As the title says, I've been drinking for quite a while. Not exactly "too much", but enough that it put the (in)famous whiskey strain on my voice.

Then one day, I realized that I actually don't like being drunk. I actually don't like hangovers either. And actually, some people think I become a bit of an asshole when I drink, so it seemed fitting to stop.

Over the past few months, I've not had more than the few and far in between beers. Instead, I've been drinking water, working out and getting 8 hours of sleep a night.

Technically speaking, it has worked wonders on my voice. My range was already quite wide, now I've gained at least an octave and a half (half in the low register, one in the high). I hit notes much cleaner, and phrasings have become extremely easy to perform compared to before.

But on the other hand, I just suddenly sound so bland. Like a guy in the back of a mediocre church choir. Singers would be proud of me, but my voice is just so forgettable. I guess the natural strain gave me a lot of power that I've lost.

So my question is - where do I go from here? Has anyone had similar experiences? Finding my voice last time was a pain in the ass. Does this mean I have to go through all that trial and error again?

Bonus question: Since I've been relying on that harshness for power in my voice, does anyone have any good tips or exercises for strengthening my vocals naturally?

I would get a vocal coach, but I'll be spending the next half year in a studio in the middle of nowhere (as an audio engineer), making not nearly enough to take lessons

Edit: While advice for getting the more rough sound of rock and metal would be awesome, it would also be cool to use this as an opportunity to reinvent myself and maybe start exploring my voice in some new ways that I haven't technically been able to before.