2025 is halfway through! It has been an incredible year for women in music. We’ve had releases from Epica, Halestorm, Evanescence, Spiritbox, Messa, Beyond the Black, Within Temptation, and so many more! There are still so many releases to come, so it’s hard to generate a best of list early on. BUT, I want to know your favorite woman or top three women in Rock and Metal of 2025! VOTE or Comment below!
Please go support these fantastic women in Rock and Metal!
Halestorm will waste no time supporting their upcoming sixth studio album, Everest, booking a seven month world tour that includes a lengthy run in the U.S. and Canada between July and October. This is what Halestorm does best, endlessly tour and make sure their millions of fans have multiple chances to see them.
I am intrigued by the first single of Everest, as it sounds more like “Into the Wildlife” style writing and production.
The band recently revealed the first single from their new album titled “Darkness Always Wins” and now we have the full details of their forthcoming release.
Halestorm on the album:
“Our album Everest is a story of our journey as a band, full of beautiful endings and new beginnings. We weave a tangled web of melancholy, frustration, anger, and the vast purgatory of love and love lost. It is a rollercoaster of epic musical detours, great songwriting and completely unhinged twists and turns. EVEREST is an auditory representation of the 4 pillars of Halestorm. Let us introduce ourselves and invite you into our world…if you dare.”
The album is titled Everest and it’s currently on track for an Aug. 8 release date through Atlantic Records. The group worked with producer Dave Cobb on the set.
Check out the album artwork and track listing below and make sure to get in on the album pre-orders.
Fallen Star
Everest
Shiver
Like A Woman Can
Rain Your Blood On Me
Darkness Always Wins
Gather The Lambs
WATCH OUT!
Broken Doll
K-I-L-L-I-N-G
I Gave You Everything
How Will You Remember Me?
As stated, Halestorm have a heavy tour cycle ahead of them. The group’s 2025 NEverest touring includes dates supporting Iron Maiden and Volbeat, while the band also has shows that feature Apocalyptica, Lindsey Stirling, Bloodywood and Kelsey Karter and the Heroines.
In addition, Halestorm will be one of the bands playing a set at the Ozzy Osbourne / Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning all-day concert on July 5 in Birmingham, England.
Along with the previously announced North American dates supporting Volbeat, the band just revealed a U.S. and Canada headline run featuring Lindsey Stirling and Apocalyptica. Tickets for the run will go on sale this Friday (May 2) at 10AM local time. Check out all the stops below and get ticketing information through the Halestorm website.
May 15 – Daytona Beach, Fla. @ Welcome To Rockville (festival date)
May 17 – Ocean City, Md. @ Boardwalk Rock (festival date)
European & U.K. Tour Dates
May 27-28 – Budapest @ Sportarena (supporting Iron Maiden)
May 31 – Prague, Czechia S Letany Airport (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 1 – Bratislava, Slovakia @ O’Nepelu Arena (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 3 – Leipzig, Saxony @ Felsenkeller Leipzig (headline date)
June 5 – Trondheim, Norway @ Trondheim Rocks (festival date)
June 7 – Stavanger, Norway @ Viking Stadium (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 9 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 12-13 – Stockholm, Sweden @ 3Arena (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 16 – Helsinki, Finland @ Olympic Stadium (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 18 – Tallinn, Estonia @ Helitehas (headline date)
June 19 – Riga, Latvia @ Palladium Riga (headline date)
June 23 – Lille, France @ Aeronef (headline date)
June 25 – Dublin, Ireland @ Malahide Castle (supporting Iron Maiden)
June 28 – London, UK @ London Stadium (supporting Iron Maiden)
July 1 – Lausanne, Switzerland @ Les Docks (headline date)
July 2 – Eindhoven @ Effenaar (headline date)
July 5 – Birmingham, U.K. @ Villa Park (supporting Black Sabbath)
North American Dates
July 17 – Denver, Colo. @ Ball Arena (supporting Volbeat)
July 19 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 21 – Auburn, Wash. @ White River Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 22 – Ridgefield, Wash. @ Cascades Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 24 – Wheatland, Calif. @ Toyota Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 25 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Kia Forum (supporting Volbeat)
July 26 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
July 28 – Irving, Texas @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory (supporting Volbeat)
July 29 – Houston, Texas @ 713 Music Hall (supporting Volbeat)
July 31 – Rogers, Ark. @ Walmart AMP (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 2 – Franklin, Tenn. @ FirstBank Amphitheater (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 3 – Alpharetta, Ga. @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 4 – Tampa, Fla. @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 6 – Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 7 – Bristow, Va. @ Jiffy Lube Live (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 9 – Camden, N.J. @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 10 – Holmdel, N.J. @ PNC Bank Arts Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 12 – Bangor, Maine @ Maine Savings Amphitheater (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 13 – Gilford, N.H. @ Bank NH Pavilion (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 14 – Mansfield, Mass. @ Xfinity Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 16 – Hershey, Pa. @ GIANT Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 17 – Cincinnati, Ohio 2 Riverbend Music Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 19 – Clarkston, Mich. @ Pine Knob Music Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 21 – Noblesville, Ind. @ Ruoff Music Center (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 22 – Tinley Park, Ill. @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (supporting Volbeat)
Aug. 23 – Marshfield, Wis. @ Central Wisconsin State Fair (headline date)
Sept. 11 – Salem, Va. @ Salem Civic Center (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 12 – Cherokee, N.C. @ Harrah’s Cherokee (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 14 – Bridgeport, Ct. @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 16 – Syracuse, N.Y. @ Upstate Medical University Arena at the Oncenter (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 18 – Laval, Quebec @ Place Bell (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 19 – Toronto, Ontario @ Budweiser Stage (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 21 – Madison, Wis. @ Breese Stevens Field (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 23 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 24 – Cedar Rapids, Iowa @ Alliant Energy PowerHouse (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 26 – Welch, Minn. @ Treasure Island Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 27 – Duluth, Minn. @ AMSOIL Arena (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Sept. 29 – Bonner Springs, Kan. @ Azura Amphitheater (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 1 – Sioux City, Iowa @ Tyson Events Center (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 2 – Grand Forks, N.D. @ Alerus Center (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 4 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Canada Life Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 5 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan @ SaskTel Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 7 – Calgary, Alberta @ Scotiabank Saddledome (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 8 – Penticton, British Columbia @ South Okanagan Events Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 10 – Vancouver, British Columbis ! Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
Oct. 11 – Spokane, Wash. @ Spokane Arena (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
European & U.K. Dates
Oct. 22 – Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 23 – Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinehalle 2 (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 25 – Hamburg, DE @ Inselpark Arena (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 27 – Stockholm SE @ FĂĄllan (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 28 – Copenhagen, DK @ The Grey Hall (with Bloodywood)
Oct. 30 – Warsaw, PL @ COS Torwar (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 1 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 3 – Prague, CZ @ Lucerna Velkỳ SĂ l (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 5 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 6 – Budapest, HU @ Barba Negra (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 8 – Munich, DE @ Zenith (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 9 – Zurich, CH @ Komplex457 (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 11 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 12 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz 1 (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 14 – Pamplona, ES @ Totem (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 15 – Madrid, ES @ La Riviera (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 17 – Paris, FR @ Olympia (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 18 – Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live (with Bloodywood)
Nov. 20 – Cardiff, UK @ Utilita Arena (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 21 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 23 – Birmingham, UK @ bp pulse LIVE (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 24 – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
Nov. 26 – London, UK @ O2 Arena (with Bloodywood, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines)
May 27 – June 28: Supporting Iron Maiden (where noted)
July 5: supporting Black Sabbath
July 17 – August 22: Supporting Volbeat (where noted)
September 11 – October 11: (co-bill w/ Lindsey Stirling, with Apocalyptica)
October 22 – November 26: Support from Bloodywood
November 20 – November 26: Support from Kelsy Karter & The Heroines
This blog is dedicated to all women in Rock and Metal, the trailblazers, and the young guns. This is my number one passion in life to discover and share the amazing women in Heavy Music that endlessly inspire me and millions of people around the world. It’s hard to narrow it down to only 10, because diversity has skyrocketed in the past decade, but I decided to highlight my favorites!
Who are you favorite women in Rock and Metal! Let me know in the comments below!
Lzzy Hale
Lead singer of the long grinding band, Halestorm, she defies all glass ceilings in Rock and Metal with her immensely powerful voice and her impossibly difficult screams. She has become a household name for many, earning a Grammy, fronting legendary Hair Metal band Skid Row, and collaborating with notables Corey Taylor, I Prevail, Lindsey Stirling, The Hu, Avatar, and many many more. She is one of the most prolific women in Rock and Metal, and will no doubt earn a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Courtney LaPlante
The legendary LaPlante got her start with cult classic Iwrestledabearonce for a short stint where she shocked people with her immensely raw screams. She now fronts the worldwide phenomenon, Spiritbox, who are known for their bipolar mix of beautiful melodies and brutal breakdowns. She is one of the most versatile vocalists I have ever seen and always surprises with her seemingly impossible low gutturals. She defies any genre boundaries and everything I knew about female vocals. Her reputation and recognition is hard earned and no doubt Spiritbox will gain continued success throughout their careers.
The Warning
This Mexican Rock trio comprised of three dynamic sisters have been working to make a name for themselves for ten years. They’ve created some of the best Rock in the last four decades with their uncompromising rawness and unapologetic Hard Rock riffs with massive hooks. They are one of my favorite bands of all-time. They’re rebelling against the mainstream, formulaic, AI, autotuned laden Radio Rock and reprising ideals of the 1970s with instrument proficiency and explosive chemistry. These are some of most talented musicians I’ve ever heard. They never miss. If you haven’t heard them yet, get ready to get hooked.
Jessie Williams
Gaining the spot as my favorite band as of right now, Ankor has created some of the most unique blends of music since 2003. Joining the band in 2014, she immediately impacted the dynamics and range of Ankor, who were originally a Power Metal band in the limited market or Catalonia, Spain. They switched their style to an edgy Alternative Metal with EDM, Japanese, and Evanescence styles. They are one of the most innovative bands I have heard in a long time. Jessie’s range is absolutely explosive with fry screams, gutturals, rapping, operatic, and high soaring vocals. Shoganai, the first part of their Mini album, is a stunning and surprising mix of extremes. I was instantly impressed by Jessie and now she is one of my favorite vocalists in just a short week of being introduced to Ankor.
Fabienne Erni
One of the most diverse and incomparable vocalists, Fabienne is among my favorite vocalists. She has a unique Alpine style that is perfect for Folk Metal band Eluveitie. She’s made a name in her Alternative and Symphonic Metal band Illumishade, which has created some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Her range is crazy with almost Broadway-power, being one of the loudest vocalists on this list I’ve ever heard.
Sabrina Cruz
Power Metal vocalist Sabrina Cruz brings attitude, flashiness, and crazy high vocals that mirrors the charm of the 1980s while giving modern soulful twists and twang. Seven Kingdoms is among my favorite bands of all time. They deliver a blue collar American Power Metal with nostalgic sounds and raw talent. Their music is full of heartfelt messages and they’ve created such a supportive fanbase whom fund all their ventures without a big label or producer. I absolutely love this band and cannot recommend them enough. I have no idea why they’re not more well-known, because they deserve a lot more recognition.
Krista Shipperbottom
Fronting one of the best opening bands I’ve ever seen, Krista Shipperbottom delivers Death Growls and high-pitched screams that captivate you on the first note. She is an unbelievably good live vocalist with immense volume, power, and dynamics that match the thrilling speeds of Lutharo’s speed-metal prowess. Seeing this band open for Seven Kingdoms was one of my highlights of 2024 and their album Chasing Euphoria ended up on my favorite releases. Krista’s voice impressed me immensely, mirroring Alissa White Gluz of Arch Enemy in brutality. You’re not going to believe the amount of sound that comes out of her. It is truly mesmerizing.
Brittney Slayes
A name I mention often on this site, Brittney fronts the warriors of the frozen north Unleash the Archers She is one of the greatest singers I have ever heard in my life. She reminds me of the great Heavy Metal vocalists of the 1980s, while adding her signature Power Metal screams at dog whistle pitch and incredible diction. Brittney’s talent is one of a kind, and puts her among the likes of Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, and Joacim Cans for me. I love her voice and her story writing emphatically and will be a fan for life. I have no idea why she is not a household name among Floor Jansen, Lzzy Hale, and Ann Wilson, but maybe me endlessly sending praise will expose more people to this amazing vocalist and truly kind human being.
Tatiana Shmayluk
I think Tatiana’s reputation proceeds her and doesn’t need mentioning, but I simply can’t leave her off a list of my favorite vocalists. Her brutality and deep gutturals never cease to amaze me. I had never heard female gutturals so low in my entire life. She defies everything I knew about screaming/growling and mixes it with a Jazzy style and pitch perfect intonation. She is on her own level, especially with their latest release Duel which is truly a fantastic album. Nobody sounds like Tatiana, and no one ever will.
Camille Contreras
A new comer in the Metal scene, Camille has lent her soulful vocals to Prog Metalcore band Novelists and begun a new era for the band increasing their visibility and dynamics immensely. She is one of my favorite vocalists right now. She blends Pop, Jazz, and fry screams to create a gut-wrenching sound that is unlike anything I’ve heard in the genre of Metalcore. Her tonal quality puts her above 99% of Metal vocalists right now for me. She has one of the most beautiful tones I have ever heard, adding warmth and depth to a cold and mechanical genre inundated with male vocalists I couldn’t pick out from a lineup. She’s going to take Novelists to the top of the genre touring with heavy hitters such as Tesseract. I cannot wait for the first full album with her at the helm. Coda out May 9th, 2025
Who are your favorite Women in music?
In the age of social media, everyone is a critic with biased uneducated opinions and we are subjected to constant negativity from old washed up Rock stars that play to a backing track. “Rock Is Dead” seems to be a go to trope when you don’t know what Youtube or Sirius Xm are and think that you’re the last rock star. I am so very tired of the misinformation that “Rock is Dead”. Is Rock suffering monetarily, because big corporations continue to shove their Pop and Rap down our throats? Yes, Rock is not as big as it was in the 1980s and 1990s, and everyone continues to blame Hair Metal and Grunge. Are there good Rock bands? YES there are million good Rock bands still putting out absolutely fantastic music that has progressed without the crutch of technology. Below is a comprehensive list of Rock bands catering to a wide range of tastes! Rock IS NOT DEAD! It’s just been shut out from the mainstream by big corporate radio.
Blondshell- Indie Rock Solo Musician from Los Angeles left Pop to create throwback music like The Cranberries, The Cardigans, Yeahyeahyeahs
The Hellacopters- Swedish Garage Rock band formed in 1994, reformed in 2016. Inspired by Early Punk Rock and Grunge
The Band Camino- American Rock and Electropop with slick guitars and anthemic nostalgic sound
The Warning- Mexican High Octane Rock and Heavy Metal with great riffs and huge vocals and technicality. My favorite band on this list. Prepare to be blown away by these three sisters
Eva Under Fire- Detroit Hard Rock band with 1980s Arena Rock sounds and early 2000s Metalcore. Hell of a voice
Halestorm- Pennsylvania Hard Rock band and Grammy Award winners, this band is still underrated and should be the pinnacle of Rock. One of the greatest singers of all time, Lzzy Hale should be a household name. Like Skid Row, Pat Benatar, Alice Cooper. and so many classics
Chevelle- Chicago brothers bring a dark new feel to Hard Rock with heavy riffs, Proggy drums, and melancholy vocals. These guys don’t get enough credit.
Nonpoint- Groove Heavy Metal with soulful vocals and heavy riffs came out in the Nu Metal era.
Squid- British Post Punk formed in 2016, sounds like The Offspring, Talking Heads, Queens of the Stone Age with Jazz elements
Breaking Benjamin- Pennsylvania Hard Rock band consistently puts out catchy, heartfelt, bass heavy music with expert vocals. Gets looked over a lot due to Christian labels and mistaken for a Radio Rock band despite having one of the greatest Rock albums of the 2000s.
Currents- Connecticut Metalcore band formed in 2011 always changing their sound and evolving to create technical, progressive, heart wrenching music.
The Pretty Reckless- American Grunge and Blues Rock band brings back the glory of American Rock with heavy riffs, vocals with character and power, and great grooves. Akin to Soundgarden, The Winery Dogs, and Southern Rock. You can’t say Rock is dead with these guys around
Illumishade- On the heavier side of things, this band breaks genre constructs and brings Symphonic Metal, Blues, Soundtrack, and Prog Metal altogether with heavy riffs, great solos, and a dynamite vocalist. They have something for everyone.
Plush- Alternative Rock all girl group formed in 2020 aims to bring Rock back to its former glory with epic powerful vocals, insane music chemistry, and great riffs and hooks. One of the best bands on this list, Moriah Formica is one of the most underrated singers of our time, sounding like she could be Chris Cornell’s daughter.
Lords of the Trident- Wisconsin Power Metal band might be a little heavy for Rockers, but they bring a throwback sound that is sure to please an 80s Metalhead. They have neoclassical guitars and dueling solos, Meatloaf and Hagar-esque vocals, and great hooks that are sure to get stuck in your head for days.
Seven Kingdoms- Florida based Heavy Power Metal band bringing back Iron Maiden dual guitars, Speed Metal, 1980s Metal and Rock, and powerful female vocals. One of my all-time favorite bands.
Mammoth WVH: The Son of Eddie Van Halen has launched his solo project. He writes all the songs and plays all the instruments, and not surprisingly creates some of the best Rock I have heard in ages.
Copy and Paste this list in a memo to check out all my recommended bands:
Great information on why Rock Radio died: https://loudwire.com/how-rock-bands-radio-got-screwed-90s/
Support Indie Rock and Metal bands at: https://bandcamp.com/discover/-rock
Follow my new X account for daily recommendations and updates: https://x.com/KeepMetalErin
As a fan of female vocals, I am always interested in learning more about how women contribute to Metal.  Not Just Tits In a Corset should be revered as a “game changing” book, as so many front women in the book strive to utterly destroy stereotypes about women in metal.  Doro Pesch and author Jillian Hughes Kirtland went to great lengths to create this book, that’s obvious from the great quality.  The book is truly a celebration of how far Metal as come with gender equality, but also how much it still needs to be progressed.  The book features the best vocalists and instrumentalists from all over the world, candidly discussing their personal accounts and stories about being in Metal as a woman.  It features vocalists and instrumentalists Cristina Scabbia, Charlotte Wessels, Morgan Lander, Alissa White Gluz, Angela Gossow, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Maria Brink, Lzzy Hale, Elize Ryd, Floor Jansen, Tarja Turunen, Simone Simons, Lita Ford, and so many more incredible talents.  Each account in the book from the contributing musicians is inspiring, intelligent, and honest.  The words written in this book are incredibly powerful and reflect the power these incredible artists have on and off the stage.
Not Just Tits In a Corset deserves to be globally revered and a multi targeted book, as a guide and as a testament to how society is still not handling gender equality correctly.  This book’s message is so perfectly clear and accessible to anyone, not just Metal fans or aspiring young women.  This book has changed the way I will go about reviews on this website.  “Female Metal” is not a genre and I honestly feel mislead by other review sites and record companies.  Women in Metal are still a minority, but the amount is rapidly growing as the trailblazers in this book have inspired so many.  One day, I hope the message of this book is spread throughout all areas of society and not just music.  If you want this change or even don’t want this change, read Not Just Tits In a Corset.  It will inspire you, no matter who you are.
Metal Valkyrie 