[brandondrury]

Good question.

When recording ANY new source, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself.

#1 Where do I need to put the mic to pick up the sound in a way that makes the music most effective?

#2 How do I make sure the musician is comfortable enough to deliver a performance that makes the music most effective?

That's it. Because #2 is different for each and every musician (and especially singer) you've got to talk with them and see what they have in mind. Some singers are going to demand being able to scream into a cupped SM 58. Some singers will hate this idea and want to sing in a big, fancy condenser. It's totally up to the engineer, producer, and musician to work out the methods used. When in doubt, always go with what is most natural to the singer. You can usually work around any situation. You may even find that the death metal guy hates headphones and would prefer to have the monitors cranked or something.

Now, in reality, recording a death metal singer isn't all that much different from recording a folk singer. Death metal guys tend to be quieter than most singers I've dealt with. (Growls and howls just aren't that loud). You typically need to fight a dense mix of guitars so a mic with aggressive upper midrange helps (a SM58 can be great in this situation).

Brandon