Spiritbox, BABYMETAL, Poppy and more are proving that heavy music’s future is being rewritten by women.
For a long time the metal music scene has been a playground for men, with women not taken as seriously or cast as background players. From the stage to the pit, heavy music has historically been a boys club, with female-fronted bands existing on the outskirts of the scene.
But finally, that’s swiftly changing, with female-fronted metal bands now dominating stages, breaking barriers, and redefining the scene, one guttural growl at a time.
Just last month, three of the heavy scene’s most influential women joined forces to deliver us a brand new banger. Amy Lee of Evanescence, Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox, and Poppy came together for the genre-defying ‘End of You’, with the single debuting at Number One on the Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs, leading to fans begging for a collaborative album from the three powerhouses.
The collaboration proved that it’s not only pop music that can give us a Lady Marmalade moment – it’s metal too.
Whether it’s on stage or in the pit, the 2020s era of metal is proving that metal isn’t just a boys club scene: women are here to play and stay.
We’ve decided to celebrate some of the best current-day female metal musicians that you should have added to your playlist rotation, like, yesterday.
Jinjer
Tatiana Shmayluk can have the voice of an angel one second, before effortlessly belting out some of the most insane screams and growls that can put any male-led heavy band to shame.
Formed in 2008 and hailing from the Ukraine, Jinjer has steadily built up a legion of dedicated fans and become one of the most exciting bands in modern metal history. The band’s progressive and groove metal style sees Tatiana moving seamlessly from soaring clean vocals to crushing growls.
Add to your playlist: ‘Perennial’, ‘I Speak Astronomy’, ‘Green Serpent’
Spiritbox
For anyone lucky enough to have seen Spiritbox live, you know exactly how special the band is. Led by Courtney LaPlante, the band’s unique mix of metalcore and atmospheric metal has won them a legion of fans, and they’re only getting bigger and better.
Courtney’s ability to deliver haunting cleans alongside ferocious screams in pitch-perfect fashion, switching effortlessly between the two, has made Spiritbox one of the most exciting live acts in modern metal. We bow down to the 2020s queen of metal, we are truly not worthy.
Add to your playlist: ‘Holy Roller’, ‘Circle With Me’, ‘Jaded’
Poppy
Poppy is a divisive character in the metal scene but I’m here to say shut up haters, she’s absolutely iconic. For years the singer has been experimenting with different sounds, from poppier music to heavy metal and 2024’s Negative Spaces saw her find her niche in the metalcore and alt-rock genre with her distinctive vocal fry.
Collabs with Bad Omens and Knocked Loose has also made her one of the most exciting new acts in metal. And if you catch her live, you’ll be left wondering at how such hectic screams come out of someone so small, juxtaposed with some angelic vocals along the way. She’s weird, she’s metal, she’s a force to be reckoned with.
Add to your playlist: ‘They’re All Around Us’, ‘Have You Had Enough?’, ‘Bite Your Teeth’
Babymetal
Easily one of the most engaging live acts in the alternative touring scene, Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal are infectiously fun, and their live act is a full-on sensory experience unlike any other (complete with high fashion!)
Babymetal’s blend of J-pop and power metal, and completely innovative music, has allowed them to bring a whole new fanbase into metal music, pushing the boundaries and limitations of what metal has to be. An easy standout at Knotfest Australia 2025, they’re a must-see to catch live next time they’re touring – you won’t regret it.
Add to your playlist: ‘Headbanger’, ‘Karate’, ‘RATATATA’ (ft Electric Callboy)
New Years Day
Led by the charismatic Ash Costello, New Years Day has the kind of chaotic, catchy music that will have the songs stuck in your head for days on end.
Blending metalcore and gothic vibes, the band’s signature style leans into power anthems full of attitude and dark emotion, with Ash’s vocals commanding attention, oscillating from melodic hooks, to raspy high notes, to epic growls and breakdowns. It’s giving heavy music, while also being stadium, singalong ready.
Add to your playlist: ‘Hurts Like Hell’, ‘Vampyre’, ‘Gangsta’ (Punk goes Pop cover)
Infected Rain
Not only do Infected Rain have an epic band name, lead singer Lena Scissorhands embodies bad metal bitch through and through. The pipes on the woman can put all her male counterparts to shame!
Lena’s dynamic vocals alternate between being melodic and embracing a more death metal sound, with her impressive pipes serving guttural screams that sound as easy for her as breathing. The emotionally explosive band has been together since 2008, and most recently toured Australia in 2024 with Cradle of Filth.
Add to your playlist: ‘Orphan Soul’, ‘Lure’, ‘Mold’
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