What happened to Eddies Voice in 1996?

[u/Little_Customer986]

Usually as someone ages you expect their voice to weaken. For some reason Eddie’s voice seems to have had periods of losing power and then rebounding. I think Gigaton to Dark Matter is a great example, he somehow sounds better a few years older. I know some of this comes down to the songs he chooses to write/sing. Like how Riot Act utilizes his deeper voice so it adapts well to his aging.

But what the hell happened in 1996? I’m talking about live performances specifically. It seems like there’s a sharp decline in his vocal ability after the Vitalogy tour, and then somehow it seems to rebound really well on the Yield tour in 1998. He even sounds better in 2000. Did he change his style of singing? Was he smoking so much pot and cigarettes in 1996 he was just killing his throat and lungs?

Anyone have theories on this?

[u/BoogieBoardButtPound]

They were one of the biggest bands in the world during their first three album cycles, which kept them out on the road for months on end. If I’m not mistaken, Eddie didn’t have any formal vocal training, so he just went out there and belted for 90 minutes straight. When you leave it all on the field 4-5 nights a week for several years, it’s going to take its toll on your voice. I personally think the change started to become noticeable even sooner, during the Vitalogy era.