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11 Women In Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who Matter

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Cristina Scabbia-main

Credit: Steve Ladanyi/Yell! Magazine

Just as we did for Black History Month in February with our article 11 Blacks Who Kill It in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock, we’re honoring women during Women’s History Month with our tribute to 11 Women in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who Matter.

One thing was certain when we set out to make this list: we didn’t want any label-produced, cotton-candy, pink-bunny-rabbit women in heavy metal. Yes, we’re talking to you, Black Veil Brides (oh, wait, you’re dudes). We wanted real modern women who take their craft seriously, who are influencing other young women, and who are making an impact on the metal scene.

It’s truly amazing to see how far women in heavy metal – hell, in music in general – have come since the days of Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Joan Jett, Vixen or Lita Ford. All of them are talented, but most assuredly exceptions to the conventions of their time. Truth be told, labels wanted hot chicks so that albums would sell. Just look what became of Heart when their label told Ann Wilson to lose weight. Perhaps due to the advent of the Internet and the digital era, women in heavy metal have more options to get heard than ever before.

Here is Yell! Magazine’s 11 Women in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who Matter:

No.11 Krysta Cameron

Iwrestledabearonce

Kicking the list off is Krysta Cameron of Iwrestledabearonce. The band is spastic, fast, heavy, creative, interesting, diverse, technical, chaotic, regulated, and led by Krysta Cameron on vocals. Her vocals masterfully range from death growls to metalcore screams to straight, Lisa Loeb-ish tones, but shush on that last point, since Krysta is actually influenced by Bjork, which you can hear as well.

If you’re one to judge looks, Iwrestledabearonce might at first appear to be some hipsters trying to be “ironic”; however, they’re just a bunch of nerds with too much talent having some fun, the kind of fun in which they interrupt a song to play the Inspector Gadget theme song.

Formed in 2007, Iwrestledabearonce has a self-titled EP (2007), and two albums on Century Media: It’s All Happening (2009) and Ruining it for Everyone (2011). Initially from Louisiana, the band now calls Alabama their home and has a big world to conquer. Let’s all give ‘em a big bear hug and wish ‘em well.

Stick around. We’ve barely begun this list of women in heavy metal and hard rock who matter…

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  • Manan Dedhia

    A tad bit disappointed to not find Tarja Turunen or Annette Olzon in there…..but, nevertheless, a great list…..keep up the good work……

    • http://twitter.com/YellMagazine Yell!

      Hey Manan, thanks for the comment. Tarja was definitely on our list all the way up to the final draft. The way I see it, this will be an organic list, meaning that there will be many more like it to come. Maybe not with 11 entries, but there’s definitely tons of under-appreciated talent out there to be recognized. Thanks for reading.
      -Evil

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Santiago-Romano/1025170755 Santiago Romano

    Tarja and sharon den adel the best metal singers… your list sucks!

    • http://twitter.com/YellMagazine Yell!

       Thanks for your input Santiago. Like I said to a previous poster, I very nearly had Tarja on the list. I’m curious though, what does our list suck? As an expert in felching, please let us know.

    • Cradleoffilth

      I was gonna comment about Tarja too… It’s unbelievable she’s not in this list! They added a DJ, but not Tarja… That’s unbelievable…

      • http://www.yellmagazine.com Yell! Magazine

        You honestly think adding Jackie was mistake? C’mon dude she’s supporting the metal community in the best possible way, and she’s true to herself. Jackie is just as important as any female artist in metal. Don’t think of her as a regular DJ, think of her like she’s a fucking guide to metal man. That’s why she MATTERS!

      • http://www.yellmagazine.com Yell! Magazine

        You honestly think adding Jackie was mistake? C’mon dude she’s supporting the metal community in the best possible way, and she’s true to herself. Jackie is just as important as any female artist in metal. Don’t think of her as a regular DJ, think of her like she’s a fucking guide to metal man. That’s why she MATTERS!

  • Derp

    glad to see otep and angela as the top two m/

  • http://twitter.com/Grumpyrocker Harry Neary

    Angela Gossow isn’t a very good death metal vocalist as all, she has very limited range.

  • Kfirah

    I think this list is great and we’ve come a long way in the genre of metal that so many young women are taking up the microphone and kicking asses.

    But when you title a list “Women in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who MATTER”, I really think at least ONE entry should be a band like Girlschool who have withstood the test of time and are still rocking thirty years down the road.  If it wasn’t for women like Kim, Enid, Kelly and Denise, there might not be some women on this list.

    Longevity in this business MATTERS.  Keep rawking!

    • http://twitter.com/YellMagazine Yell!

       @e93eec0fac2f64e29199e6399aabdc9a:disqus  – absolutely right you are. I wanted to keep the entries on our inaugural list a bit more modern though. In the back of my mind as I wrote it was the thought that I will write a similar article based on “old-school” women of metal. Thanks for reading and please keep coming back.
      -Evil

  • http://www.facebook.com/YoPoNJ Rob Schultes

    Where is Sabine Scherer of Deadlock?  What happened to Kittie?  And on another note…  I wrestled a bear once (not even gonna attempt to stylize that) is a disgrace.

  • JMI1390

    Where is Lzzy Hale!?

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/ZHKQN4TI23EI7PPEG6HXCDZ5CU Chris Akin

    two words can fix this list – Sandra Alva!  ’Nuff said. http://www.facebook.com/moderndayescape

  • http://thatdevilmusic.net Rob Liz

    I love how you bag on the Black Veil Brides but then act like it’s an achievement to have signed 5FDP(both are terrible).  Omitted from your list is Anette Olzon, Lzzy Hale, Doro Pesch, Sharon Den Adel and Liv Kristine. If you’re going to do a list that includes in it’s title “that matter” I’d swap half your list with those names. 

    • http://twitter.com/YellMagazine Yell!

       @Rob_Liz666:disqus – I totally agree that 11 slots is not enough; there are so many women in metal who DO matter, and I think it is an exciting time to see the shift. I believe that this may end up being an ongoing feature for us. I am also planning on someday writing a list of “old-school” women of metal. Thanks for reading and I hope you come back!
      -Evil

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adrian-Wolf/1163391478 Adrian Wolf

    must admit this list kind of sucks. this is more of the “sexy popular women in metal whos bands are really boring”. The chick from iwrestledabearonce should be in the top 5 period and im not really even a fan of them, shes just the best.

    • http://twitter.com/YellMagazine Yell!

       Yes, popular women in metal WHO MATTER, because they’re influencing the future generation of metallers. As for boring, pffft

    • http://twitter.com/YellMagazine Yell!

       then again, maybe you can’t read and just looked at the pictures, then your lack of understanding can be forgiven

  • JordanE

    Amanda from The Order of Chaos should be on this list. 

  • morton

    FLOOR JANSEN????

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