Women in Metal

Rise of the Goddess

What to make of the rise of female-fronted metal bands? Are women finally come of age in a world of metal? Has the feminine come full circle, reborn from the warrior’s mouth in a symphony of triumph? What invisible hand re-writes the epic that I’ve lived for so long? Where do these lace-clad, head banging, soul-bearing women come from, and what does their presence mean for all of us?

First, let us skip over the meatalhead habit of taking sides. Many of you, particularly Americans, are not fans of symphonic, gothic or epic metal. We tend to like our metal nice and straightforward, without too much drama. No story telling or sagas for us, than you. A little Slayer or Lamb of God for the palate, and back to Grand Theft Auto. Nonetheless, for the sake of our discussion, I will concentrate on symphonic, gothic, and epic metal, for it seems that, on a world-wide scale, this is where women have made their primary roads into metal. (In the States, it is actually through death metal and metal-core that women are making their mark, but I believe that this is the subject of another discussion. Nonetheless, music sales bear out the contributions of these women.)

The Fire in the Hearth

I believe that today’s metal-woman represents the ideal female of Northern European mythology, with perhaps a little classical mythology thrown in – a sort of hybrid of Athena and Brunhilde with a little Celtic mixed in for proper measure. She is the fierce warrior princess, the woman guarding the gate, both extremely feminine and proudly strong in a refined, chthonic sense. She is the woman in the field and the woman with a sword. She is the shieldmaiden who knows how to love but is not afraid to take up an axe and fight beside men. In her, there is no duality. Strength and beauty are one. She is the fire in the hearth. In plain-speak, she is the woman who rocks with conviction and looks good doing it.

We see the same examples on a larger scale in contemporary cinema. There’s Trinity in the Matrix, Arwen and Eowyn in the Lord of The Rings Trilogy, and a whole slew of women in Hong Kong cinema. These women are represented on a similar level, in both a narrative and visual sense, in metal music.

The similarities are clear. In contemporary film and heavy metal, the shieldmaiden and the warrior princess live strong. We have not come far from the age-old myths. In fact, their popularity speaks to the truth that our need for them is stronger than ever. The new element in all of this is that the female counterpart to the male hero is now claiming her birthright. We have discovered that, just as much as we need Maximus and Aragorn, we need Eowyn and Trinity. In fact, the fight will not be won without them.

(BTW- I think I speak for nearly all men when I say that Trinity, in the Martix, looks particularly hot when she’s windmill kicking someone in the face.)

Elasticity and Anima

Whereas male metal musicians, with the exception of a rare few, often find themselves confined within the genres they inhabit, female metal performers seem to have more leeway in the personas and attitudes they present. This is especially true in an age of cross-culturalism and media saturation, where the bounds between genres and their respective cultures become more blurred. On the turn of a single note within a single performance, a female metal artist may appear as a Gothic princess, a raging hellion, a jealous lover, or an enchanted forest spirit, depending on what the moment and its thematic elements require. One must remember that metal is as visual a medium as it is an aural one; in fact, no genre relies so heavily on live performance (not even hardcore or punk music) as does metal. This is especially true, I believe, for female fronted or female occupied metal bands. With the emergence of the female in metal, the unpredictable, elastic aspect of nature itself, the universal anima, has been re-introduced into a genre that has always been tribal anyway. Thus the drama of life emerges within metal on both a universal and a personal scale. Epic and mythological elements become localized. Heroes and heroines fight battles both within themselves and in the world around them. Most importantly, when the stories of battle come from a female artist’s mouth, we are less apt to shove her into a genre category and more willing to listen to her saga. This bodes well for all metal genres, I suspect.

So; the emergence and success of female metal performers on a large scale, especially in the genres of symphonic, gothic, and epic metal, has introduced a new elasticity of content and thematic interchange within and between genres. How do we explain, then, the struggles that epic/symphonic/gothic female fronted (and male fronted) bands have faced in infiltrating the American music market? The answer is largely cultural. Europe’s mythological past, which Christianity never fully erased, lies deep in the bone. The Norse and Celtic influences, particularly, speak clearly in several popular European metal strains. We do not have such an inheritance in America. As a Post-Christian society, we prefer our metal more secularized, free of the mythological content and drama of pagan Europe. We might not mind the brandishing of an occasional sword, but we are not looking to fight any dragons. Hence, marketing personnel (in typical American fashion) have a difficult time ‘Putting the package together.’ We see the results in package tours labeled “The Hottest Chicks in Metal,’ where quite dissimilar groups such as Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil are put on the same bill because their lead singers are attractive women. The aficionado knows, of course, that there is a world of difference between WT and Lacuna Coil. Nonetheless, he or she suffers the affront – but not without annoyance. It’s hard to see your favorite bands otherwise.

(It is interesting to note that Sharon den Adel, in an interview, stated that she didn’t even know the tour was labeled “The Hottest Chicks in Metal” until she was on the plane on the way to the States for the beginning of the tour. My guess is that this an indication that she probably does not consider herself a ‘hot chick in metal,’ although she is, but sees herself more as part of an organic whole. (If this is the case, thank the gods!) I believe, in fact, that WT considers itself ‘Symphonic Rock.’ So much for categorization.)

So They Come . . .

Is it any wonder that young female metal fans in a culturally arid civilization flock to metal shows in the tens of thousands to witness the pure, unadulterated drama of performance? Is it not also a given that many of the young men they drag along often become converted very quickly to the cause? We all know a few of them. These are the hardened metalhead guys, who like to steal a listen of Within Temptation, Midnattsol or Epica on their girlfriend’s Ipods, only to switch off quickly in embarrassment when their girlfriends emerge from the bathroom. Nonetheless, these men become caught in the drift, dreaming of shieldmaidens and warrior princesses, swept up in the epic. I venture that in these men, a deep need for a mythological heroine is awakened. A need to participate in some forgotten epic. A desire for truth and beauty. Sounds corny, but it’s real.

The question of whether or not the vital elasticity of female fronted metal will survive the rigors of time and commodification has yet to be answered. I think it will. To be sure, the market mechanism will do its work on various isolated elements. But something of value will remain. Over the next few years, given the necessary marketing dollars, symphonic, gothic and epic metal will make stronger inroads in America. The interesting thing will be to see whether or not these genres dilute themselves in order to appeal to the American market. (It’s unfortunate that I have to denature our discussion with terms like ‘market,’ but after all, music is a business.) We’re already seeing a bit of dilution here and there, but in general, many bands are sticking to their roots. Bully for them.

Now all we need in America are more warrior princesses in the audience. Raise those horns high, ladies!!

For those interested in learning more about women in metal, visit the website Desolatehope.com
www.desolatehope.com