 Vocally , Åkerfeldt shifts between traditional death metal vocals for heavy sections , and clean , sometimes whispered or soft @-@ spoken vocals over mellower passages . While his death growls were dominant on early releases , later efforts incorporate more clean vocals , with Damnation , Heritage and Pale Communion featuring only clean singing . Rivadavia noted that " Åkerfeldt 's vocals run the gamut from bowel @-@ churning grunts to melodies of chilling beauty — depending on each movement section 's mood . " 
