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[moogoob]

Hey everyone. Just wanted to see if anyone here was a fan of this stuff. I'm personally hugely in support of female vocals in metal, and recently (last year) I've become aware of a group of bands that have been doing just this. I started with Nightwish (introduced through their song "Ghost Love Score") then listened to Lacuna Coil (they've got some nu-metal/industrialish stuff mixed in), After Forever (awesome vocalist who can switch between operatic and traditional vocals at will), Epica (formed by After Forever's former lead guy and songwriter), Within Temptation, Leaves' Eyes (Liv Kristine's another awesome vocalist) and Edenbridge, with a brief introduction to Folk Metal through Finntroll. Seems the only place this stuff is made is in Europe, as in the above we've got three Dutch bands, two Finnish, and one each of German, Norwegian and Italian.

So, any other fans of this stuff? Any bands I haven't heard yet and should check out?

[Scytale]

If you like Female vocals and Symphonic music, Therion's Vovin, is definately the album to check out, it features two of the best "metal" soprano singers I've heard Sara Jezebel Diva and Martina Astner, the video for "Birth of Venus Illegitima" should be pretty easy to track down on You Tube or somewhere like that if you want to check it out.

Storm the Norwegian folk project with Fenriz and Satyr has some nice female vocals.

Other pretty good bands Chalice (doom metal ala My Dying Bride). Sinergy (power metal, featuring members from Children of Bodom). Aesma Deava(symphonic), these guys are American I think...

I'm a big fan of Ihsahn's music. Peccatum are a progessive\goth project between him and Ihriel, he's wife. The albums are really hit and miss but Ihriel does have a really nice voice. She also has an industiral\ electronic band as well Star of Ash that is pretty god as well.

WRT to you're observations its pretty much a given that most decent Metal comes from Europe.

[Rizzo]

Your name isn't Shaun is it? Cause I work with a guy who's into those kind of bands...

I don't have any metal to suggest but you might like Collide, they're a darkwave/triphop duo with amazing vocals. Or Switchblade Symphony, all girl goth band.

[moogoob]

@ Rizzo: I've heard some Switchblade Symphony. It's really... DARK.  Cool stuff, though. And no, my name's not Shaun, unless you work at a Blockbuster in Canada and merely forget the names of your co-workers. :p

@ Scytale: Thanks. I'll give some of those bands a look-see.

Link to the song you suggested, if anyone's interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_TciDU1kKk

On another note, has anyone heard Nightwish's cover of Pink Floyd's "High Hopes"? It's on their "End of an Era" concert DVD and I can't stop listening to it, even though it's the only track with only Marco Hietala (their bassist) singing to give Tarja a break.

EDIT: added link to awesome song

[Scytale]

Yeah I saw Nightwish live in Sydney, just before Tarja quit. They played that cover, was the highlight of the night for me  I'm a pretty big fan of "The Division Bell" so I was one of the few people in the Audience who knew what it was they were actually covering.

[KharBevNor]

The female vocalist from Storm is Kari Ruesl?tten, she also has some solo stuff, and she sang on the first two releases by The 3rd And The Mortal, 'Sorrow' and 'Tears Laid in Earth', which are their 'metal' releases, though I recommend their later experimental stuff as well, particularly the album 'In This Room'.  On a similiar note, Lumsk are a fantastically under-rated band that makes a strange blend of slightly jazzy Viking metal with great female vocals.

The original symphonic metal band, with ye olde male/female 'beauty and the beast' vocals that Nightwish employ sometimes, is Theatre of Tragedy. Get the album 'Velvet Darkness They Fear'. Another good band of that sort, moving up more in to (very) symphonic black metal/battle metal/tolkien metal territory is Orkrist, who are also one of my favourite female fronted metal bands. They're the only band I've ever heard even attempt to cover Nightwish, let alone do it, and both their albums (they are now sadly defunct) are worth getting, though if I had to express a preference I'd say get 'Reginae Mysterium' first. You could also try Orphanage. They're a band I've been forgetting to try more stuff from for absolutely years now, but they are pretty good, even though I only have like five songs I got off Kazaa. They seem to write songs mainly about books (two of the ones I have are 'At The Mountains of Madness' and 'Enders Game'). They also have a fairly varied vocal structure as it seems they pretty much all sing, so its not quite so female fronted. Scytales suggestions are also all pretty pimp.

Also, though they're not metal (some sources say they are but...no) you might try Inkubus Sukkubus. They're a sort of hard-edged pagan goth rock outfit. Lots of rocking guitar and bodhrans and all that jazz. There are some vids on youtube

Wytches (Old Version)
Wytches (New Version. Warning: NSFW!
Church of Madness

[Rizzo]

Goddamn, the NSFW version of Wytches is pretty much the stupidest video I've ever seen...
That said though, I do severely dislike IS. Ridiculous neopagans...

[KharBevNor]

It is pretty stupid, I can think of worse though.

[moogoob]

Okay. It's official. I can't get Therion's "Call of Dagon" out of my head. I blame you, Scytale. 

Honestly, their recent-ish stuff is great, even if their band changes around so damn much. Thanks for introducing me to it.

[Gridgm]

arch enemy...

[Scytale]

Yeah Call of Dagon is pretty good. I love the vocals at the start


From a lonely star
Beyond the verge of the universe
A sound is echoing
(A) call from another world
Lights from Sirius
Will take your from Oblivion:
Dagon is here again


if you read the Album Credits on their website it's pretty incredible 171 people contributed to Sirius B and Lemuria.

Yeah Therion is easily one of my favorite bands, I love their old Death Metal stuff, especially Beyond Sanctorum, Theli is great, Vovin is my favorite of theres, Secret of the Runes is killer, Lemuria / Sirius B is damn near faultless, and Gothic Kabbalah I'm really enjoying.

There progression and the fact that they are willing to radically alter there sound from album to album is one of the things that makes them so good imo.

[ForksOfSalvation]

Well, you could try Stream of Passion, a project featuring Arjen Lucassen, or you could try Sirenia or Beseech.  Similar bands.  Basically a harsh vocal vs pretty female vocals. 

Hurr.  That is all I know I think. 

[Kadlin]

I usually hate this shit since overall I'm not a fan of female vocals.
UneXpect is pretty darn snazzy though, and their female vocalist has such a wonderful voice.
http://www.unexpect.com/
i has some of their music uploaded, IM me if you want it.
Totally legal, yessir.
Although they're not Symphonic.

Also, if you like folk metal then get some Arkona (russian) they have a female vocalist who's harsh vocals pwn that skanky Angela Gossow's.