March 8th is International Women’s Day. In metal, the pioneers who have asserted themselves even in this formerly male-dominated domain have long existed. We say: Thank you for being there. You are an inspiration, and we appreciate your strength. Here are our examples of women in metal.
1. Tatiana Shmayluk – Jinjer – Metal Icon with a powerful Voice
Tatiana Shmayluk is considered one of the most remarkable voices in modern metal. The trademark of the powerful and versatile frontwoman of the Ukrainian prog metal band Jinjer is her seamless transition between melodic, soulful vocals and extreme growls. In the spirit of International Women’s Day, Tatiana is tired of being compared to other women in the metal world. The fact that some people still view growling women as abnormal and that female-fronted bands are often pigeonholed makes her furious. The charismatic Tatiana is described as a force of nature who completely redefines the term “metal singer”.
JINJER – Hedonist – Tatiana Shmayluk – One Take Vocal Performance
2. Doro Pesch – Warlock – Queen of Metal
Doro has been a metal pioneer since the 1980s. Starting out in the Düsseldorf underground scene, she was one of the first women to front a metal band, Warlock, from 1983 to 1988. At the time, this was nothing short of a revolution – even more so than today. After Warlock split up after the “True as Steel” tour in 1989 due to disagreements among the band members about their goals, she moved to the USA and launched her solo career. With more than 40 years of experience in the music business, Doro Pesch has sold well over 10 million records and has performed more than 3,500 concerts in approximately 60 countries. Long considered a true legend, she helped pave the way for women in heavy metal and has inspired countless other female musicians in this genre.
Doro – All We Are – Live at Wacken Open Air 2009
3. Tarja Turunen – ex Nightwish – the “Diva of Metal”
Tarja has created a truly extraordinary symbiosis: the Finnish singer is a classically trained soprano, songwriter, and composer, and at the same time one of the most influential singers in symphonic metal. Contrasts that obviously fit together perfectly. Ever since she co-founded Nightwish, Tarja has become world-famous for her very unique style – dramatic opera singing combined with hard metal riffs. After being dismissed from the band in an open letter in 2005, she launched her solo career. Tarja has released several successful solo albums, including “My Winter Storm”, “What Lies Beneath”, “Colours in the Dark”, “The Shadow Self”, and “In the Raw”. However, she did not want to limit herself to one genre and also released classical albums. And that’s what International Women’s Day is all about: don’t let yourself be restricted! By the way, Tarja is the first singer to whom the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dedicated a special emoji. So, everyone smile for the metal camera, please!
Tarja – Shadow Play (Circus Life) | Official Video
4. Alissa White-Gluz – Arch Enemy – Roots of Melodic Death Metal
When Arch Enemy announced their split from singer Alissa, it sent shockwaves through the metal scene. The tour had been extremely successful, but less than two weeks later, they were going their separate ways. Shortly afterwards, Alissa released her first solo single. In the meantime, she has announced her plans for the future and formed a new band, with which Alissa intends to live out her artistic freedom. The new line-up also includes two women, the incredibly talented Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia. Alissa’s growls are legendary, driving melodic death metal back to its roots and pushing it to its limits at the same time. Incidentally, the new singer for Arch Enemy is former Once Human frontwoman and rhythm guitarist Lauren Hart.
Alissa White-Gluz – The Room Where She Died (Official Music Video)
5. Nita Strauss – ex Alice Cooper – Power Woman and Guitar Virtuoso
Nita Strauss is known to be an absolute power woman who has achieved almost heroic fame. Inspired by Steve Vai, she’s a guitar virtuoso who celebrates hard rock and metal in a unique way. Vinita Sandhya Strauss, as the Los Angeles-born American is fully named, became the touring guitarist for shock rocker Alice Cooper in 2014. Guitar World even ranked her number one on a list of 10 female guitarists you should know. Nita focuses on her work as a virtuoso hard rock and metal guitarist and has collaborated with various high-profile singers. On her album “The Call Of The Void”, she worked with big names from the rock and metal scene, including David Draiman of Disturbed, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Alice Cooper, Dorothy, and the aforementioned Alissa White-Gluz.
Nita Strauss – Victorious ft. Dorothy (Official Video)
6. Candace Kucsulain – Walls of Jericho – Woman in the Metal Circus
Fronted by Candace Kucsulain, Walls of Jericho have been active in the global hardcore and metal scene since 1998, performing on club and festival stages around the world. Candace seems to hold a deep-seated anger within her, which she catapults into the microphone with her raw and distinctive voice. Like Candace’s vocals, the band is known for its fast, hard, and furious style.
Walls of Jericho – Wacken 2009
7. Meytal Cohen – Metal Drumming Sensation
Meytal Cohen rose to fame beginning in 2010 by posting drum cover versions of famous rock songs on her YouTube channel. Her drum series has long since surpassed 60 million views and 1.63 million subscribers. Her 2009 cover of “Toxicity” alone had been viewed around 11 million times by 2016. Meytal also plays in her heavy metal band of the same name, “Meytal”, which supports her during her live shows. And, of course, she has also caught the attention of gear manufacturers: Meytal plays a drum kit from DW Drums with Remo skins and Meinl cymbals and uses Vic Firth drumsticks.
Limp Bizkit – Take a Look Around – Drum Cover by Meytal Cohen
8. Lita Ford (The Runaways / Solo) – simply impressive
Lita Ford gained international fame in the 1980s with the all-female band “The Runaways”. Their music was a mix of glam rock, punk, and rock ‘n’ roll. With Lita Ford as lead guitarist, The Runaways became big stars, particularly in Japan, and even reached the top of the charts. As early as 1979, Lita had launched her solo career encouraged by her past successes. For example, she recorded the duet “Close My Eyes Forever” with Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness. In the video, she not only showcases her rocking vocal qualities but also delivers a solo on a double-neck guitar.
Lita Ford – Close My Eyes Forever
9. Jo Bench – Bolt Thrower: a Beacon in extreme Death Metal
Jo Bench, the bassist for Bolt Thrower, needs no introduction, at least not to the metal community. Now 57, she has long been known as one of the first women in extreme old-school metal and has influenced numerous other female musicians in harder styles of rock. For decades, Jo-Anne Bench has been firmly rooted in the dark world of low frequencies.
She has played on all Bolt Thrower albums – though not all demos – and occasionally, albeit rarely, contributed her “spoken” voice. This is the case on the track “Resurrected For Massive Torture” from the project “The Project Hate MCMXCIX” on the album “Armageddon March Eternal – Symphonies of Slit Wrists”. Her true domain is the bass, an instrument that had long been played exclusively by men, particularly in death metal.
In keeping with the genre, she relies on down-to-earth equipment. Jo usually uses her Ironbird from BC Rich, a Peavey T-Max amp, and two 2×15-inch Laney cabinets. An Ibanez Tube Screamer adds to the powerful sound.
Bolt Thrower – Helsinki 28/06/2013
10. Floor Jansen – Nightwish – technically and emotionally brilliant
Dutch singer Floor Jansen is best known as the frontwoman of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. She has long been considered one of the most versatile and powerful voices in metal, moving with absolute perfection between energetic shouting and melodic, upfront rock vocals, while repeatedly incorporating her classically trained soprano. On stage, she delivers her vocals with the utmost technical precision and emotional depth.
She began her career at the age of 16 with the symphonic metal band After Forever. Immediately after the band broke up, Floor founded her own band, ReVamp, in 2010. And then things really took off: originally, she was only supposed to fill in as a tour singer for Nightwish. But her performance was so outstanding that she became a permanent member of the band in 2013 and recorded “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” with Nightwish just under two years later. But that’s not all. With her solo career, various other projects, and even her participation in the Dutch reality TV show “Beste Zangers” (“Best Singers”), she proved her versatility and laid further milestones for female power in metal. Floor received an equally extraordinary and charming honour in 2018 when a newly discovered beetle was named after her: “Tmesisternus floorjansenae”.
Floor Jansen – Nemo – Live at Wacken Open Air 2025
11. Simone Simons – Epica / Solo – Goddess of Symphonic Metal
Dutch singer Simone Johanna Maria Simons rose to widespread fame with the Dutch symphonic metal institution Epica. She has been shaping the sound of this creative universe as the band’s front woman since 2002, when she was just 17 years old. Simone’s trademark is her mezzo-soprano voice with a powerful falsetto and a highly controlled breathing technique, combining elements of opera with rock and metal influences. However, she did not stop at nine studio albums and worldwide live tours. Instead, she released her first solo album, “Vermillion”, in 2024, on which she demonstrates not only her vocal qualities but also her versatility. She draws on a wide variety of genres, from progressive rock to gothic metal to electronic music. Some members of the metal community even consider Simone “the goddess of symphonic metal”. In any case, she is one of the defining figures of female-fronted metal.
EPICA – Aspiral (Live At The Symphonic Synergy – OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO)
Simone Simons – Vermillion (Full Album)
Women in Metal : Your Feedback
We say thank you and hope to see many more power women in metal. In any case, the significance of International Women’s Day cannot be overstated. Feel free to share in the comments which women in metal have impressed you the most.
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