Top Women in Metal: Albums That Shaped a Genre

Genre: Sym­phon­ic Met­al

Tar­ja Turunen’s oper­at­ic voice soars over epic orches­tra­tions and thun­der­ous riffs. This album marked a turn­ing point for Nightwish, launch­ing them into glob­al star­dom.

Stand­out Tracks:

Nemo, Ghost Love Score, Wish I Had an Angel

Genre: Melod­ic Death Met­al

Angela Gos­sow’s harsh vocals kicked down the gates of death met­al for female vocal­ists. A true clas­sic in extreme met­al his­to­ry.

Stand­out Tracks:

Rav­en­ous, Ene­my With­in, Dead Bury Their Dead

Genre: Alter­na­tive Metal/Gothic Rock

Amy Lee brought goth­ic melan­choly and pow­er­ful melodies to the main­stream. This mul­ti-plat­inum debut remains a gate­way album for many met­al fans.

Stand­out Tracks:

Bring Me to Life, Going Under, My Immor­tal

Genre: Goth­ic Met­al

Cristi­na Scabbia’s angel­ic voice pairs with dark atmos­phere and melan­cholic riff­ing. A key release in the Euro­pean goth­ic scene.

Stand­out Tracks:

Heaven’s a Lie, Swamped, Day­light Dancer

Genre: Pro­gres­sive Met­al / Groove / Met­al­core

Tatiana Shmayluk’s unmatched range—serene cleans to mon­strous growls—makes Macro a mod­ern met­al mas­ter­piece.

Stand­out Tracks:

On the Top, Pit of Con­scious­ness, Judge­ment (& Pun­ish­ment)

Genre: Symphonic/Gothic Met­al

Sharon den Adel brings fairy-tale fan­ta­sy to met­al with this lush and mys­ti­cal album. It set the stage for sym­phon­ic metal’s rise.

Stand­out Tracks:

Ice Queen, Moth­er Earth, Our Farewell

Genre: Melod­ic Death / Met­al­core

Before join­ing Arch Ene­my, Alis­sa White-Gluz show­cased her full vocal arsenal—death growls, high screams, clean choruses—and artis­tic range.

Stand­out Tracks:

Thank You, Pain, And Their Eulo­gies Sang Me to Sleep

Genre: Nu Met­al

Otep Shamaya deliv­ers a raw, poet­ic fury that blends met­al, hip-hop, and per­for­mance art. A defin­ing entry in fem­i­nist met­al expres­sion.

Stand­out Tracks:

T.R.I.C., Jon­estown Tea, Bat­tle Ready

Genre: Pro­gres­sive Met­al­core

Court­ney LaPlante leads one of the most excit­ing mod­ern met­al acts. Dream­like sound­scapes crash into crush­ing break­downs with finesse.

Stand­out Tracks:

Holy Roller, Cir­cle With Me, Con­stance

Genre: Sludge / Alt Met­al

Tair­rie B’s snarling vocals mix punk spir­it with sludge grit. This grit­ty, fem­i­nist debut set the tone for under­ground met­al rebel­lion.

Stand­out Tracks:

Ter­ror, Taint­ed Love (cov­er), Blas­phe­mous Girl