We're Celebrating International Women's Day today across the world and the opportunity to showcase some of the best females in the industry this country and the world has to offer. In a world where the majority of popular/well known bands are predominately full of men, it's hard to notice at times the ladies in our rock/metal lives who can do it just as good as (if not better than) their male counter parts. So here's out list of the Top 7 Women in Rock/Metal...
#7 - Simone Dow (Voyager)
The first time I laid eyes on Simone Dow's mesmerising guitar riffage last year when Voyager performed in Gladstone for the El Grande Festival, I was in metal awe. This woman was incredible and I had never seen someone shred as much as she did that night. If you haven't taken the time to check out the band yet, jump on it because you have been missing out
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3K4_4Bpn6M&w=853&h=480]
#6 - Phoebe Pinnock (Heaven the Axe)
Another Aussie act making the cut this time it's Phoebe the Blonde rockin' front-woman from Melbourne's Heaven the Axe. The heavy metal act could have gone in a completely different direction had they decided to go for a male front-man but don't let Phoebe's appearance fool you, she's got such an incredible voice on her it'll make you wonder what screaming/singing potential all those quiet mates of yours have. Another reason to move to Melbourne.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhtbonR5w0&w=853&h=480]
#5 - Hayley Williams (Paramore)
We love a feisty red head when we see one and there's none in the industry better than Paramore's Hayley Williams. From early on into the band's career (before all the drama going on right now) she was a force not to be reckoned with, always fighting back and standing up for what she believed in. Her "take no shit" attitude helped a lot of her fans across the globe to find their strength to do the same.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCyGvGEtOwc&w=853&h=480]
#4 - Juliette Lewis (Juliette And The Licks, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra)
You hear stories all the time of Actors and Musicians swapping their career paths and attempting to do something from the side of the entertainment industry and 8 times out of 10 it fails miserably. Especially if you're Kim Kardashian. But every so often it works so well that the person in question that you wonder why it took them so long to jump ship, especially when they have to "act" our being a bad singer in movies. Juliette Lewis is prime example of someone who should have fronted her former band Juliette And The Licks earlier and is one of very few metal singers with a high profile in Hollywood. Keep an ear out for her new band Giraffe Tounge Orchestra made up of members of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon, Mars Volta and Dethklok.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6QGUYLbQ2c&w=853&h=480]
#3 - Su-metal, Yuimetal & Moametal (Baby Metal)
Coming in tied at third place are the 3 incredibly talented teenagers from Japanese metal band Baby Metal who are taking over the world with their "safe for kids" fast paced cute metal that'll make you a proud parent to see your kids moshing to. The threesome have a new album on the way called Metal Resistance and you can get your hands on it April 1st. Make sure to order a copy for your kids... or yourself, whatevs.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY&w=853&h=480]
#2 - Amy Lee (Evanescence)
When Nu-Metal took over the world we were obsessed with bands like Korn, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit and the female fronted Evanescence, where Amy Lee caught our attention with her hauntingly addictive singing style where we didn't know if she was singing about love, death or both. Add into that her ability to rock out and switch styles mid-performance and she's definitely earned her spot on our list. Take a listen to the band's cover of Korn's song "Thoughtless" to see what we mean.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5sL1dpYDDI&w=640&h=480]
and our opinion of the best woman in metal/rock is
#1 - Karina Utomo (High Tension)
Undoubtedly the best thing to come out of Collingwood is High Tension and their ferociously heavy sound which has been abusing our senses for the better part of the past 4 years. Karina Utomo's stage presence is unlike anything you've ever seen before in a live act. When she walks on stage she transforms into this character which grabs your attention and smashes you in the face with her brutal vocals leaving you wanting more and more.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9YB-Jve9lw&w=853&h=480]
Hope you're celebrating the incredible women in rock and metal like we are today and if you think we missed someone you think should have made the cut, tell us.
Until next time, rock the fuck out
Browny (@brownypaul)
