I feel a lot of estrogen floating around the metalsphere. Or, more accurately, a lot of testosterone floating around the estrogen. People got worked up about Revolver’s “Hottest Chicks in Metal” issue. Then people got worked up about Leaves’ Eyes singer Liv Kristine’s blog post about Why Females in Metal Rule. Then people got worked up about Metalsucks’ rejoinder to Kristine. The metalsphere proved that it is indeed made up of two factions: knuckle-dragging Blabbermouthers, and women.
Here’s my rejoinder to Kristine: Do, or do not. There is no why. Women either kick ass in metal or they don’t. With enough research, I could fill this blog every day with worthy females in metal bands. In fact, there is/was a blog devoted to that: stayfemale.blogspot.com. (The site has been dormant since July.) We’ve gone through this “women in metal” discussion so many times that the names come to mind instantly: Angela Gossow, Jo Bench, Laura Pleasants, Liz Buckingham, Mel Mongeon, Grace Perry, and so on.
They are all great musicians. But we don’t have to limit the discussion to them. Here are four unknown female metallers who are potential game-changers.
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Priscila Serrano (Sinners Bleed)
I discovered Sinners Bleed through Death Metal Invasion. They’re a German death metal band that’s technical yet vicious. (Suffocation is an obvious influence.) Their new vocalist Priscila Serrano doesn’t attempt to hide her femininity; she balances midrange screams with low growls. But her low growls are definitely man-sized. Check out “Behind the Veil” and “Devouring Hatred” on the band’s MySpace. The video for the former is above. It is awesome.
Sofia Raykova (Tantal)
Tantal are a Russian band who MySpaced me recently. They’re like later Death updated with a modern sense of groove. Their video for “Suicide” pasted my jaw to the floor. It starts off cheesy but gets better and better, with an amazing Between the Buried and Me-style outro. Thankfully, Sofia Raykova’s clean singing doesn’t last long, and she drops into various pitches of growls. If Tantal were American, Sumerian would be jocking them hard.
Sally Gates (Gigan, Infernal Assault)
Sally Gates has been filling in for Gigan live on bass. But she’s a six-string shredder in her own right. The best footage I’ve found of her is above, featuring her doing Vital Remains solos. She needs to have her own band! Check out also Infernal Assault, her mostly female covers band, jamming on Slayer (here and here).
Jacqueline Mannering
Here is Jacqueline Mannering, then 14 or 15, doing the solo from Metallica’s “Blackened.” (Thanks to Metal Inquisition for the tip.) Did someone gave her a Stratocaster loaded with humbuckers for her Bat Mitzvah? She doesn’t know a thing about phrasing or feel, but those can come later. The fact that a teenage girl can pull this off without breaking a sweat shows that we’ve come a long way, baby.
Related posts:
GREAT ARTICKLE THIS CHICK DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT PHRAZING YOU ARE RITE COSMO BUT THE LADIES DO SORTA INHERINTELY SUCK COMPARED TO THE MEN OF METAL AM I RITE> ONE DAY SHE'LL HANG WITH THE BIG DOGS EVEN THO SHE IS ALSO JEW. HAILZ
This version of "Blackened" made my eyes pop out of my head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2IRyXzDOsA
I wonder what this mentioned game is that those, or any other musicians, will be changing.
Quality madness going on in the first comment up there. The girl with the red guitar has a long fucking way to go, if she was a dude she woulda been laughed out of town and everyone knows it. Learning the tablature does not a guitarist make.
The vidio posted by Anonymous above is surprisingly good, especially because the girl knows how to play rhythm guitar.
The two women of Ludicra kicked my ass when they opened for Hammers of Misfortune on the most recent tour. I'd never heard of them before, now pretty much own all their records.
Lori Bravo of Nuclear Death rarely gets mentioned. Sure, Nuclear Death has been long gone, but Carrion For Worm is one of the sickest lo fi grind albums ever, alongside Horrified by Repulsion.
I'm pretty sure mazzeltoph couldn't play a certain Deep Purple lick. I think it's pretty progressive. Male Metal Meatheads often ruin a show for me in variety of foreskin dragging ways. Secondly, the ideas behind the music have to evolve or stagnate. Lastly, I saw Ludicra here in Portland on Halloween ( part of the Fall Into Darkness fest) and they fucking slayed. As a matter of fact, there were at least 5 bands on the 3 day bill w/female members.
Yes, that guitarist in the video Anonymous posted is much more impressive. She could fill in live for Metallica if need be. Thanks for sharing.
any thoughts on salome?
saw them during cmj and they destroyed it.
Spreads like Revolver's Hottest Chicks in Metal are severely counterproductive. The sad part is why these musicians would settle for something like that. Both the publication and it's subjects are to blame, and yes I'll point fingers. Just as it is in any subculture or music genre, a dichotomy of sexes is relevant, but not worth polarizing on a who's hot and who's not scale. But it's also worth arguing over pieces that merely point out "yes, there's a female in this band." I can agree with most critical music fans and say "so what?" The publications that point out definitive qualities about musicians, whether they're female or male, get it right in my mind. As as much as I love Liz Buckingham, I was disappointed to see her involved in the Revolver feature. But as much as I wish to be speakin to the choir, I know I'm not.
By all accounts, Salome have an awesome live show. They just need to translate that awesomeness to record.
Jess, you're right in that just being female in a band isn't enough. However, if a female is in a good one, and she isn't just playing keyboards or being a pretty face, then the implication is that she helps make the band good.
I think the whole "female-fronted metal band" tag is just as superfluous as saying "male-fronted metal band". If it's good, then it shouldn't matter (though the problem is most of the time it's not very good). And Liv Kristine clearly has her platinum head crammed way up her bleached asshole. Her outlook is EXACTLY why women in metal are not taken seriously. What an idiotic Barbie doll.
I agree with Carm – Lori Bravo does not get mention enough. LSK from Antaeus, Vorkreist, Secrets of the Moon and about 25 other bands also deserves mention. She is incredibly metal, very dedicated and intense as hell.
I've said this in interviews a dozen times before but when a woman musician is a poor player, she stands out all the more because she's still a relative rarity in the scene. Guys suck all the time, but we don't notice as much because of volume. Think about the last club show you went to where some dude was vomiting into the mike, inspiring you to go outside and make some phone calls. Guys' poor performances are diluted by volume. However, get a girl up on stage and if she's lame, all eyes and judgment are are on her because her presence stands out. And if she's a barker… ooof, double judgement!
Thanks for the link to Liv Kristine's utterly vapid and fury-inspiring article. She's an embarrassment and I should have spit on her when Ignitor played with Leaves Eyes. I now need a Xanax. I'm so glad a cockroach fell into her bodice when they played San Antonio. Her horrified expression had everyone in the room laughing.
"game changers"? pfahah. christ, that's one of those retardedly American things to say. what is anyone going to change, eh? nothing.
Anonymous just above me here, like Tim Roth's "Trevor" character in Alan Clarke's seminal 1982 made-for-TV film Made in Britain embraces the true nihilism[sic] and realizes that change is impossible in the cosmos.
Also you might check this as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umElpJYCbZM
Turkish metal – interesting! However, a metal band based on its female singer's sex appeal is "more of the same."