In early October, the polling for Metal Valkyrie of 2014 began.  The poll got over the required forty votes by fans, making it a fair decision for best front woman of the year.  With great new albums, trailblazing tours, and uprisings it was a big year for female fronted metal.  The year was bombarded with new albums from Lacuna Coil, Delain, Xandria, Ancient Bards, Stream of Passion, Lyriel, and of course Within Temptation and Epica!  Every one of these releases were fantastic and unlike anything I’ve heard before.  The voting was certainly close between Floor Jansen, Marcela Bovio, Charlotte Wessels, and Cristina Scabbia.  The countdown below will list the top three highest scorers and explain why they deserved to be on the podium for the first ever Metal Valkyrie of the year polling.

3.   Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil

Lacuna Coil, the Italian Gothic Metal band, has been popular for 10 whole years now.  They have influenced so many people and have become one of the most popular Goth Metal and Rock bands ever.  From their breakout album, Comalies, to the coveted Karmacode, to the moving and power album Shallow Life, to the controversial change up Dark Adrenaline, Lacuna Coil create absolutely fantastic albums.  One of their greatest elements is one of two vocalists, Cristina Scabbia.  She is a pint sized mixture of attitude, range, dynamics, and well executed skill. Cristina is one of the most influential vocalists in metal, having guested on anything from Ayreon to Apocalyptica, to Alter Bridge.  It is unarguable that she is one of the most gifted vocalists in metal of the 2000s and why her success continues on.

In 2014, Lacuna Coil release brilliantly and beautifully constructed beast of an album, Broken Crown Halo.  The album had something huge to prove after the great departure from their sound with Dark Adrenaline.  Broken Crown Halo is everything Lacuna Coil is about summed up into one powerful and moving album.  Scabbia’s emotional performance and artistry on this album is absolutely unparalleled.   Broken Crown Halo is a perfect example of what Cristina brings to music.  Her transition from power vocals, to perfect falsetto, to emotional and moving ballads is executed with a level mind blowing perfection.

After her performance on this album, Ayreon’s The Theory of Everything, and the smashing sold out tours she’s lead, she absolutely deserves to be on the podium of this poll in 2014.  Every music project she’s been a part of is pure gold and impossible not to love.  Cristina will continue to rule Metal throughout the years and impress all who witness her spectacular talent.

2.    Charlotte Wessels of Delain

Symphonic and Gothic Metal band, Delain, released a smashing and daring new album in 2014, The Human Contradiction.  Despite lack of hype by critics and limited reviews on the new album, it has become very popular and gained the Dutch band many new fans.  The band has also put out earlier albums of spectacular and tremendous quality.  Lucidity, their very first album released in 2006, was a dark and mysterious pool of heavy tracks featuring special guests like Liv Kristine, Marco Hietala, and Sharon Den Adel.  April Rain was a departure from the first album, exploding with beautiful and intricate melodies, heavy driving drums and guitars, and masterful classical piano lines from founder Martijn Westerholt.  We Are The Others is a jamming, empowering, and enchanting album from start to finish.  Interlude is a brilliant compilation album with a number of gems, including a moving and mesmerizing cover of The Cranberries’ Cordell.  The Human Contradiction however is leaps and bounds above their previous releases, heavy with instrumentation and emotion.  It is a purely beautiful and solid album, and may be my favorite album of 2014.  So, why is Delain’s music so unique, beautiful, and mesmerizing?  The main reason is undoubtedly lead singer and writer, Charlotte Wessels.

Charlotte Wessels may not be the most popular or most hyped lead singer in Symphonic Metal, but she is quickly growing to the top five of the world’s most talented vocalists.  In 2014, she’s lead some of the best tours and headlining shows throughout Europe and making huge waves in America with Sonata Arctica and Xandria.  The reviews of Delain’s most recent shows have been bursting with surprise and respect for the band, but also Charlotte’s mesmerizing and breathtaking live performances.  Some say her performances are flawless, containing incredibly moving and emotive performances throughout the set, and absolutely inspiring.  She isn’t compared to any other vocalist, because there is simply no other fitting comparison.

Charlotte’s uprising in 2014 has brought a lot of needed attention to Delain.  The band has gained fans from North America as well as all over the world this year, thanks to Charlotte’s constant interactions with fans, brilliant and intelligent interviews, and mesmerizing powerful performances.  She has literally every characteristic you want in an influential front woman.  It’s no surprise to me that she is runner up to Metal Valkyrie of 2014 and was close to being the winner.  I truly believe in the next couple years, she will rise to the top and be an essential vocalist in metal.  I cannot rave about her and Delain enough.  There aren’t enough words to explain Delain’s sound or why they’re fantastic.  You simply just have to listen to them and see them live to experience their incredible sound and presence.

1.   Floor Jansen of Revamp and Nightwish

Floor Jansen has been a huge influence in Symphonic Metal, since her origin in the powerhouse band After Forever.  Floor’s vocals are beastly, haunting, and bursting with power and gorgeous tones.  She began as an Operatic Soprano with an impressive technique, not sacrificing emotion with skill.  With each album and project she’s been involved in, she’s progressed into one of the best vocalists of all time. Floor has since branched her vocals out into more power vocals and picked up grunts on Revamp’s latest album, Wild Card.  From the powerful jamming album After Forever, to her performances on Ayreon and Star One albums, to her recent work with her Power Metal band Revamp, Floor is undoubtedly dynamic and a very desirable voice in metal.  There is no limit to her vocals or skills as a singer.

Now Floor is getting the recognition she deserves in the legendary Symphonic Metal band, Nightwish.  She was a shoo in for the lead part, after Nightwish departed with Anette Olzon in 2012.  Floor had to quickly learn the set for the Imaginaerium Tour and fly out to finish the tour in America, whilst Alissa White-Gluz and Elize Ryd filled in.  Floor quickly took the part in a brilliant and unexpected way.  She was a departure from Tarja and Anette, using pure power to her advantage.  Nightwish got new life from Floor, and soon after the tour she was announced as the official singer.  No one knew what to expect, but Floor’s loyal followers expected greatness and a new era for Symphonic Metal.  They were absolutely right, evidence being Nightwish’s 2013 live DVD, Showtime Storytime.  On that DVD, Floor performs classic Nightwish tracks to an unparalleled quality.  Her performance throughout that Wacken show is absolutely legendary.

Floor has earned her spot in Nightwish, regardless of what the hardcore Tarja fans think.  Floor will be a huge addition to Nightwish, as they embark on a new era and a new album.  Tuomas Holopainen and crew are still vastly impressed by Floor’s voice and technique and are very happy that she is a new addition to the band.  She may not be the original vocalist and is a huge departure from past Nightwish vocalists, but she is unarguably the greatest vocalist the band could’ve gotten for the lead part.  Her range, power, technique, stage presence, and emotive ability is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.  Her talent is infinite, and that’s why she is the Metal Valkyrie of 2014.  Floor getting to the top of Symphonic Metal as lead singer of the band that started it all, is enough reason to put her to legendary status.  I don’t think there will be another vocalist like Floor, ever.