The 20 Best Female Metal Singers
Heavy metal music is typically known for its aggressive sound, male-dominated bands, and tough-guy image. But there are plenty of amazing female metal singers who can hold their own against any male metalhead.
These women are the cream of the crop for metal singing, from powerful and soulful vocalists to screamers who can shatter glass.
Here are 20 of the best female metal singers that you need to know.
1. Lzzy Hale
Lzzy Hale is an American singer, the frontwoman, and the rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Halestorm. She has one of the most unique and recognizable voices in metal, with a powerful range that can go from a raspy growl to a soaring falsetto. Lzzy is also an incredible guitar player, and her solos are always a highlight of Halestorm’s live shows. Halestorm has several awards, including two Grammy Awards.
2. Cristina Scabbia
Cristina Scabbia is an Italian singer, the female lead vocalist, and one of the founding members of the Italian metal band Lacuna Coil. She has a beautiful voice showcased in songs like “Heaven’s A Lie” and “Nothing Stands in Our Way.” Cristina has been in the metal scene for over two decades; she is also a talented lyricist, and she has co-written many of Lacuna Coil’s songs. The band has released nine studio albums.
3. Amalie Bruun
Amalie Bruun is a Danish musician, the frontwoman, and the founder of the black metal band Myrkur. She is a classically trained musician, and her unique blend of black metal and folk music has won her critical acclaim from all corners of the metal world. Myrkur’s debut album was released in 2015 to widespread acclaim, and Amalie’s ethereal voice is a big part of what makes the band’s sound so unique.
4. Janet Gardner
Janet Gardner is an American singer, the former lead singer, and the rhythm guitarist of the female hard rock band Vixen. She has a powerful voice that is perfect for belting out arena-rock anthems like “Edge of a Broken Heart” and “Cryin’.” Janet released her debut solo album “Janet Gardner” in 2017 while still with the band, but left in 2019 to pursue a solo career.
5. Amy Lee
Amy Lee is an American singer as well. You probably know her as the lead singer and co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning rock band Evanescence. The band has released five studio albums, and Amy has several solo projects, including one studio album and one soundtrack album. Her ethereal voice is a big part of Evanescence’s success. She often incorporates classical piano into Evanescence’s music.
6. Kobra Paige
Kobra Paige is the lead singer of the Canadian heavy metal band Kobra and the Lotus. She has a powerful voice perfectly suited for metal, and she is also an accomplished songwriter. Kobra and the Lotus have released six studio albums and have been nominated for several awards.
7. Sharon Den Adel
Sharon Den Adel is the female lead singer of the Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. Sharon has been with Within Temptation since its inception in 1996, co-writing many of the band’s songs. The band has released seven studio albums, and Sharon also has a successful solo career.
8. Floor Jansen
Floor Jansen is a Dutch singer-songwriter and the lead vocalist of the ever-popular symphonic metal band Nightwish. She was born on February 21st, 1981, in Goirle, Netherlands. She has dabbled in many metal sub-genres and has been a part of a few successful metal projects before joining Nightwish to replace the previous lead singers as well as the popular Tarja Turunen.
Her voice is really symphonic and suits the band’s overall image perfectly. Her best live vocals are a thing of beauty!
9. Simone Simons
Simone Simons is the female lead singer of the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. She has been with Epica since its inception in 2002, and the band has released eight studio albums. Her beautiful voice is shown in songs like “Quietus” and “Sancta Terra.”
10. Brittney Slayes
Brittney Slayes is the female lead singer of the Canadian power metal band Unleash the Archers. Her powerful voice is the perfect match for the band’s epic, anthemic sound. Brittney has been with Unleash the Archers since its inception in 2007, and the band has released five studio albums. Her powerful voice is the perfect match for the band’s epic, anthemic sound.
11. Otep Shamaya
Otep Shamaya is the female lead singer of the American nu-metal band Otep. She is a powerful vocalist with a unique style that blends growling and clean vocals. The band has released eight studio albums, and Otep herself is an accomplished poet and painter.
12. Liv Kristine
Liv Kristine is a Norwegian singer-songwriter best known for her work with the gothic metal band Leaves’ Eyes. At the start of her career, she was the frontwoman of the black metal band Theater of Tragedy but left the band in 2003.
She formed Leaves’ Eyes with her then-husband Alexander Krull, and the band has released eight studio albums, writing most of the band’s lyrics until her departure in 2016. Liv’s voice is light and airy, and she often uses clean vocals in Leaves’ Eyes’ music. She has also released several solo albums and has collaborated with many other artists.
13. Fernanda Lira
Fernanda Lira is a Brazilian bassist and vocalist best known for her work with the death metal band Nervosa. She is an accomplished musician, and her growling vocals are fit for the heavy sound of Nervosa. The band has released four studio albums and has toured extensively throughout Europe and South America. She left the band in 2020 and formed a new band, Crypta.
14. Doro Pesch
Doro Pesch is a German heavy metal singer who rose to fame in the 1980s as the frontwoman of the band Warlock. She has since embarked on a successful solo career, releasing 17 albums to date, with her debut solo album in 1989.
Doro is one of the most successful female metal singers in history, famously called the “Heavy Metal Queen,” and is considered a pioneer of the female-led metal movement. Doro is known for her strong stage presence, and her many years of touring have made her a metal legend.
15. Maria Brink
Maria Brink is the female lead singer of the American metalcore band In This Moment. She is a powerful vocalist with a range that extends from growling to clean singing. Maria is also a talented songwriter, and she has co-written some of In This Moment’s albums. The band has released seven studio albums, and Maria’s unique style has made them one of the most successful metal bands in recent years.
16. Chelsea Wolfe
Chelsea Wolfe is an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known for her work in the dark folk and doom metal genres. She has released six studio albums, her most recent being “Birth of Violence” in 2019. Chelsea’s music often features elements of gothic rock, and her ethereal voice is perfect for conveying the dark, melancholy mood of her songs.
17. Suzuka Nakamoto
Suzuka Nakamoto is a Japanese singer and songwriter best known for her work with the metal band Babymetal. She initially was part of the pop idol group Sakura Gakuin but graduated in 2013 and joined Babymetal. The band has released three studio albums and has become one of the most successful Japanese bands in recent years. She often uses high-pitched clean vocals in Babymetal’s music.
18. Anneke van Giersbergen
Anneke van Giersbergen is a Dutch singer-songwriter best known for her work with the bands The Gathering and Agua de Annique. She started her music career in the early 1990s as the frontwoman of the metal band The Gathering. She was the band’s lead singer from 1994 to 2007 and has since embarked on a solo career.
Anneke is a versatile vocalist and is equally adept at singing clean pop songs and growling metal vocals. She has released eight studio albums and collaborated with many other artists. Anneke is one of the most successful female metal singers in history.
19. Alissa White-Gluz
Alissa White-Gluz (Canadian singer) is the female vocalist for the Swedish progressive metal band Arch Enemy. She replaced the band’s former singer Angela Gossow in 2014 and has since established herself as one of the best metal vocalists in the world. Arch Enemy has released ten studio albums, and Alissa has also appeared as a guest vocalist on several other metal albums. Alissa has a powerful voice capable of both growling and clean singing, and she is an excellent live performer.
20. Tatiana Shmaylyuk
Tatiana Shmaylyuk is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter who is the lead singer of the black metal band Jinjer. She joined the band in 2010 and has since become one of the most popular metal singers in the world. The band has released four studio albums and has toured extensively throughout Europe and North America. Tatiana is known for her guttural growling vocals and her energetic stage presence.
Conclusion
In this list, I have featured some of the best female metal singers in the world. These women are all talented vocalists with powerful voices that can convey the intensity of metal music. They are all pioneers in their way and have helped redefine the metal music genre with their unique styles.
Whether you like pop-rock or heavy deathcore music, there’s a female vocalist for every genre here. So far, these women have achieved great success in their careers, and we can only imagine what they will do next.
Lzzy Hale Image by: Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cristina Scabbia Image by: Quiqueriverahn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Amalie Bruun Image by: Stig Nygaard, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Janet Gardner Image by: Stefan Bollmann, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
Amy Lee Image by: Justin Higuchi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kobra Paige Image by: Np250, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sharon Den Adel Image by: Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Floor Jansen Image by: Markus Felix, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Simone Simons Image by: Andreas Lawen, Fotandi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Brittney Slayes Image by: Valere jelic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Otep Shamaya Image by: By <a href=”//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Divergentgirl” title=”User:Divergentgirl”>Divergentgirl</a> – Photos taken of Otep Shamaya on the streets of Los Angeles for Promo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Liv Kristine Image by: Anastasiia Ivanova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fernanda Lira Image by: Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Doro Pesch Image by: P. Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maria Brink Image by: Stefan Bollmann, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
Chelsea Wolfe Image by: Henry W. Laurisch, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Suzuka Nakamoto Image by: rawpic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Anneke van Giersbergen Image by: S. Bollmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Alissa White-Gluz Image by: Andreas Lawen, Fotandi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tatiana Shmaylyuk Image by: MarkusFelix, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
