Heavy metal as long been regarded as a hyper-masculine genre of music. For a long time it seemed as though the only women in the metal scene were the ones stripping in Motley Crue videos or climbing on cars for Whitesnake.
Its not as though the exclusion of women from metal was anything intentional or premeditated, the trend has just been historically that this style of loud and aggressive music usually draws a predominately male audience.
As it would turn out, some women weren't content with simply being a physical spectacle for metal fans to ogle, they wanted in on the music itself. Bands like Warlock and Girlschool laid the groundwork for and open the gates for girls in metal.
Now, while still a minority, the female in presence in the metal community has grown exponentially with a number of contemporary acts featuring women including Abigail Williams, Winds of Plague, Lacuna Coil, Crisis, Walls of Jericho, Cradle of Filth, Arch Enemy, and many more.
One of the most prominent female metallers in the 21st century is Angela Gossow, vocalist of Arch Enemy. Unlike the women in the aforementioned hair metal videos who are depicted degradingly as something nice to look at, Gossow is easily perceived as being powerful and in command.
She maintains a feminine grace while exerting screams that are just as intense as any of her male counterparts. Her vocal talents and towering presence do the talking for her, and she doesn't resort to making herself into something sexualized to gain attention to fans.
Gossow seems a positive role model to younger girls, she can still exhibit her looks and features without exploiting them, and her voice certainly lets anyone listening know that she can keep up with the rest of her peers.
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