining Life")
C5 ("An Eclipsing", "Confidence", "Epignosis" by Chatterbox, "Future History Of The Broken Hearted", "Next Age", "Nice For You", "One Day" by Havalina Rail Co., "The Bathroom Wall", "Son Of Dawn", "Witch Trial", "You Made It Look So Easy")
B4 ("Accelerating Into Brake Lights", "An Eclipsing" "Blinded" by Focused, "Bummer", "Cell-O-Phone", "Creator & Creation", "Fanny Pack", "Follow The Man", "Go. Stop", "Haskell Moon", "Hungry Wolf" [X cover], "Horsey", "I Don't Need Anything", "I Know That It Can Be Confusing (When It's All Your Fault)", "Imposter", "It's Beautiful (Once You're Out Here)", "Merciless Mother", "Moonstone", "My Sympathies" by Argyle Park, "Power Of God", "Shiv", "Sloburn", "Suffocate Me", "The Dash On My Headstone", "The Trouble With Being Born", "We'll Sort This Out Right Now", "Why Good People Suffer", "Yer Busy Little Beehive")
B♭4 ("A Place Where I Can Breathe", "Acquiesce", "Anna Thema", "All You Need", "Back To The Cross", "Blind Hope", "Burning Clean", "City Sailor", "Clean Break", "Colt .45", "Comin' Up Theventh", "Confidence", "Devil", "Disquiet", "Disposal", "Freedom", "God In A Cage", "Handful Of Words", "HateWorld", "Headscrew" by Argyle Park, "Hymn", "Kick Yer Askin' For It", "Mindbender", "Mirrors Within Mirrors Pt. 1" by Michael Phillips, "Parasite", "Path To Sorrow", "Speed Killz", "Teeth Like Knives", "This Love", "The Strength", "The Two Heavens", "Threshold", "World To Wait", "You Know How It Is", "Your Image", "Zzyzx Scarecrow")
A4 ("... The Band Played On (Against The Silence Pt. II)", "A Reason To Believe", "Anna Thema", "At The Moment", "Bull Takes Fighter", "Burn The Witch", "Cooked", "Cuckoo!", "Death To Death", "Diehard", "Doomsayer" by Argyle Park, "Fascination Street" [The Cure cover], "Fear And Love", "Freefall (From Hand To Hand)", "Future History Of The Broken Hearted", "G.O.D.", "Gold And Silver", "Grace", "'Haven't Sinned In Years!", "He Is The Reason", "Heavy", "I Am", "I'm Not A Christian Punk", "Inclusive", "Island", "It Must Be Wonderful", "Lost Days", "Keep Waiting", "Kill My Darlings", "Last Meal" by Project 86, "Loader", "Manifesto", "Minutemen", "Mr. Larkspur", "Night Town", "Nuttin' There", "On Being A Human Being", "One Hand Clapping", "Rivers Underneath", "Sand Dollar", "Seal Number Four", "Sepae8 St8", "Shiv", "Side-Stage Syndrome", "So-Called Living 1991", "Sodom And America" by XL + DBD, "Son Of Dawn", "Straining Life", "Strange Town", "The Dead Rejoice", "The Trouble With Being Born", "The Sad Parade", "This Madness", "Thread", "Threshold", "Tranewreck", "Unity", "Unscene", "We Say", "Wither/Ascend", "World To Wait", "You Don't Understand")
G♯4 ("A Guy In A Suit And The Pope", "Be Warned", "Crucial Moment", "Crucify Me", "Dirty Minds", "Fellowship Of Thieves", "Focus", "Getting A Grip On Things", "Give It Up", "Hellcorn", "I'm Not Afraid (Of Nuclear War)", "It's All About Fear", "Make Fire", "Moana Lisa", "Moonstone", "Problem Solution", "Rise", "Swan", "The Pit", "The Pillars Of Humanity", "The Wrong One")
G4 ("Alice Wishlist", "Apathy", "Breathe Me" [Sia cover], "City Sailor", "Conviction", "Crucified With Christ", "Godspeed" by Mortal, "Grace", "If Not Now", "Jesus", "Kick Yer Askin' For It", "Little Lamb", "No Decay", "Nice For You", "One Day" by Havalina Rail Co., "Rebellion", "Rise", "Sean", "Seal Number Four", "Sideways", "Silent Scream", "Sleepyhead", "St. Eriksplan", "Sundown Motel", "The Insult Circus", "This Howl", "Time Honored Tradition", "Washed Out/Apathy (Medley)", "We're In A War")

Significant Low Notes:

E3 ("A Place Where I Can Breathe", "An Eclipsing", "Breath Cancer", "Breathe Me" [Sia Cover], "Burn The Witch", "Creator & Creation", "Dirty Minds", "Haskell Moon", "I Don’t Need Anything", "It's Beautiful (Once You're Out Here)", "Manifesto", "Sloburn", "The Dash On My Headstone", "We Say", "Why Good People Suffer", "Wither/Ascend")
E♭3 ("Chain Gang, Bang Bang", "City Sailor", "'Haven't Sinned In Years!", "Lost Days", "Mindbender", "One Hand Clapping", "This Howl", "Witch Trial")
D3 ("Acquiesce", "Alice Wishlist", "Blind Hope", "Burning Clean", "Colt .45", "G.O.D." (Take Up Your Cross version), "Hard Love", "I Know That It Can Be Confusing (When It's All Your Fault)",  "Kill My Darlings", "Minutemen", "Rebellion", "Rivers Underneath", "Silent Scream", "St. Eriksplan", "Teeth Like Knives", "This Love", "The Two Heavens", "Your Image")
C♯3 ("Be Warned", "Bull Takes Fighter", "Conviction", "El Mariachi", "Last Meal" by Project 86, "Power Of God", "Problem Solution", "Seal Number Four", "Stars And Clouds", "World To Wait")
C3 ("Devil", "Freefall (From Hand To Hand)", "Future History Of The Broken Hearted", "Headscrew" by Argyle Park, "Omens", "Sean", "Sepae8 St8", "Sleepyhead", "This Madness", "Threshold")
B2 ("Anna Thema", "Clean Break", "Conviction", "Fellowship Of Thieves", "Heavy", "Hymn", "If Not Now", "It's All About Fear", "Make Fire", "Moonstone", "Rise", "Some Folks", "Straining Life", "Suffocate Me", "The Dead Rejoice")
B♭2 ("Disquiet", "My Sympathies" by Argyle Park, "The Ballad Of The Blamed" by The Blamed)
A2 ("At The Moment", "Crazy Daisy", "Cuckoo!", "Directed Youth", "Gold And Silver", "Keep Waiting", "Strange Town", "Time Honored Tradition", "Yes")
G♯2 ("This Love")
G2 ("Chain Gang, Bang Bang", "Crazy Daisy", "Little Lamb", "Pretty Face Divided")
F♯2 ("HateWorld", "Island", "Swan", "That’s Right", "The Bathroom Wall", "The Pillars Of Humanity")
F2 ("Path To Sorrow", "Spearhead")
E2 ("... The Band Played On (Against The Silence Pt. II)", "I Know - I Just Don't Care", "Nuttin' There", "The Ballad Of The Blamed" by The Blamed, "When Daddy Gets Home")
D2 ("I Know That It Can Be Confusing (When It's All Your Fault)")
C2 ("Mr Larkspur")

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
B♭5 ("Hellcorn"^[3])
E5 ("I Know - I Just Don't Care"^[3])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

.......................................................
Blue marks falsetto or whistle notes.
Green marks harsh, distorted notes.
Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.

[Macca]

I'm hearing Mr. Larkspur getting down to C2 but it might be because of the lead vocal, i'm hearing B♭4's in Devil and Loader getting up to B♭4, that bold B4 is the most overtony thing I've ever heard I'm hearing A2's and B2's in Crazy Daisy briefly getting down to G2 but it might not be him & the G♯5 begins as a B♭5

[TheCMRecluse]

Jul 20, 2023 2:06:10 GMT Macca said:

I'm hearing a Mr. Larkspur getting down to C2 but it might be because of the lead vocal, i'm hearing B♭4's in Devil and Loader getting up to B♭4, that bold B4 is the most overtony thing I've ever heard I'm hearing A2's and B2's in Crazy Daisy briefly getting down to G2 but it might not be him & the G♯5 begins as a B♭5

Yeah about the B4, the album it came from was criticized for its mixing even the band itself was not pleased with the results. Still a strong note by Salomon.

[TheCMRecluse]

After much listening, the highest note is actually a B♭5 instead of a G♯5.

[TheCMRecluse]

Update on the low note.

[Electric Mami]

I'd mark the B♭5 as non-melodic and questionable personally since the pitch is all over the place, everything else is good!

[TheCMRecluse]

Found some old demos from The Crucified as well as some guest vocal appearances I missed and added them. Also change in high note.

[TheCMRecluse]

Just added the new Neon Horse EP, Habit Of Creature EP (2024).