Women In Metal / By Shwetha Kamath

Who is a Woman? She is a daughter, mother, lover, sister, sister in law or […]
June 3, 2014

Who is a Woman? She is a daughter, mother, lover, sister, sister in law or maybe grandmother. Her beauty inside has no limits even though the physical changes makes her different later on. But come on! A Beauty of her 30s just makes any man desire her of. Every fantasy of a man involves with the beauty of that particular woman. If woman wasn't there, you couldn't have imagined a better world. It's like the song of ALICE COOPER "Every woman has a name" yes! She does load of things, household chores with no payment, taking care of her parents, obeying the rules of the society to protect her dignity and integrity but where is the freedom in her to raise her voice? It all changed during the 60's, things went little open like the music itself.

Blues, a beautiful genre. First track which can make you remember of Blues is Janis Joplin's "Summertime" and those voices of angel such as Bessie Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Billie Holiday, Ida Cox. Such desirable voices plunging into a world of paradise filled with load of difference in the gender. It became all right and equal with the hippie movement. What if there was no difference? Something involved from blues and it was Rock!

Yes! when there was Rock involving during 70's, things changed too much. The beauties unleashed themselves in the history of Rock. Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, Ann Wilson with her sister Nancy Wilson, ROXETTE, Tina Turner, Cyndie Lauper, Patti Smith, Joan Baez's "Baby I Am Gonna Leave You" which inspired the most outstanding legendary band LED ZEPPELIN. None can forget that. Beauties that conquered many with their bass, guitars and drums with high inch heels, those leather outfits. I mean who in the world can portray such passion to the music like they do? They are the one who invented fashion and then encouraged it in Rocker's world. When I say Fashion, it isn't about more exposure for attention seeking like BUTCHERED BABIES or Avril Lavigne or any sort of present Pop stars. There is a huge difference. I will tell you the difference here.

For more than thirty years, GIRLSCHOOL, a new wave of British Heavy Metal band has changed the history that it became the first successful all female band. Their act made a strong statement about gender equality during 70's. Doro Pesch from WARLOCK just mesmerized Metal scene again. Ever heard of Dawn Crosby? I bet you didn't. Well she was like Lemmy Kilmister of MOTORHEAD. She did her best with thrash vocals through her band called DETENTE. With no fuck giving attitude, she drank and she had her fun like she is the queen of her own world with that attitude, any man can become her slave or friend. You know what she wore? Simple tee with denim jacket and jeans. That's it. None knows her whereabouts. None knows this underground heroine. The raw sound of Thrash and she kept the old school thrash in tune. Then there was THE RUNAWAYS. Pure Metal, they were not. Still, delivered Hard Rock with a "fuck you" attitude, THE RUNAWAYS weren't afraid to push back, and their rebelliousness embodied the essence and spirit of Metal. So let's take it this way, there was more to Rock before Metal.Female Metal Scenario progressed. Many of them stepped out of their houses, what exactly happened? Nothing much but blast of raw power coming from Women. During 80's, Black Metal named ACID was formed band and then there was this front woman who sang about Sex, Hell, Satan and Demons. She or Let me say, Kate De Lombaert just raised its sound from thrash to black. Her presence and her motivation became so cut and clear that women are getting involved in aggressive Metal and that is Death or extreme bands.

Naming of aggressive band was OTEP raised by front woman Shamaya through her deep growling grunts and brash lyrics. Known for her lyrics and not to mention, her lyrics condoning aggression towards men. Her exact statement was "I am an equal opportunity dispenser of rage" where she clarified it towards Avant- Garde way. With new front woman of ARCH ENEMY, Angela Gossow brought out the best out of herself in 21st century of Death Metal through rebellious growls replaced by Alissa White-Gluz.

From South to North, east to west, there is a place for melody. Woman with their charming and seducing voices tend to be symphonic. There entered a genre in Metal such as Gothic / Symphonic Metal. Two entirely different genre which suited Women more. Because Symphonic and Gothic influenced to bring out the beauty in the darkness. Symphonic tried bringing out the Angelic side of the women. For example; with her classically trained operatic vocals, Tarja Turnen formed a band named NIGHTWISH during mid-90s that it became a huge influence for symphonic bands such as DIABOLICA MUSICA, STREAM OF PASSION, WITHIN TEMPTATION, LEAVES EYES, DELAIN, EPICA and many other. There was Gothic Metal with LACUNA COIL (Christina Scabbia), EVANESCENCE (Amy Lee) and many others too.

Turning a point towards the other side of the genre. There was all female tribute bands such as JUDAS PRIESTESS for JUDAS PRIEST, THE IRON MAIDENS for IRON MAIDEN, ZEPPELICA for LED ZEPPELIN, KISSEXY for KISS, THUNDERSTRUCK for AC/DC, MISSTALLICA for METALLICA, GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS for MOTLEY CRUE, HELL'S BELLES for GUNS N' ROSES, METALACHI for METALLICA, KISSDOLLS for KISS again. There were many which worked as tribute bands. It was All - female band.

All the facts above is actually a evidence that Women does have potential to build a different set of standards for instance KITTE or Sean Yseult of WHITE ZOMBIE. These women are the real "Metal Maidens".

m/ Cheers to Metal Maidens and Metal for giving the power to bring out the raw power to this world.

Source:
Steinmetal
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