Women Play a More Prominent Role in European Metal

But women in metal have been prominent in Europe for quite awhile. Here are a few bands to check out if you enjoy female-fronted heavy metal.

Nightwish - This band formed in Finland in 1996. Since then, they've rolled up a Wikipedia page full of awards. Their music features lots of key changes, dense arrangements and use of orchestras along with hard-hitting guitars and double-bass drumming. The most recent albums have a very soundtrack-like sound to them. Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen writes all the lyrics and most of the music. The band started off with a classically trained soprano who was fired in 2005. Her replacement, Anette Olzon, caused a schism in much of the band's fan base by not using an operating/classical style of singing. They would get mobbed if they walked down a street in a European city. In America, they're virtually ignored.

The Gathering - This Dutch band also recently replaced an iconic singer. Overall, The Gathering is more moody and a bit less metal than bands like Nightwish. Think of them as being more of a heavy, female-fronted Pink Floyd. Great melodies and vocal hooks, and some very cool songwriting. It remains to be seen how the new singer gels over time.

Within Temptation - This is another solid Dutch band. They're harder-sounding than the Gathering, and feature a more stable lineup. They're among the best-selling Dutch acts of any genre. They have a very bottom-heavy guitar sound, lots of keyboards and a very clean-voiced singer. They've also scooped up a number of awards for live performances.

Benedictum - Though this list is mostly European, I felt like throwing in an American band. This very straightforward band from California plays a modern take on all the metal people like me grew up on, but with an aggressive-sounding, Doro Pesch-influenced singer. They put on an excellent live show. The fact that they're still playing and touring at smaller clubs is an indictment of the lack of originality displayed by music consumers. If they thought for themselves more, bands like Benedictum would sell better. Their songs are melodic but hard-hitting, which is that perfect spot for me.