Top 10 Best Female Fronted Metal Bands

I absolutely love Nightwish. Everything about them is amazing. Their lyrics are deep, dark, and inspiring. Their music is spectacular. I have been a Nightwish fan for six years, and I'm only 12. I first heard Poet and the Pendulum when I was 6, and I was entranced by the melody of the music and Annette's voice.

I begged - literally begged - my father to get me all the Nightwish albums. I had heard every Nightwish song in a matter of two days. Now you can just play a few seconds of a Nightwish song, and I'll tell you the right answer. If you don't believe me, Nightwish themselves tested me. I met them before a concert a few months ago, and they tested me. I gave the right answers for Weak Fantasy, Wish I Had an Angel, and Sacrament of Wilderness. They were shocked and literally kept waving at me from the stage. Anyway, Nightwish is amazing and probably the most brilliant band to ever walk this earth.

Great band that delivers with every album released. Their first album 'Fallen' is a great example of why they deserve to be on this list, having sold 17 million copies worldwide alone. That, and two Grammy Awards, and onwards to much more. I'm surprised to see them at number two, but when people revote for the same band over and over until it's first, I can see why. Perhaps a better voting system would better represent a more accurate list.

It's a pity that some pathetic posters feel the need to trash talk about other bands like children. A moderator might be a good idea next time. But it's great to see a list like this for true lovers of great music to look up and hear about other bands they might not have known about. Thanks.

What really makes a good band great? Charisma. Of all the leading front ladies in this list (and there are a lot of terrific ones), Sharon has a certain quality of charisma that you just can't stop watching or listening to. It's like it's always a perfect fit. They can do much more symphonic-based stuff (like Memories) and then they can turn in a very different direction (like Sinead), and Sharon just becomes what that song needs.

I love Simone. I think Annette is terrific and Lacey is crazy good (and there are many others as well), but Sharon just is.

She has such a powerful voice and never fails to deliver an amazing performance, giving it all she has got. Her voice is so distinct and powerful that she stands out from everyone else. She is an amazing role model for many women and girls out there, and she proves to us all to just be ourselves - no fakery, just be honest, be yourself, and love yourself because we are all perfect the way we are.

She is such a friendly, caring woman who will go out of her way for others and her fans. I waited after a gig to see her and the band, and she gave us all the time in the world to greet us, sign albums, and take photos with us. To me, she is the best.

Well, you have to experience them live to fully understand why so many different people from all genre types adore them. It's not just Angela's phenomenal voice and Michael's wicked melodic-death-metal riffs. It's the whole package of pure power and might that fills the air.

When you see them at first, you'll never expect that such a slight and graceful little person like Angela could release a tremendous thunderstorm of deep growls. I couldn't believe it until I saw them live. Don't expect some melodic finesse like Tarja Turunen. This is raw. This is pure unleashed power.

Yes, I'm a huge fan of that band. But I suggest everyone at least check them out on YouTube.

I don't want to sound like a hater here, but here it goes: I voted for Epica because Epica deserves to be ranked higher. I also like Arch Enemy and Nightwish, which are already up there, but Epica MUST be higher than Evanescence, guys. Really. Especially on a metal list. Evanescence is rock. I have nothing against rock or Evanescence. However, sorry Evanescence fans, but Epica is way more creative. First of all, their lyrical quality is very high, and they have a unique concept. Secondly, they fit into the metal genre better and have a heavy, symphonic style.

Epica's music contains grunts, but anyone who has heard Simone Simons sing can relate. She can sing. Her range is really high. She can sing the low notes as well as the high ones. She can sing with her chest voice and her head voice, which is true talent. If you want to know what I mean, just listen to Epica's Chasing The Dragon, Consign To Oblivion, Kingdom Of Heaven, or similar songs. This needs to be higher than Evanescence, guys. Vote.

Though I like many of the bands on this list, In This Moment is not only my favorite listed, but my favorite overall. Why? Firstly, the lyrics never cease to be the perfect mix of catchy and meaningful. Secondly, the theatrics that the band puts on in live performances are unforgettable. It's not just music the fans come to see. It's a piece of theatre, an art form.

Thirdly, the singer. How could anyone not fall in love with Maria's insane vocals? She can scream, growl, shout, and sing with a wider range than most vocalists, as well as crazy amounts of power in her voice. These factors, combined with a style that changes with every song and a talented group of musicians that certainly amp up the heavy, make it impossible to get bored with In This Moment.

Lzzy has the best voice of a female metal vocalist I have heard in a long, long time. There's just something about her voice that has this '80s metal feel to it, and that's not a bad thing. She has power and a slight roughness to her voice when she sings songs like "Love Bites" and "I Miss the Misery," and she has a beautiful, echoing, powerful voice on their ballads.

And as I'm sure everyone agrees, she is stunningly gorgeous. I, for one, think Halestorm deserves a much higher spot on this list, and I can't wait for their latest album "Into the Wild" coming this year.

I don't generally love metalcore or melodic death metal, but Alissa White-Gluz's balance of fierce growl and beautiful feminine vocal styles really works for me. Her favored topics of animal rights, human emotional experience, and social justice inform her music with metal aggression that, for a change, isn't based on cheesy satanic fantasies or juvenile delusions of power.

The fact that she is highly attractive and brings a modern-looking personal style to the stage doesn't hurt either. It seems that most ladies of metal still think it's the eighties.

Kittie is far and away the best all-female metal band in existence. Mercedes Lander is stiff competition for any drummer in the metal industry and, in my opinion, the glue that binds this band together. I don't mean to take away from the rest of the band. They are all extremely talented at what they do. But through all the lineup changes over their career, Mercedes is what keeps me listening and just keeps getting better.

I honestly don't even know how Evanescence got on this list, not to mention the top of it. They aren't a metal band. Maybe there are some hints and nods at metal in their repertoire, but overall, they're just pop/rock. They are a greatly talented band and I love them, but they're not metal.

They are a consistently high-quality band. They don't have a bad track, and many are absolutely stand-out classics. They can do acoustic and get it just right.

They are amazing live and create creative and exciting videos. With only a couple of albums behind them, I'm sure the best is yet to come. They are going to go from strength to strength, and that will be immense.

Beautiful Taylor, beautiful ivory skin, blonde hair, and awesome dark eyes. What makes The Pretty Reckless absolutely hot is the melody and rhythm tied into cunning lyrics that cause a brief pause. I want my Momsen, awesome band. Rock lives, man.

The voice of the lead, Su-metal or Suzuka Nakamoto, is strong, powerful, and she uses it with complete control. Her voice has improved over the last couple of years, both because she is getting older and mostly because her confidence seems stronger and stronger.

Apart from the lead singer, the Kami Band is second to none in terms of technical skills. Many of the songs are demanding, but the band nails it every time.

Last but not least are the dancers/choir girls Yui- and Moa-metal, a.k.a. Black Baby Metal. They bring dynamics to the songs in terms of highly choreographed complex dances. By the way, they actually can sing!

I don't know why they're so low on this list. Even though a couple of the band's recent albums were not so good, their older albums like Sevas Tra, House of Secrets, and of course, The Ascension, are really great.

Otep is very raw and powerful as a vocalist, and the rest of the band definitely backs her up very well.

For real, this woman lays down some of the most spine-tingling and bone-smashing yells and growls. She was seriously placed ninth? I understand that Evanescence is a great band as well, but this is a list for the best female-fronted metal bands. Otep is that!

They are simply one of the best industrial rock bands in the world! I can never understand why they aren't recognized internationally.

This is the best band in the world. They get better with every album. Amazing songwriting, lyrics, and visuals.

Chibi's vocals are unique! The band is amazing, and I'll say it again: the sound they create is unique!

We all take a stand to support our favorite bands, even though there are too many to choose from. However, if you were to ask me, I'm all in for AMARANTHE. Why? It's not like the other bands you know and have already heard of. It's about how many songs amaze you. Of course, you should all choose wisely and pick what you genuinely think is for you.

Take this for example: Even though the front woman of AMARANTHE isn't that pretty or good-looking, it doesn't matter if you like the songs. The only thing is, don't be fooled by their beauty or styles. What I actually mean is - don't judge a book by its cover! Enough is enough!

Great cousin band to Within Temptation, without all the unnecessary pomp and with better, more interpersonal lyrics. Their production is tight, especially on their sophomore album. They are one of the few metal bands that seem to deliver a certain soulful sensibility through their arrangements. Martijn's arrangements recall a lot of Nightwish influence but still retain their own identity and light. They strike a balance between carefully crafted, good symphonic metal and catchy, heavy hooks.

If Charlotte Wessels isn't the new European metal darling, then I don't know who is. They're overlooked a bit because of bands like Epica, but where Epica turns things up too loud, Delain is able to draw it in and craft something a little more delicate and twice as enjoyable without sounding watered down. Imagine if the sound of Evanescence had come from Europe. Well worth a listen!

Draconian is a band fronted by both male and female vocalists. Lisa has one of the most beautiful female voices in metal music. Her ethereal voice, combined with Anders's deep, beautiful growling, creates a great atmosphere.

Draconian is the only metal band whose music brings tears to my eyes.

Best gothic doom band. Masters from Sweden. The divine, gentle voice of Lisa accompanies beautiful, atmospheric music.

The real engine behind the music of Draconian was the emotional singing of Lisa Johansson. When Heike Langhans took her place, she added a different and more powerful tone to the lyrics.

This is a great band with two of the most emotional singers ever. You should vote for them!

Tatiana is amazing and a very talented vocalist. The other members of the band are also equally talented. What I love about them is their sound, which really sets them apart from other bands. Not many are able to sound different.

Given the fact that they have been getting more and more popular in the last few years, there's no doubt in my mind that Jinjer will become one of the most popular metal bands of the 2020s.

Unbelievable songwriting. I cannot get enough of her singing and growling, and their bass player is the best in the world.