The Metal Divas: Female Metal Voices around the World II

 

After the success of our first part, here is our 

part 2 which carries more impressive names! 

ArwenStarsong (Mexico 🇲🇽/ USA 🇺🇸) 

Through her unbelievable performance and voice, ArwenStarsong puts all her efforts, passion, skills, and talents. 
Fronting a rising starry Gothic/Doom/ Symphonic project Sun Lay Silent, she is keeping showing her real personality.
ArwenStarsong was one of the earliest participants and she welcomed us for this chatting. We liked to take ArwenStarsong to her early life and her early career. 
 “I started my career when i was 4. I sang for the first time when my cousin taught me. 
I discovered I had a small talent when I sang for a cruise ship talent show when I was about 10 or 11.
 I was supposed to be in a girl group but the girls kicked me out right before the performance. So my 10 year old self sang Complicated by Avril Lavigne and I won the competition.  
So you can say I not only got back at the bullies, but I also discovered my calling. I got into metal when i was about 13,” she answered.
“I listened to Nightwish for the first tome and instantly fell in love with the symphonic metal genre. Since then I have sang only Metal,” she added.

Then, we asked her about how she met her band mates “I met my band members online. My bassist is my boyfriend, Haha. But I put out ads for like 4 years and no one took it seriously till I released my debut single in November. 
Sun Lay Silent is still in its infant stages, but we are developing some pretty exciting projects!” She answered.
After that, ArwenStarsong continued by listing the challenges she faced.“The challenges I face is mostly the challenge of being taken seriously. I was unknown until recently and even now i wouldn't say I am known now still. 
But I am starting to finally come out after years of not thinking i had what it took. I just want to meet new people and make great music. There is also the issue of men not taking women seriously in my area,” she described.
She continued, “I have been told many times by men in my area that I shouldn't play metal, but I just dont listen. Or they say I'm too ugly or too mousey to be a metal chick. 
When push comes to shove, you just have to continue to do what you love and not care what people say. Ignore the haters. Wear what you want, sing what you want. 
You do you. Let them fuel your fire. The more they insult me, the more it excites me.”

After that, she talked to us about her family’s reaction towards her Metal activity.“My parents HATE it. But they still try to be supportive. My extended family, not so much.They all think I'm a druggie and talk smack about me whenever I post a cover,but again. I ignore them. The only thing I'm addicted to is making bad ass music,” she said.

Next, moving to her time management strategy,

“I am a college graduate. But during the time I was in college, I studied first and posted music later. I would get all my homework over with before attempting to make music. 

Now that I work, I work then practice and write when I am not working. And I also am in a relationship (with my bassist) at the moment,” she expressed.

 “I just try to keep my schedule balanced so that everyone in my life is happy.  I also know that my band members have lives. 

Communication is key. And when something is up to where we gotta move practice, we always make time,” she added.

Regarding her biggest steps, she mentioned“The biggest step I made was the release of my single. It was a collab project with a couple of friends to give an idea of the new album my band is currently making. And I am pretty gosh darn proud. 
Because it took a lot of balls to come out of my shell and make it happen. Before music, I was shy about singing and writing and didnt even push my content out there at all. 
But it showed me that I am capable of making something great happen if I just try.”



“After that, I took the steps to form my own group and now that I found half my guys, we are already working well together and making something you all are truly gonna love. For being someone unknown, I think I'm doing decent!” she added

Next, ArwenStarsong listed her role models.“My role models are Tarja Turunen, Kobra Paige, and Simone Simons. I was brought to metal by Tarja and I share the same vocal range as her when I use my classical style voice. 
She is who I wanna be when I grow up. Kobra actually heard a cover I did of her song You Dont Know and she encouraged me to keep singing. 
And it was her beacon of love and light that drove me to where I am at this point.
 I will not stop until I get there. And Simone is a great singer. She is so versatile in her voice and she drove me to do more with my own voice,” she answered.


Concerning her future steps, ArwenStarsong revealed, “In the future, the band and I are gonna be releasing our debut EP, Redemption. We are in the process of drafting it at the moment and just the drafts alone are sounding great! 

We also hope to perform locally soon as well so we can spread the word! 
 I am also continuing to do covers and solo originals on my solo channel as well. I just want to continue to make music and start performing. It is the thing I love!”

Finally, she sent a supportive message to the whole rocking ladies,

Keep on fighting for your dreams and never stop chasing them. Even if you dont make it big, all that matters is that you had fun getting to where you are. You're awesome. And you should never give up on yourself or your dreams no matter what.

Isadora Cortina (Mexico 🇲🇽/ Norway 🇳🇴)

Carries the glory of south and the beautyof the north, Isadora Cortina flies as a dove from the south to the north. She is now fronting one of the best rocking Gothic/Doom Ancestral Legacy.
Actually, Isadora was so nice and humble and she answered our questions warmly.
We started with Isadora by her memories with discovering singing and music,“I was always singing as a child, I could sing all the songs from the movies and cartoons and even when I could not sing the lyrics I wouldn't care and just sing out loud. 

But I started to train more when I joined a choir at the age of 12-13. It was a fantastic place to begin because we had teacher with classical training from the Mexican Army Choir. I learned a lot,” she explained.

“It was around that age aswell that I started listening to metal bands and realizing that's what I wanted to sing. My first bands were Dream Theater, Nightwish, Tristania and even some power metal like Rhapsody,” Isadora added.

Next, we asked her about how she met her band mates. 

“I met the band on Myspace around 2005. I talked a lot with Eddie and we became good friends.

When they were recording their next album he invited me to sing a song that would be in an EP with extra material that was not in the album. 

I got the instrumental track and the freedom to write lyrics and melody about what I wanted.

 I wrote a song in spanish called Atrapada en Pesadillas.

On 2008 I was moving to Norway anywa for personal reasons, and Elin had to leave the band because of health issues and I was asked to join the band. Of course I said yes and here I am now,” Isadora expressed.

After that, we asked her about the challenges she faced.

“When the band is not playing live for a period of time I struggle to come back on stage, I get super nervous the first times. 
Then I just feel like time flies and I wished I could stay longer onstage.

Other thing I usually face live is that some men think that they can get the singer home after a concert. 

Most people is there to enjoy the music and when they approach you they talk about the music it just warms my heart. 
But I have had some episodes of guys smelling my hair or saying dirty things and I just hate it because I try to be kind to everybody and thankful that they were there to watch us play,” she answered.

Regarding her family’s reaction towards fronting a Metal Band

“Mom was a bit scared first because she thought metal was only satanic music, but now she loves me being in a band and she is super proud. My brother and sister are proud aswell and promote me a lot in Mexico,” she explained.

Regarding her time management strategy, she explained

“Well, I've toured with the band 2 times and it was more like touring a lot in a week when we all could have free from work or get som vacation together. So that was not a problem, I had free anyway.

But the thing with work is more complicated because we all work with different things and we have different working hours.

so we need to be flexible to plan our rehearsals or when we are meeting to write or record something. 

But it works well with us. I guess communication is the key to success in situations like ours.”

Then, she explained to us her biggest steps.
“Well, the fact that I was 20 years when I started in a band from Norway was lifechanging and I am so proud of it. 

Everything we've achieved together like our tours or recording an album where I wrote my first songs.

Another thing I am proud of is that I've played in different countries from 2 continents. I hope the list gets bigger and bigger,” she mentioned.

Regarding her role models, she expressed,

“Talking about music my role model is Anneke Van Giersbergen, she writes and sings amazingly, I just love her to bits.

I know it's very cliche but personally my role model is my mom. She has the most kinded heart in the world and made a lot of things by herself being herself.”

Talking about her future steps, she said, “The band will start recording a new album in the future months, and I am looking forward to it because we have something completely different fomr our last album.

My life is changing a lot lately so what the future holds I don't know, but I know music will be there
I use music as tool to get to know me better and to express myself in this crazy time of my life.”

Finally, she sent a message to all singing doves around the world.

Keep the boobies and beer talk with the guys, it works. But most importantly keep on being yourself on stage and on the music your band makes. 

And never stop having fun when being in a band, because then is not worth it.

Melissa Aonia Adams (UK 🇬🇧) 

Carrying operatic majestic voice, heading the theater with great performance. Melissa Aonia Adams, the second half of British Operatic/Progressive Metal group Aonia. And, if you followed our previous part, you came across Joanna Kay Robinson who Melissa shares her fronting Aonia. 

Melissa was so humble and nice with us and we were so lucky because she gave us warm and detailed answers.
Melissa initiated her talking by her early career.

“I actually started as a child playing piano before singing. Then when I was in High School, I was in the drama club and I wanted to perform in the musical. 

I auditioned and didn’t get a part, but the choir director offered to give me voice lessons at a really cheap rate, so I took him up on it. 
I desperately wanted to be on Broadway, but he kept giving me opera and classical pieces! Eventually he told me that I didn’t have the right voice for Broadway but that I could sing opera really well,” she said.

“I was heartbroken but pursued it and carried on with vocal training at university. When I moved to England, I joined the Gilbert & Sullivan Society in my town and started taking lessons again with the Martin, the director of that society. 

That’s also where I met Jo. I never really took it particularly seriously; it was just for fun in my spare time, but then I was singing karaoke for a friend’s birthday party,” she added.

After that, she continued, “The DJ said, ‘Hey, I know a band who’s looking for a voice like yours.’ He rang a man named Graham, who was a guitarist in a local band called Cathexis. 

He came down and heard me sing, then invited me to audition for Cathexis. I went down to say no, but…well, I’ve never been good at saying no to people! 

So I joined Cathexis, which went defunct a couple of years later. Aonia came out of the ashes of Cathexis, and we still play a couple of the old Cathexis songs. 

I’m still friends with most of them and will always be grateful to them for giving me the confidence to sing in a heavy Metal band!”

 

Next, we asked her about how she met her bandmembers. 
“Well, like Jo said, we sung together for years in the Gilbert and Sullivan society. 

People in Aonia have come and gone through the years, so the rest of our current line-up have all come from various ‘Join My Band’ sites or through social media. 

None of us would know each other if it weren’t for music, and I’m so grateful to have all of them in my life,” she expressed.

 

After that Melissa told us about the challenges she faced.

“Well. Keeping a stable line-up has been a challenge in the past, but every time we’ve had a change, we’ve come out stronger for it. 

We’re still friends with most of our old members as well; it’s mostly been through life circumstances changing that people have left. 

We’ve kicked against the media a little bit too; we’ve been told we’re too niche by some places. And, of course, being women brings its own challenges. We’ve been hit on, groped, had comments made about our appearance,” she explained.

Then, she added, “I’ve had people make comments publicly about my weight, which they wouldn’t do if I were male. One guy said we’d be headlining Download Festival if I’d take my top off onstage.  I laughed about it at the time, but the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. 

It’s pretty insulting to the musicianship of the band and to my own talents to reduce our chances of success in the music industry to a pair of boobs. 

She continued, “And there was that time we were playing a local pub and a couple of guys came in and tried to pull my top down while I was onstage singing”

 

Regarding her family’s reaction, she said,

“My parents are really proud of me. They’ve got the album and love the music. 
And my in-laws are supportive too. My mother-in-law came to our EP launch and brought her sister and niece with her. 

My husband comes to most of our performances, proudly wearing his Aonia T-shirt. And my friends are great; they’re really understanding if I have to bail on plans for a last-minute gig. 

They are probably sick of hearing about it, but they listen patiently!”

 

Next, she talked about how she manages her time.
“This is a huge challenge for me. I’m a teacher, which means that I can’t just book time off when I want it, so I have done a lot of desperate driving across the country when I finish at 3:30, driving back in the middle of the night, then going to work again in the morning with an energy drink to prop my eyes open!  
Plus teaching is really stressful, with planning, marking – so much takes place outside of school hours. 

But we’re selective with the shows we do, so I can plan my work out in advance, making sure everything is up to date. 
We can book tours when I’m on school holidays (and the others are really accommodating with that). 

My husband is very understanding and supportive and he comes along when he is able, so I don’t lose quality time with him due to shows.”

 

Next, she talked about her biggest steps thetmake her proud of herself.
“Wow. Where to start? I think one of the best steps we’ve taken is that we have a manager - our good friend Craig, and a Mistress of Merch – his wife, Laura. 

In addition to singing, I’ve managed the band (and I still co-manage) and that can be quite stressful. You know, when you get to a show and the tech isn’t quite right or you need to set up the merch and talk to the engineer and get changed – it gets super-stressful. 

With Craig and Laura, it means I can focus just on performing, and that makes a huge difference to my mental state and to my performance. 

Craig has been really instrumental as well in driving the band forward, getting professional artwork and video done for our latest album, stage dressing,” she expressed.

And, she added, “Laura has formed a partnership with Corrosive Merch as well, and that has made a difference in the types of products we can offer to our fans. Plus she’s our costumer, making sure we look as good as we sound! 

The other big step we’ve made is to invest in a system of in-ear monitoring for the full band. Jo and I have used in-ears for over a year, and it really helps us to be able to hear each other and stay on pitch. 

The full-band rig is still in the rehearsal phase at the minute, but I can already tell that it’s going to make us so much tighter and more professional.”

 

Regarding her role models, Melissa explained, 

“I really admire Gemma and Amie in Dakesis. These women work so hard to promote heavy metal and have worked their socks off to become self-employed in the music industry. 

They’re kind, caring and always have time to help out other bands, in addition to making amazing music and putting on fantastic shows.
 Kris, FyreSky’s bassist, is someone else I really admire. 

She has such an incredible stage presence and she works so hard to push her band forward. Finally, Iliana from Enemy of Reality is a woman I really admire. 

She also works in music as a vocal coach and is a huge driving force in her band. In addition to being a phenomenal vocalist, she also is such a kind and caring person.”

 

About her future plans, Melissa talked openly and freely about it.

“In addition to performing, we also organise events. On the 5th of October, we have our own festival – AoniaFest. It will be the third AoniaFest, and the second at the Corporation, Sheffield. 

We’re playing our album, ‘The Seven,’ in full and we have a few special tricks up our sleeves for it! It’s a great line-up, with Soul Shredder, Winter Storm, Elusion, White Raven Down, Lesbian Bed Death, and Chasing Dragons on the bill.

We’ll be raising money for the SOPHIE charity at that show, so it’s for a good cause as well as being a great day out. Before that, we’ve got an all-dayer called ‘Women of Steel’ coming up on the 29th of June at the RS Bar in Sheffield. 

We’ll be taking donations for the Spires Food Bank as the entry fee, and we’re running a raffle and taking donations for the Together Women Project.

In other news, we’re in the final 12 bands selected for the Amplified Festival Battle of the Bands – if we win our live heat, we’ll be playing Amplified Festival (19-21 July). 

We’ll be headlining a charity event in Warrington (‘For One Mike Only’) on the 3rd of May and on the 4th we are honoured to be invited as special guest headliners for the Sheffield Bloodstock Metal 2 the Masses finals. 
Moving forward, we’re supporting Winter in Eden at their 10-year-anniversary show on the 26th of May at the Robin, Bilston, which is a real honour, as they are incredible. 

And we are supporting Blaze Bayley on two of his shows in August. Lots of exciting stuff coming up!” she mentioned.

 

Finally, Melissa sent supportive words and advice to the whole active female Metal Voices.

“A lot of people outside of the female-fronted ‘scene’ think we’re all horrible cows to each other – that we try and tear each other down and that it’s all a big competition. This cannot be further from the truth. 

The majority of bands we’ve played with have been wonderful. The ones who do buy into the competitive ‘I’ll tear you down to make myself look better’ attitude don’t last. 
Pretty quickly, no one wants to work with them, and they fade into obscurity. 

My advice is this: shining a light on others does not dim your own. 

Rather, the light magnifies, intensifies, and you both shine brighter for it. Be kind. Build your sisters up, and make a better metal world for all of us.

Ana Rochas (Spain 🇪🇸)

Came from the lands of beautiful nature and amusing sea. Ana Rochas stands onthe top of the Spanish Mountains spreading her Dark and Melodic Metal music with her band Bridge to Nowhere.

In fact, she was so humble and modest. She kept answering our question kindly.

Starting with her early career, Ana expressed, “It was nothing planned but a path I’ve been walking through. I had been singing for around ten years in the choir of the school but, once I started the University degree, I dind’t sing any longer. 

So  I could say ‘everything’ started an evening sharing some drinks with my best friend; she looked for some cigarettes and on top of the tobacco vending machine she saw a bulletin board with this notice: ‘band with classical heavy metal influences needs a lead vocal’. 

She arranged the audition for me that evening and a couple of hours later, I had become the new singer of the band.”

Next, she told us about how she met her band members.

“César and me fell in love in Summer 2012; we belonged to our different bands (Avalmeth and WereWorld respectively) but we weren’t happy with the situation of those projects that, finally, both came to an end in few months. 

Free and eager to start something together, we create Bridge to Nowhere. 

The rhythm guitarist from Avalmeth also joined us and we completed the band looking for a bassist and a drummer. 

That was the hardest part but a year later, the band was completed and nine songs were already written and played on rehearsal, ready for touring. Our first album ‘Wars of Avalmeth’ were born!” She explained.

Regarding the challenges she faced, Ana mentioned, 
“One of the biggest challenges is to be respected in the same way a man is. Some people still believe Rock and Metal are not styles for girls (mostly, in regards of voice) so it’s double hard to performance when you have to tear down a wall first.

 I guess, anyway, I’m lucky ‘cause I never ever heard an insult while performing or after but I’ve been criticized for my weight. Thus, a woman on a stage must be more than perfect, this perfection is required for her… not for a man. 

They can perform worse or being fat, nobody will criticize the image, outfit nor the performance.

After that, she talked to us about her family’s and friends’ reaction.

“Well, friends always supported me in this sense, they’re amazing. Family is different ,my mother didn’t take it seriously, thinking it’s just a hobby, nothing to be ‘aware’. 

Everything change after the end of last tour: she finally understood we are not playing like children, we are working really hard to make Bridge to Nowhere our livelihood,” she described.

After that, we asked her about how she manages her time.

She expressed, “I’m really lucky and fortunate because my husband is one of my band mates so… family and music go always together and there is no struggling on it. The challenges were due to the work but I changed my position and now everything is smoother.”

Regarding the steps made her proud of what she did.

“Be loyal to my principles and my heart; never do anything I don’t really want to do nor anything I don’t really believe in nor anything that hurts anyone on purpose. 

These things may delay your success but you’ll always go to bed in peace and you’ll sleep like a baby,” she explained.

Then, Ana told us about her role models.

“I could name many in several fields but, to make it short, let’s say my Grandma Arcadia and my mom Aurora, the strongest and bravest women in the world. 

I always say the Gods blessed me with two mothers and now, I have one in the Earth and one in Heaven (or wherever the good ones go) to lead my steps.

In a more musical sense, Floor Jansen is the best model. She is an eager beaver! I’am a hard die fan of her since After Forever,  ReVamp to Nightwish… she deserves everything good in life because she is the result of a direct relationship between effort and success –that, unfortunately, not always is so direct-. So, a mirror to look in with no doubt,” she mentioned.

Regarding her future plans, Ana said,
“I’m recording voices for Bridge to Nowhere’s second album in few days so now we’re focused on a new baby with all the related stuff: touring, merchandising, etc. 

I’m very proud to announce for first time in media our new album is –again- a concept album and it’s our adaptation of the famous Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia!”

Finally, Ana sent a message to whole Metal ladies, 
Stay strong, stay loyal to yourselves, never let anyone bring you down, you are unique, special and marvelous just the way you are! Keep fighting and rocking!!