The past couple of months have been monumental for women in metal. Gone are the days of artists being exclusively pitted against Amy Lee. Gone are the days of women needing to be bolstered by men in order to break into the industry. Gone is the box-ticking exercise of featuring one female vocal per album cycle. Now that the game is changing for women in the industry, we’re being fed fresh instrumentation, lyrical mastery, and the fullest metalcore screams, all proof of how deserving these artists are. In August alone, three of the most powerful rock and metal albums were released by women, two of which by all-female groups (not even one male spokesperson on bass!). More recently, everyone’s been talking about that Amy Lee, Poppy, and Courtney LaPlante collaboration. If you’re looking for new and energising tracks for the next academic year, these women have got you covered.
When you think of metal, perhaps you don’t picture saccharine vocals, references to kawaii culture, or cheesy key changes. Somehow, these find a rightful home for themselves in BABYMETAL’s METAL FORTH. Making liberal use of collaboration, this album boasts name after name for nu-metal fans across the globe. Some of these feel extremely fitting in the BABYMETAL formula: US-based band Polyphia provide a summery, synth, and shred underscore to ‘Sunset Kiss,’ while fan-favourite Poppy fits as a fourth member in ‘from me to u’. However, it’s in the unexpected where the band is at its strongest. Even when accompanied by some of the heaviest sections in BABYMETAL’s discography so far – provided by the likes of Bloodywood, Slaughter To Prevail, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello – BABYMETAL’s quintessentially Japanese nuances in tone and melody shine through.
“Self-assured lyricism and punchy, industrial-twinged instrumentation”
Towards the end of August, we also saw the release of Nova Twins’ Parasites & Butterflies. Nova Twins have never shied away from bold empowerment; from their previous album Supernova, tracks like ‘Antagonist,’ ‘Cleopatra,’ and ‘Choose Your Fighter’ skyrocketed in popularity for their self-assured lyricism and punchy, industrial-twinged instrumentation. This time around, though, there’s a sonic subtlety that further harks their message home. One of the first singles off this album, ‘Soprano,’ is a powerful example of this choice, with threats delivered in hushed harmonies. Even their most energised and forceful tracks take their sweet time to build momentum: ‘Glory’ taunts us with softness before we’re met with soaring choruses and some of the best drum fills a rock breakdown can ask for. Lyrically, Nova Twins remain true to themselves, with overt declarations of their worth. They empower themselves in rock not in spite of their gender or ethnicity but because of it, describing themselves as “Black Jessica Rabbit” and “cute, sexy, devilish, intelligent”. After years of the ‘not like other girls’ tropes that the likes of Paramore and Evanescence were forced to tow, Parasites & Butterflies provides a unique embracement of femininity – especially non-white femininity – that metal desperately needs.
However, sometimes the most trailblazing thing a woman can do is to not be trailblazing. Enter Halestorm’s Everest. Don’t get me wrong: Lzzy Hale has played a vital role in progressing the music industry for women, fronting one of the most popular metal bands for over twenty-five years. Everest is yet another collection of tracks to add to her repertoire of rock prowess. It by no means sounds the same as her previous work: ‘Fallen Star’ carries an immense, sexy groove in its verses before suddenly transforming into an ethereal beauty in the choruses. The longevity of her vocals must also be commended; from the gentler melodies in these studio recordings to the some of the most brutal distortions in their live performances, Lzzy Hale commands full control over her voice, even after throwing all the stops at it time and time again. But this album is no sudden reworking of her artistry either, and it shouldn’t have to be. Why should we expect Halestorm to constantly evolve their sound to prove themselves, when an all-male band of equal calibre would never have to?
“A staunch refusal to let trauma define these artists”
These releases mark an exciting (and long overdue) shift in the alternative music industry. With metal often unashamedly leaning into heavy topics, female-fronted metal has centred around the misogyny these artists have faced. However, there appears to be a movement away from these themes and towards ideas of female empowerment and self-assertion, seemingly in a staunch refusal to let trauma define these artists. There are of course exceptions to this trend, most notably Amy Lee, Poppy, and Courtney LaPlante’s ‘End of You’. Nonetheless, this track focuses on the escape from misogynistic abuse rather than the lasting effects, positing that “the end of you is the start of life for me”. There’s a celebratory tone, as the metal industry is at last allowing three women to simultaneously progress beyond male-led art and management.
The music industry is still no safe haven for women, especially those with intersectional identities; to this day, more female artists are coming out with evidence of abuse from their management or co-workers. However, the restrictions on women platforming their experiences are reducing, and the cap on how many women can get this opportunity is gradually being brought down. At last, the future for women in metal is full of multi-faceted potential and progress, not just discrimination and dread. It’s now just up to us to keep supporting it.