Ok Im just curious to see what people have to say. On this because there is an ever increasing number of them and quite a few very average ones out there but which are your favorites (Why?), and what are some bands you might recommend.

Not this is a list that could get pretty long if I let it so we will try to keep it brief.

Please don't just come into this thread and just say something like "Nightwish!!!!!!!!!!!!". Give us a reason for why you have made this choice.
No point in a poll for this because there will be so many different choices.

Ok here are some favorites of mine
Epica (These guys are really an awesome band. Where or not they are female fronted they are a band you could thouroughly enjoy without the singing, but Simone Simons is an outstand singer that seems to be getting better with age.)

The Gathering (I strongly prefer these guys where they were fronted by Anneke van Giersbergen, but whatever, these guys have made some outstanding albums that hold up against the best of all time, plus Anneke is a great singer.)

Edenbridge (Its hard to believe but this was the first female fronted band I ever heard, and much to my suprise I found them quite enjoyable Sabine has a rather different voice, but she really improved on the later Edenbridge albums as she got more experience. But the main reason I really like these guys is for Lanvall's guiter work, it is truely outstanding, he is a rather underrated guitarest.)

Leaves Eyes (Liv Kristien has an unbelieveable voice, plus the band makes really good music to go with it. The lyrics are often pretty bizarre but nevertheless a band well worth a mention.)

Sceptic - Polish death metal, one of my favorites styles and a high level of intensity

Arkona - Up until a few months ago I assumed Masha Arhipova only did the clean vocals, but I was wrong. Guess that's why her nickname is "Scream".

After Forever - Really enjoyed their final release, haunting symphonic metal. Big fan of Floor Jansen.

Written by Introspekrieg on 16.02.2010 at 01:22

Sceptic - Polish death metal, one of my favorites styles and a high level of intensity

Arkona - Up until a few months ago I assumed Masha Arhipova only did the clean vocals, but I was wrong. Guess that's why her nickname is "Scream".

After Forever - Really enjoyed their final release, haunting symphonic metal. Big fan of Floor Jansen.

I really enjoy Sceptic, they are a really good band. Very intense definately.
After Forever are also quite good though I can't say I as big a fan of Floor Jansen as other though, but she is very good and the band is very good. Their last release is a very good album I thoroughly enjoyed it too.

I forgot to add Aghora, their album Formless featuring Sean Reinert as session drummer is amazing. Here is their track "Atmas Heave"

Well from the bands i know and like, Arkona is the winner

Angela Nathalie Gossow (Arch Enemy) when i first listened to Arch Enemy i couldn't believe that it was female preforming the vocals, epic vioce

Written by Ellrohir on 16.02.2010 at 10:17

Well from the bands i know and like, Arkona is the winner

You shood say Krle?

Ok for all, I khave hear many bands and I wont try look for names and singer name,s because its eb long and Im extremly lazy but Besty Bitch , Crystal Viper whit marta Gabriel, Biro ''Metal lady' 'Ilona , The 3th and the Mortal, Flowing Tears And Withered Flowers, Krle?, Mourn, Crucifield Barbara and many many many others bands lie Dawn Crosby band (look at Marcel's avatar) , HM, DM, Doom M, BM , GM whatever there full good bands

Written by Bad English on 16.02.2010 at 19:14

You shood say Krle?

no i should not

Theatre of Tragedy, when Liv was the lead singer. They were amazing back in the day<3

Written by Sick Girl on 16.02.2010 at 19:57

Theatre of Tragedy, when Liv was the lead singer. They were amazing back in the day<3

Yes indeed first album and secend was best , but seems Livw a sther eonly singer nothing more and its shame band changed because she never re cordet anything like in early ToN , seems we have left legacy 2 good albums what never be dealited from history

Written by Sick Girl on 16.02.2010 at 19:57

Theatre of Tragedy, when Liv was the lead singer. They were amazing back in the day<3

Yes their early work was quite amazing. It is unfortunate what has become of TOT, but Leaves Eyes are quite good and remind me of early TOT.

Is it wrong to not like Arch Enemy? I complain that they use a gimmick for their otherwise average band and people call me sexist and guilty of paying attention to the gimmick. What do I do?

Written by Introspekrieg on 17.02.2010 at 02:45

Is it wrong to not like Arch Enemy? I complain that they use a gimmick for their otherwise average band and people call me sexist and guilty of paying attention to the gimmick. What do I do?

Nope, nothing wrong with you. They're a decent band that's way overrated because of Angela Gossow. She's a just a decent vocalist in my opinion, yet a great deal of people love her because she is a "chick in metal." If anyone calls you sexist, just tell them there's no excuse for a mediocre band.

Arch Enemy by miles.

Even though they were better when they had Johan in the band.

SerpentCult is the only good female fronted band I can think of. Their heavy music fits very well with female vocal they have.

Written by Doh on 17.02.2010 at 23:23

SerpentCult is the only good female fronted band I can think of. Their heavy music fits very well with female vocal they have.

I really think MIchelle's vocals are totally not suitable for the music, they lack the so much needed power. But thank God for me, and quite a few others (Lucas too) she has left the band.

Written by Doh on 17.02.2010 at 23:23

SerpentCult is the only good female fronted band I can think of. Their heavy music fits very well with female vocal they have.

Subrose is a better female Doom band.

Written by VPeter on 18.02.2010 at 00:35

Written by Doh on 17.02.2010 at 23:23

SerpentCult is the only good female fronted band I can think of. Their heavy music fits very well with female vocal they have.

Subrose is a better female Doom band.

I actually agree with you there. A shame their performance at Dutch Doom Days in 2008 was cut short due to technical problems. But at least you got hold of the die-hard version of their cd

Which was their die-hard version again?

Written by VPeter on 18.02.2010 at 00:57

Which was their die-hard version again?

The cd with the bag around it.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.02.2010 at 01:03

Written by VPeter on 18.02.2010 at 00:57

Which was their die-hard version again?

The cd with the bag around it.

ah fuck I remember, I got the normal edition - but I can't remember why. O well I hope they can come again this year at the Dutch Doom Days.

Written by VPeter on 18.02.2010 at 01:10

ah fuck I remember, I got the normal edition - but I can't remember why. O well I hope they can come again this year at the Dutch Doom Days.

I somehow thought you had got the version with the bag. DOn't know why I thought that though.

Dreaming Dead
They opened for Nile and they killed! I listen to their song Putrid Is The Sky at least once a day... don't know why I love that song, but I do!
A week later saw Arch Enemy and they were awesome! Gained a ton more respect for the band!

The two I'd start any list of mine would be Madder Mortem and To-Mera, mainly because both bands consist of quality musicianship all around, and are also not the easiest of bands to appreciate. They both are full of intelligent lyrics, can be heavy but also have a lighter side, and neither rely on image to sell their music. I can list a hundred bands off, but really, those are the two that I wish so many more female-fronted bands would be inspired from.

And as a follow up to the whole "band" concept, Madder Mortem's Eight Ways, currently nominated in our own MS Awards, has some of the best artwork out there - courtesy of none other than a former band member.

Some other notables for me would be Edenbridge as well (on MyEarthDream especially), Cadaveria, and Todesbonden.

The more popular older ones like Hellion, Warlock, Lita Ford and Lee Aaron are frequently horrible. And the newer ones I probably just don't get. I only find gothic metal tolerable if there are no female vocalists.

I really like Malteze who really should have stayed around longer. Count Your Blessings is next to Digital Dictator my favourite US power metal album. Also really great is Chastain, though most people would probably not even guess it's a woman singing. Girlschool full-stop. And lastly I love Jutta Weinhold's vocals, even if Zed Yago never produced something I would consider great.

EDIT: Almost forgot Znöwhite. Absolutely great power/thrash.

I'd say Arch Enemy or Epica. Despite everything that's said about Angela, she might not have the best voice (according to some of you), but she's a great front-woman thats for sure, and their lives are very good with her on the lead.

Written by ToMegaTherion on 16.02.2010 at 23:56

Written by Sick Girl on 16.02.2010 at 19:57

Theatre of Tragedy, when Liv was the lead singer. They were amazing back in the day<3

Yes their early work was quite amazing. It is unfortunate what has become of TOT, but Leaves Eyes are quite good and remind me of early TOT.

It is. I don't like the new female vocalist. Or the, industrial I guess, sound they have now. I just wish Leave's Eyes was a little darker like TOT.

Written by Sick Girl on 19.02.2010 at 23:25

Written by ToMegaTherion on 16.02.2010 at 23:56

Written by Sick Girl on 16.02.2010 at 19:57

Theatre of Tragedy, when Liv was the lead singer. They were amazing back in the day<3

Yes their early work was quite amazing. It is unfortunate what has become of TOT, but Leaves Eyes are quite good and remind me of early TOT.

It is. I don't like the new female vocalist. Or the, industrial I guess, sound they have now. I just wish Leave's Eyes was a little darker like TOT.

Yeah even the work they did on their later work with Liv was pretty bad, not because of Liv, but because of the kind of techno/industrial sound they adopted. Yeah the one thing that kind of annoys me about Leaves Eyes is that they arn't dark in the least. I supose there is no comparison in quality, but Midnattsol have a great deal of dark atmosphere in their music (thats not a comparison in quality, just in atmosphere.). Curious what you think of Midnattsol as well, because they have some similarities with early TOT, and Leaves Eyes but much darker and more atmospheric than Leaves Eyes.

Okay, I'm shocked that no one has actually mentioned Nightwish here yet (other than the message from the thread opener). I'm going to have to bite the bullet and say Nightwish? Why? They set the standard (ahd a very high one indeed) for female-fronted metal. Even more than 10 years after their masterpiece "Oceanborn" has been released, everyone still thinks of them whenever female-fronted metal is mentioned. The vocals (with Tarja, that is) are awe-inspiring, Tuomas is a virtuoso keyboardist and a terrific songwriter, Emmpu is a restrained yet excellent guitarist, and Jukka's drumming is top-notch. All-around, they're a real powerhouse of a band.

Okay, I'll stop now. Beyond the obvious Nightwish choice, I'd have a much harder time finding really good ones, but I'd have to mention Wildpath (yeah, no one's heard of them - a French group) as being a surprisingly good unknown. Epica is very good, of course. Alkonost and Arkona are excellent also from what I've heard.

Someone know where I can hear Arsenal USA female fronted band whit Christine Y. Scott Steel
band has one album ''Armored Choir''