Russian female rock groups. The Greatest Women in Rock History
Until the 80s there were no women in Russian rock. That is, famous musicians had fans almost immediately, but until the rise of Aquarium, the most rock and roll woman in the country was Alla Borisovna Pugacheva. Without a shadow of irony or sarcasm - she was well versed in contemporary music, was close friends with the Time Machine, and later with Nautilus and Alice. But the truly bright women in the sky began to shine after the appearance of Nastya Polevaya. It cannot be said that this “broke the dam,” but a window opened through which the wind of change blew. Women began to appear more often, and each time they left a very noticeable mark on Russian music. If Nastya was something like a “founding mother,” then her successors became real “shakers of foundations” and “trendsetters of genres,” sometimes even more important than men. When in 1999 one Ufa singer released the main album of the year, it was with him that a new musical era began in the country, which in many ways continues to this day. And women are full participants in this process.
Nastya Poleva
Where played: Track, Nastya
Genres: Russian rock
What's cool: Nastya Poleva is the first truly famous woman in Russian rock. Our first female rock star. It is doubly symbolic that such a thing could only appear in Sverdlovsk, remote from the centers of civilization, where rock life flowed according to its own laws. By the will of fate, Nastya is also one of the founders of Sverdlovsk rock as such: in 1980 she became a vocalist Track - gloomy moralizers, related Kraftwerk and Black Sabbath , in 1985 actively collaborated with the emerging young Nautilus , and in 1987 she finally went into a solo career. Her debut albumTatsubecame the first famous female rock album in the country. This was facilitated by Nastya’s new, soft and lyrical singing style, unusual fashionable arrangements full of references to exotic countries, and surreal lyrics. Nastya’s career after this album (and the tragedy with another album,Bride, stolen from the studio) can hardly be called triumphant, but even after moving to St. Petersburg, she retained both her unquestioned musical authority and the status of a living legend of Russian rock.
Quote: I was one hundred percent sure thatTatsuwill pass. I have always had the desire to move mountains and do something to make everyone gasp. And when such motivation appears, I become a meteor. I would endure everything to get the end result.
Diana Arbenina
Where played: Night snipers
Genres: Russian rock, art song
What's cool: She has spent almost 23 years of her life on the big stage Diana Arbenina . Behind us are hundreds of cities, two hundred songs, collections of poetry and prose, an autobiographical performance.Motofosoon the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov, soundtracks to 16 films, experience as a team mentor in the projectVoice of Ukraine(and in 2015 on the Main Stage project) and a nomination for the Russian independent award for achievements in the field of literature and artTriumph. In addition to all this, Diana successfully combines active concert activities with the position of mother of two beautiful kids Artem and Marta.
Quote: To be a sniper means to have a bare, if nervous, heart, to be receptive to human kindness. As for love, don’t defend yourself from it and wait, even if it takes your whole life.
Zemfira
Where did you play? : Zemfira, The Uchpochmack
Genres: Russian rock
What's cool: At least because she Zemfira . I think it makes no sense to describe the influence that she had on all Russian music. Zemfira has become one of the most commercially successful singers on our stage, without being a particularly public person, but simply doing her job. In November 2010, Afisha magazine included her first album in the top “50 best Russian albums of all time.” And more than once Zemfira was included in the ranking of the most influential women in the country. But she, however, always did not care about such titles and regalia. Two concerts are approaching, concluding the “Little Man” tour in Olympic , for which most of the tickets were sold out within a day and the excitement for the event “collapsed” the kassir.ru website and the site itself. Isn't this the best proof of popular recognition?
Quote: It's very difficult for me to please. I am dissatisfied with the musicians, dissatisfied with myself, very often, dissatisfied with the audience. Sometimes it seems to me that they could be more active. They cannot hurt me, criticize me more than I can criticize myself. I know who I am, I am in the right place. I know this, I am sure of it. And this is my greatest truth and strength. Confidence in who I am and what I am. And I will sing for a very long time.
Svetlana Surganova
Where played: Something Else, Night Snipers, Surganova and Orchestra
Genres: rock, alternative rock, jazz rock, trip hop, art rock
What's cool: In fact, according to her first education, Svetlana Yakovlevna Surganova is a pediatrician (Svetlana has never worked in her field), which does not prevent her from being a talented musician. The artist herself calls the group’s style VIP-Punk-Decadence (behind the complex abbreviation lies aesthetics, “hooliganism,” energetic presentation, self-irony, lyrics based on classical poetry), but even this definition is not enough for their work. In addition to the above genres, we can safely say that Svetlana skillfully plays with Latin, ethnic motifs, and sometimes electronic samples, and at the same time she is one of the women without whom Russian rock is now unthinkable. This off-format group called Surganova and the Orchestra has existed for almost 14 years, is dearly loved by fans, deservedly has one of the most generous fan clubs with surprises and gifts and actively travels with concerts throughout Russia and abroad, and rightfully bears the title, perhaps the most touring rock band in our country (just look at C&O’s performance schedule).
The group celebrated its tenth anniversary (in 2013) with a concert in the Kremlin Palace, and the release of new albums is accompanied by concerts in Crocus.
The deep lyrics of the St. Petersburg poetess can be analyzed into quotes for a very long time, but we will present one of them below.
Quote:
In my creativity, I, like many, try to solve for myself the fundamental questions of existence. I talk, sing, shout about it. The result is a burning mixture of depression and catharsis.
Linda
Where played: Convoy, Bloody Faeries, Linda
Genres : trip hop, trip rock, new age, experimental music, ethno rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, indie rock, art rock, alternative rock, grunge, post-punk, gothic rock
What's cool: She became one of the most mysterious singers of our rock scene. Svetlana Gaiman was born in the small town of Kentau in Kazakhstan, then she and her family moved to Tolyatti, and at the age of 15 she ended up in Moscow. Three years later, her creative career began (Linda took her first steps in a folk art group), and after that she entered Gnesinka. She managed to work with many famous figures in the Russian music industry of those years, for example, with Vladimir Matetsky, Yuri Aizenshpis, Maxim Fadeev. The unusual musical style quickly helped the singer become noticed, her albums became platinum (they sold more than 250 thousand copies), Voron's album became platinum with sales status of 1,250,000 copies, becoming the third in Russia. Multiple changes of images from album to album, constant experiments with sound and appearance, and finally - a successful collaboration with the Universal Music label, which brought her big concerts and performances at festivals and even opened for Moby in 2005. Part of Linda's musical career is connected with Greece - it was from there that Stefanos Korkolis, a Greek singer and composer, with whom Linda later tied the knot, but divorced a couple of years later, came from. The singer continues to create, release new albums (her eighth studio album, 2013 LAI, @!, was even recognized as the best album of the year according to MusicBox), and continues to create to this day. Well, who knows how many more musical experiments her talent will be enough for.
Quote: The image is born at the moment when childbirth occurs, “birth-water”, so the image is laid by the parents. Then in life you can search, try on yourself and feel with all your inner state what is closer to you, where you are more comfortable and where there are those things with which you can grow further. In kindergarten I wanted to become an astronaut, then I really liked fishing, I always thought that I would be a dolphin rescuer. Life has always been unpredictable. Then I became very interested in the circus. Plus I was born in an ethnic place. I received my first musical burns at the age of four, when I heard the ethnic instruments of ordinary street musicians. Also, my grandmother, who raised me, who gave me a lot in life, was a very creative person, and she had a difficult life. This all layered over the years and acquired a certain foundation that guided me. These are all components, and this is a very global issue.
Lusine Gevrkyan
Where played: Sphere of Influence, Traktor Bowling, Louna
Genres: alternative metal, alternative rock, nu metal, punk rock
What's cool: Lou is considered one of the best alternative vocalists in our country, which has been confirmed more than once by both fans and awards such as the Chart Dozen. Lusine has recently successfully combined work in two projects (Tracktor Bowling and Louna) with the role of a wife (Lu is married to Vitaly Demidenko, bass guitarist of Tractors and Louna) and a caring mother, while actively performing with her colleagues at many festivals , where they are always welcome guests, working on electrical and acoustic material, charity and filming. Previously, however, Lou also taught vocals, but with such a busy schedule she had to give it up. An economist by education. For his groups, he writes some of the material himself - both the lyrics and the musical component of the songs. She is an endorser of Sennheiser microphones and ear monitoring systems, as well as a representative of Roland brand synthesizers in Russia (she herself is a pianist).
Quote: Guys, rock music... it is truthful, it is honest, it is sometimes aggressive, it is often heavy, sometimes even heavy, energetic, but it is always against war, against weapons, against violence, against injustice, and glorifies love, honesty, kindness, equality and brotherhood.
Yulia Kogan
Where did you play? : Leningrad, solo project
Genres: pop, pop rock, jazz
What's cool: The red-haired beast Yulia Kogan quickly burst into the music scene in 2007 and became famous in one day. Of course, Sergei Shnurov’s team never left anyone indifferent, and with the arrival of Yulia, a “second wind” of the group’s popularity began. A beautiful figure, a cloud of red hair and songs that consist mainly of obscenities (and how else, they were written by Shnur) did their job. For almost six years, Yulia was the “face” and voice of Leningrad. In 2013, she left the group and pursued a solo career. To date, the singer has released her debut album entitled “Fire Woman”.
The image of a bitchy, liberated beauty attracted television people - for several seasons Yulia became the host of the show #YaPrava on channel Yu. The singer also recorded several arias for the musical TODD by the group King and the Clown. You can hear her in the songs “Death Machine” and “Lovett’s Confession.”
Julia is an actress by training; she began studying classical vocals quite late - at the age of 16. I got into the Leningrad group by accident - in the St. Petersburg music scene everyone knows each other. In life, Yulia Kogan bears little resemblance to her stage image - calm and quiet, she is married, has a daughter, Lisa, and plays at the Entreprise Theater as a hobby. A. Mironova.
Quote: It’s somewhat problematic to get away from the image that I had in the Leningrad group. This is something akin to actors who became popular thanks to one role. You have to pay for it; not all the audience is ready to see something different in me. I can be touching and tender on stage, or I can be tough. And for this I don’t have to swear obscene words into the microphone. I'm a little worried about the audience's reaction. People are now in some confusion: they don’t know which Yulia Kogan they are going for. They don't understand what to expect from me. But this is a kind of challenge, and it is interesting. I want to reach such a level of perception of my solo image that the lyrical songs performed by me are completely understandable to the public who came to the concert.
Daria Nookie Stavrovich
Where played: SLOT, Nuki
Genres: alternative rock, nu metal
What's cool: Daria Stavrovich, or Nookie, has been the female “voice” of the Slot group for many years. Dasha was born in the Arkhangelsk region, studied at the Nizhny Novgorod Music College, and then in Moscow. Fond of creativity since childhood, little Dasha first gravitated towards drawing, but then she was fascinated by music. Having, thanks to friends, joined the Slot group at the age of 20, she remained there - today, together with Dasha, 7 albums have already been recorded, and it’s difficult to imagine anyone else in Nuki’s place in this group. The singer also created her solo project Nuki, which has two releases to its credit.
Quote: I ended up in the Slot by luck. We make modern music for youth and for everyone who is young at heart. With our creativity we try to express our perception of the world, to show how everything is interconnected in it. We don’t say: “Girlfriend, look at me, do as I do...” We say: “If you do this, then it will be like this, and then you’ll figure it out on your own.” My mother watches our performances on TV. Sometimes he calls and scolds me for the slang that I use in my speech. Parents know our creativity, but do not always understand it. Probably due to the age barrier.
Zhanna Aguzarova
Where played: Bravo
Genres : rock, pop rock, beat, glam rock, rockabilly
Nicknames: Ivanna Anders, Nineteen Ninties
Why it’s cool: The name of Zhanna Aguzarova is always associated with outrageousness, space and a beautiful, piercing voice. And of course, with the Bravo group. Despite the fact that Aguzarova has not been a very frequent guest in public lately, she still remains popular, and almost everyone knows the songs she performs. In 1983 she joined the Bravo group (then Postscript). In 1988, Aguzarova left the group to pursue a solo career. From 1991 to 1996 she lived in America and very little is known about this period.
This is a woman without age and timeless, she is like an alien from outer space, we don’t know anything about her one hundred percent for sure: even the date and place of birth are surrounded by mystery. And what can be said about a man who, having arrived in Moscow, lived for some time with a fake passport, and only because Zhanna did not have her own. Having taken someone else’s passport and corrected her name from “Ivan” to “Ivanna,” Zhanna Khasanovna pretended to be the daughter of diplomats, Ivanna (later Yvonne) Anders, for which she subsequently paid first with detention and then with forced labor.
The singer at one time made a real revolution on the music scene: her shocking style of clothing, fantastic outfits, eccentric hairstyles and hair color, as well as unpredictable behavior on stage and in interviews left their mark on the country’s musical culture. In communications with the press, Zhanna often spoke about her connection with the Martians, now that her trace in music is lost, fans believe that she has flown home.
Quote: There is nothing old in art - there is real Happiness everywhere, it is around us. They say it’s good where we are not, but that’s not true: it’s good where we are
Metal band from Sweden, led by vocalist Liv Jagrell. The calling card of Sister Sin is Yagrell's hoarse and aggressive vocals and heavy guitar riffs. If you love rock, you will not remain indifferent.
The group disbanded in 2015, but if you want more Jagrell, you can check out her solo album.
It's a real pleasure to listen to bands like Sister Sin who just play heavy metal without any nonsense. Just like the good old 80s.
Outburn Magazine, 2014.
Hysterica
- Years active: 2005–…
- Sweden.
- Heavy metal.
The female ensemble Hysterica fully lives up to its name thanks to the hysterically shrill singing of its leader Annie De Ville. However, when she stops screaming, it turns out that her voice is clear and pleasant. As for the music, one of the reviewers of the specialized site Encyclopaedia Metallum called Hysterica the female version of Manowar. Whether it's good or not is up to you to decide.
The Metalwar album is what every heavy metal album should be. Energetic, funny and impetuous.
Encyclopaedia Metallum.
Halestorm
- Years active: 1997–…
- Hard rock.
Lizzie Hale and her brother founded Halestorm as teenagers. The band plays exciting hard rock that makes you want to dance to it. And Lizzie Hale is perhaps one of the best vocalists in the metal scene.
Fraser Lewry, Classic Rock Magazine, 2015.
Crucified Barbara
- Years active: 1998–2016.
- Sweden.
- Heavy metal, hard rock.
A delightful female quartet, again from Sweden. Incendiary rock music with a slightly dirty and harsh sound - and the incomparable voice of Mia Coldhart with a charming sexy hoarseness. Unfortunately, in June 2016, the members announced that the group’s activities were over. However, apparently, they still intend to continue creating.
Vocalist Mia Coldheart's wonderfully raw and predatory metal-framed delivery makes Crucified Barbara sound especially sincere. These passionate Swedes have plenty of great songs like Electric Sky and Do You Want Me to capture hearts and minds.
Dom Lawson, Classic Rock Magazine, 2014.
On the pages of many glossy magazines, ratings of the sexiest representatives and representatives of show business are published annually. They are compiled based on voting by readers of these publications or the expert opinion of the creators. It is very rare to find the top sexiest rock vocalists in them. The 20 most attractive include representatives of various generations of Russian rock.
20th place - Zhanna Aguzarova
The most shocking and unpredictable Russian rock vocalist. Woman is space. The singer became widely known during her performance in the Bravo group. She performed independently under the pseudonyms Ivanna Andersen and Nineen Naintis.
19th place - Yulia Chicherina
The rock singer gained wide popularity after performing the songs “Doll” and “Heat”. The vocalist was born in Sverdlovsk and attributes her work to a subculture called “Ural rock”. The songs she sang with the group BI-2 are very popular among fans.
18th place - Tatyana Zykina
Songwriter, journalist, singer. She began her career under the pseudonym Tatyana Bagramyan. Born in Izhevsk in 1991. The singer has more than 200 original songs in her arsenal. In terms of the scale of her creative personality, critics compare the singer with Zemfira and Shnur.
17th place - Masha Makarova
The song “Lyubochka” brought fame to the singer. Masha was born in Krasnodar in 1977. In 1997, she created the group “Masha and the Bears” and set off to conquer Moscow. In 2017, the group held a number of anniversary concerts. The first of them took place in the Moscow club “Yotaspace”. Despite having several children, Masha tries not to lose her attractiveness.
16th place - Lusine Gevorkyan
The singer was born in 1983 in Armenia. Despite this, Lusine is considered a Russian rock vocalist. The singer spent her childhood and youth in Serpukhov. She currently works with rock bands Tracktor Bowling and Louna. Lusine is one of the best alternative vocalists in the country.
15th place - Lyudmila “Tyosha” Makhova
Soloist and creator of the rock band Give Two. The team was created in 2005. The first title is “Mother-in-Law Makhova.” In addition to performing with the group, the singer very often sings a duet with Konstantin Kinchev.
14th place - Lesya Gusmatulina
Vocalist of the rock band "Gilza". She is considered one of the most powerful rock vocalists in Russia. Nominated for the Devil's Dozen Award.
13th place - Helavisa
The singer's real name is Natalya Andreevna O'Shei. She is the founder of the folk rock group Melnitsa. Solo projects: “Helavisa”. "36.6" and others. The singer was born in 1976 in Moscow. She has a wide range of interests. She is a candidate of philological sciences. The singer's attractive, romantic appearance is surprisingly combined with her vocal abilities.
12th place - Utah
The singer's real name is Anna Vladimirovna Osipova. The vocalist was born in 1979 in Sverdlovsk. The Utah group was created by her after moving to Moscow in 2000. The songs written by the singer and composer have repeatedly been among the best songs in the charts of Nashe Radio.
11th place - Blonde Ksyu
Former soloist of the groups “Elysium” and “Lampasy” Ksenia Sidorina. Born in 1982 in Gorky. Since 2004 he has been engaged in a solo career. She has recorded 6 albums. Creates vivid stage images.
10th place - Pelageya Khanova
Founder of the group "Pelageya". Born in Novosibirsk in 1986. Works in the genre of pop-folk and folk songs. In 2017, Pelageya gave birth to a daughter. Motherhood seriously changed the appearance of the singer, making her very attractive.
9th place - Alevtina Leontyeva
The singer was born in 1977 in Novosibirsk. She trained professionally in jazz vocals. At the beginning of her creative career, she performed as part of the rock group “Melnitsa”. Currently, the singer is pursuing a solo career and is trying to work as a TV presenter.
8th place - Elena Nikitaeva
Songwriter, composer, rock vocalist. Born in Stavropol in 1976. The singer began her solo career in the 90s. Later she created the group “Partisan Radio”. Several songs by Elena Nikitaeva are heard in the TV series “Heart of a Star”.
7th place - Florida Chanturia
Soloist of the Leningrad group. Before starting work in the team, she sang in karaoke bars. Florida jazz vocal training. Born in 1990.
6th place - Teona Dolnikova
Vocalist of the rock band "Slot". He copes well with performing hard rock, tries to act in films, and participates in various projects on TV.
5th place - Alexandra Chigunova
Soloist and one of the founders of the rock group “Mukha”. The presentation of the first album of the group “Combination” took place in 2008 at the Moscow club “Orange”. Alexandra studied music between classes at the journalism department. She is the author of many of the group's songs. With his songs and stage image he tries to create a positive mood in the public.
4th place - Mara Kana
The singer was born in Moscow in 1978. Wide popularity came to her at the beginning of the 2000s. Mara is not only a talented vocalist, but also a great master of shocking. In 2004, at the “Invasions” festival, she shocked the audience with her transparent tunic and provocative exposure of her breasts. After this performance, people began to compare her to Miley Cyrus, who loved to tease fans with her charms.
3rd place - Zemfira
The Russian rock legend was born in Ufa in 1976. A bright, extraordinary personality. Zemfira's image resembles a disheveled boy. She is always associated with some kind of secret. Our editors love Zemfira very much, she is truly beautiful!
2nd place - Alisa Vox-Burmistrova
Born in 1987 in Leningrad. The singer became widely famous thanks to Shnur’s song “Louboutins” and undressing on stage. After a loud scandal and leaving the Leningrad group in 2016, she took up a solo career. The singer’s first album was called “Sama”.
1st place - Yulia Kogan
Bold and catchy. This is how one can characterize the former lead singer of the Leningrad group. She was born in the city on the Neva in 1981. She began her solo career in 2014 with the release of the album “Ogon-Baba”. Before it started, Yulia gave birth to a daughter and managed to work on TV as a presenter.
Sooner or later, any fan of the heroes of the pages of this site asks the question: “What other groups are there similar to Nightwish?” The answer to this question sometimes turns out to be so voluminous that few people have the patience to put together the entire list of rock (metal) bands with female vocals that are similar to Nightwish. On this page we take the risk of gathering together the knowledge of music lovers about what other bands might be of interest to a fan of Finnish metallers, sorting from a huge list of bands with female vocals punk and folk bands with female vocals, as well as groups using female extreme vocals, such as Arch Enemy, since they have little in common with Nightwish.
About those groups that in your opinion are similar to Nightwish, but were not included in this material, write to the administrators and we will include these groups here.
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Germany has given the world many famous bands: Rammstein, Scorpions and others, but among the bright male voices, rock (metal) groups with female vocals occupy a place of honor in the hearts of heavy music lovers.
Xandria
Among the German groups similar to Nightwish, the first to be highlighted is Xandria, founded in 1994. The album India brought this German rock band with female vocals fame among fans of symphonic metal, but to be completely similar to Nightwish, the Germans lacked the main element - a vocalist with academic vocals. The arrival of Manuela Kraller and the album Neverworld's End Xandria was warmly received by critics and the public and was very reminiscent of the early works of Nightwish such as Century Child and Oceanborn. A year later, Manuela left the group, giving way to Diane van Giersbergen. With a new vocalist, the group continues to maintain the style of the old Nightwish .
Coronatus
The next German rock band with beautiful female vocals is Coronatus, created in 1999. This project is strikingly different from Xandria and Nightwish in that it involves two female vocalists and the vocal parts are built on the separation of pop and academic vocals. Since 2007, Coronatus have been gaining recognition among heavy metal bands with female vocals, playing at major festivals on the same stage with Within Temptation, Epica, Doro, Tarja Turunen and Leaves Eyes. In 2010, Natalya Kempin from Arcane Grail became the soprano vocalist, noticed among Russian groups with female vocals, but, unfortunately, she soon left the project. On their latest album, Cantus Lucidus, the band resorts to the sound of folk groups with female vocals, which in some way brings them closer to the music of some of Nightwish's works.
Krypteria
Another German rock (metal) band with female vocals is Krypteria, created in 2001. The band's symphonic metal combines with gothic metal. This group should appeal to those who love the Anette Olzon era - Cho Jiin's vocals sound very soft and pleasant. Perhaps someone will find in it characteristic notes of the flavor of Korean music.
Midnattsol
For those who liked the folk sound of Nightwish, which appeared with the arrival of Troy Donockley, the Midnattsol project, founded in 2002, will be interesting. This group is classified as both folk and symphonic groups with female vocals. The group's vocalist, Carmen Elise Espenes, sister of Liv Kristine, uses pop vocals with very rare elements of academic vocals.
Stormgarde
Another German band with female vocals similar to Nightwish from Germany is Stormgarde. However, they widely use male growls and the music is rich in elements of rock and gothic metal, which leads to the fact that not every composition by the musicians allows one to capture similar sound features. One of the distinctive features of the group is the timbre of the vocalist, Sabrina, which may not be pleasant to all listeners.
Atargatis
A group similar to Nightwish in the early years of their career, but only with the vocals of Anette or close to the pop vocals of Flor - this is Atargatis, founded a year later than our heroes. Of course, it’s rare, but there are some elements of academic vocal sound. These elements are not expressed clearly and, rather, are created for lightness and airiness of sound, and not for power that breaks through everything. Stefani's voice does not have much depth, but it easily manages to weave vocal lace with filigree. The work of this German band with female vocals is very similar to the music of Nightwish due to the use of male vocals, very similar to Marco's vocals. The symphonic arrangements in the band's music are restrained and do not distract attention from the vocals and guitars.
Arven
One of the youngest German bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish, is Arven, founded in 2006. It is noteworthy that the group has only 1 male drummer - the rest of the musicians are women with serious professional training. The group features the vocals of Karina, who has a classical vocal school behind her and therefore Arven, of course, belongs to the groups with beautiful female vocals. The music is rich in the sound of keyboards, heavy guitars and diluted with elements of medieval music, which allows us to classify Arven as a folk group with female vocals. It is typical for musicians to construct songs based on contrast, which Tuomas sometimes uses - calm music is followed by a hard metal sound.
Eyes of Eden
Another young, but already won enough place in the sun group, similar to Nightwish, is Eyes of Eden, who received the support of the musicians of the group HIM in 2006. Even though this band's work is melodic metal, many of the elements that make their music like Nightwish's are easy to hear right away. Many critics emphasized that the band's debut album is “an orchestral masterpiece of metal” (perhaps Tuomas might disagree with this ;)). In addition, Franziska's vocals will be pleasant to fans of Anette, with the difference that the German has a slightly harsher timbre and therefore her voice sounds larger and stronger.
Soulslide
The female-fronted German band, which made a name for itself in 2014 with its full-length debut album, Soulslide, also bears many of the characteristics that make it a band similar to Nightwish. Despite the fact that young musicians have not yet been able to achieve the volume and epic sound of the luminaries of the genre, this project deserves attention. The vocal line is clearly bright and memorable. For those who prefer vocals with academic elements and pronounced heavy music with a minimum of symphonic elements, this team is of great interest.
Edenbridge
The list of female-fronted metal bands similar to Nightwish from Austria is certainly topped by Edenbridge, a band with beautiful, catchy female vocals. In some ways, the history of this team is similar to the history of Nightwish. Its driving force is keyboardist Arne Stockhammer (Lanvall). Anyone who misses the sound of the very first line-up of the Finnish band will find a lot of new tracks for their playlist in the Edenbridge discography. The hallmark of the group is Sabine Edelbacher's vocals, which are a mixture of Tarja's vocals with the addition of Flor's aggressiveness and drive. From the very beginning of its existence, the group was influenced by the work of its older colleagues from Finland, and the covers of their albums were created by the well-known Markus Mayer. Together with Tarja Turunen, Sabina took part in the Beto Vázquez Infinity project. To get to know the band, it seems the best way to pick up their album My Earth Dream.
Visions of Atlantis
If Edenbridge, despite the obvious similarities with Nightwish, were able to maintain their individuality, then fans of rock (metal) bands with female vocals awarded the title of “Nightwish clones” to the group Visions Of Atlantis. However, the team’s musicians never hid that they were inspired to create the project by the success of their colleagues from Suomi, and therefore they became another group that is very similar to Nightwish. The team's first vocalist was mezzo-soprano Nicole Bogner, putting Visions of Atlantis among the groups with beautiful female vocals. After her departure, the group changed 4 vocalists, but Visions Of Atlantis always remained true to the chosen concept - to be like Nightwish. Perhaps precisely because it is very difficult for this group to find individuality, they failed to achieve serious success. The band is currently working with vocalist Clémentine Delaney, best known for her work with French female-fronted group Whyzdom.
Darkwell
The third successful project playing music like Nightwish is Darkwell, founded in 1999. The group stands out for its beautiful, gentle female vocals using academic elements. The music is a little different from what Tuomas usually creates - elements more typical of gothic metal and a little progressive prevail in it. The band never used harsh male vocals. Metal bands from the Netherlands with female vocals
Foreign female-fronted bands similar to Nightwish are very well represented in the Dutch heavy metal scene. Among the huge number of projects, you can even find gothic groups with female vocals, which will resemble the culprits behind the creation of this site.
Within Temptation
If we talk about gothic groups with female vocals, somewhat similar to Nayvish, then first of all we need to mention the group Within Temptation and its albums. Few people have not heard at least once the memorable high vocals of their permanent vocalist Sharon den Adel. Of course, Sharon cannot be a vocal copy of Tarja, but for those who are looking for vocals similar to Anette’s vocals or Flor’s vocals in some songs, the work of this group should not go unnoticed. The first thing that deserves attention is the song Within Temptation Ice Queen, with which, one might say, the promotion of the project began with the broad masses of fans of metal bands with female vocals. However, the group acquired a more familiar sound to the ear of a Nightwish fan later, with the release of the album Silent Force, which many consider the golden era of the group. In 2014, Within Temptation collaborated with former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen on the song Paradise.
After Forever and ReVamp
Two musical projects from the Netherlands are now closely connected with Nightwish. Of course, everyone has already guessed which projects we will talk about below - these are ReVamp and After Forever. Both projects are associated with Nightwish by the name of vocalist Floor Jansen. The closest in sound to our heroes, of course, is Floor Jansen’s first project – After Forever.
Compared to ReVamp, there are much more opportunities for Flor's voice against the backdrop of symphonic arrangements than in the second project, which has a bright progressive metal orientation.Epica
When talking about bands with beautiful female vocals, similar to Nightwish, we cannot ignore Epica, whose creativity was largely inspired by our Finnish heroes. The group was founded by Mark Jansen, who left After Forever. Simone Simons' vocals cannot be compared with the dramatic vocals of Nightwish's first soloist, Tarja Turunen, obviously these are two qualitatively different levels of sound, but this in no way diminishes the professionalism of another band from the Netherlands. Many may notice that, first of all, Epica produces music similar to Nightwish purely due to the combination of soft female vocals and rough male vocals (the duet of Anette and Marco, for example). However, Epica's work is rich in orchestration and frequent use of choirs.
Delain
Another performer similar to Nightwish is Delain, a group that has repeatedly performed as their opening act. It is curious that, as in the case of After Forever, it was founded by a musician from another, widely known group - Martijn Westerholt (keyboardist of Within Temptation). You shouldn't expect a repeat of the old Nightwish era from Delain - this group is close to the work of Nightwish during Anette's period - soft pop vocals against the backdrop of aggressive arrangements, but the music is not very rich in orchestral parts. Many connoisseurs of metal bands with female vocals are well aware that Marco Hietala very often collaborates with this project as a guest musician (vocalist and bassist).
Stream of Passion
Another group similar to Nightwish and at the same time standing among the gothic groups with female vocals is Stream of Passion. Despite the fact that one of the founders of the group, vocalist Marcela Bavio, is Mexican, the project is credited to the Netherlands. Again, as in the cases with previous groups, the discography of this team is a gift for lovers of Anette's soft pop vocals against the backdrop of symphonic arrangements. Compared to many similar bands, Stream of Passion use fairly light, airy orchestrations.
Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian female-fronted bands similar to Nightwish
Tarja Turunen
Suomi has become the birthplace of countless heavy bands like Nightwish with both female and male vocals. The first thing a person looking for something similar should pay attention to is, of course, the solo project of the same name by ex-Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen. For those who miss the old era in the group’s work, this project is the best thing to listen to. Although, some note that without the music of Tuomas Holopainen, this is not the same Tarja. Whether or not to listen to the voice of Nightwish’s first albums is up to you.
Tears of Magdalena
Of the many Finnish female-fronted bands, the ones similar to Nightwish are most closely associated with the famous Tears of Magdalena. The great similarity of the sound of this group with the early Nightwish is explained by the fact that their sound engineer is Tero Kinnunen. Despite the fact that the musicians position themselves as melodic and black metal, the influence of these genres is not great. Listening to their work for the first time, it is difficult to immediately pay attention to growl and other characteristic features of the above-mentioned genres. The music is dominated by atmosphere, rather light melodies and unobtrusive vocals with a characteristic academic quality. However, the vocals are somewhat softer than the well-known Tarja Turunen vocals.
Deathlike Silence
The next Finnish band with female vocals is Deathlike Silence - by and large, these are the next representatives of heavy gothic groups with female vocals, but the musicians themselves call their style gravedigger metal. Despite the rather simple musical component (the group was not seen in large-scale flirtations with orchestrations), Nightwish fans will find Miss Maya’s vocals very interesting - rough and rich, reminiscent of Flor’s powerful vocals in some songs. The song with which the young group debuted became a hit in its homeland.
Dark Sarah
Another interesting project from the point of view of a music lover looking for performers similar to Nightwish was presented by ex-Amberian Down Heidi Parviainen - Dark Sarah. The music of the project has become a little softer, but the vocals have undergone almost no changes - this is another example of symphonic metal from Suomi.
“In the darkest eddies of my mind, I became stronger and angrier and began to change. I worked with my fear and turned into Dark Sarah. I’m not bitter, I’m just bittersweet,” Heidi said about the project.
Amberian Dawn
Of course, the Amberian Dawn project itself, Nightwish’s symphonic power metal brethren, should also be noted as a heavy band with beautiful female vocals. Since its founding in 2006, the team has set a firm course towards this genre, but diluted it with elements of speed metal, which allows them to immediately distinguish these musicians from their famous colleagues. Many listeners emphasize the obvious similarity between Amberian Dawn and Nightwish, however, the musicians themselves deny this. After Heidi left, the band abandoned the use of early Nightwish type vocals. New vocalist Päivi “Karpi” Virkkunen relies on using elements of pop vocals, close to the singing style of Floor Jansen.
Katra
For fans of the Nightwish era with Anette Olzon, it will be interesting to study the discography of the group Katra from Tampere, created in 2006. This group quite easily achieved a global level and participation in some major festivals. It is obvious that the group is similar to Nightwish, but does not use orchestral arrangements as widely as Tuomas Holopainen and the music is in many ways reminiscent of the initial steps of our heroes to the world musical Olympus.
Tacere
Another promising group is Tacere, founded in 2000, which created no less high-quality music like Nightwish than themselves, but at the same time more popularized. The vocal line of the group is built on a combination of strong male vocals and bright female ones. Of course, fans of Floor Jansen will like the female vocals. In the homeland of the group, it is often called similar to Nightwish, but the musicians always claim that they are not students of Tuomas’ team and are inspired by the work of other groups.
Skyward
Another team of young people inspired by the success of Nightwish is Skyward, founded in 2000. The work of this band is very similar to the early work of Nightwish and in some places the sound and melodies of the songs are strongly reminiscent of some of the flagship songs of the Finnish symphonic metal scene. However, the fate of these musicians was not so merciful - there is no information about the prospects of the group, or at least about whether it continues to exist today.
Tristania
Norway, neighboring Suomi, has no less, and maybe even more heavy bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish. It is probably now difficult to find a person who listens to rock (metal) with female vocals and knows nothing about Tristania. The band sounds a little heavier than Nightwish, mainly due to guitar riffs and male vocals in the style of Beauty and the Beast. However, the main feature of this project has always been the unusually strong female academic vocals. In addition to those who like bands like Nightwish, Tristania will also appeal to fans of goth bands with female vocals. However, in the latest works of the group, a departure from the canons of using academic vocals in metal and a transition to a more pop sound is clearly visible.
Sirenia
Another group from Norway is Sirenia, founded by Morten Veland, who left the previous group, in 2001. Among bands similar to Nightwish, this project ranks as a project that places great emphasis on the complexity of the music and the abundant use of choirs. Here female vocals are also combined with male ones, but there is much less extreme vocals in Sirenia. The female vocals are difficult to attribute to any era of Nightwish. Most likely, this is some mixture of the vocals of Anette and Flor (we won’t argue, perhaps the author of this opus suffers from some deafness). It is curious that all the group's albums were recorded with different vocalists. Morten himself believes that:
“... If I had to compare with other bands, I would mention, for example, Nightwish or Within Temptation, the music of these groups contains elements characteristic of Sirenia...”
Theater of Tragedy
Theater of Tragedy is perhaps one of the least similar bands to Nightwish. Only some of the group's songs contain elements characteristic of the Finnish band's sound. Theater of Tragedy have tried many styles throughout their development, from doom metal to EMB.
Leaves Eyes
After her dismissal from Theater of Tragedy, Liv Kristin began working with the group Leaves Eyes. Unlike the previous project, this one is lighter and the content of the songs is very similar to early Nightwish. The music is full of guitar sound. Liv Kristin's vocals will appeal to fans of Anette Olzon's vocals due to its timbre, but Liv uses elements of academic vocals. The band's music also contains male growling.
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Kivimetsaen Druidi
For those looking for a female-fronted heavy band similar to late Nightwish, but with vocals reminiscent of Tarja Turunen, Kivimetsaen Druidi will be of interest. In 2002, the music of this group appeared, which is a mixture of symphonic and folk. Many people list this group as a folk group with female vocals. The team makes extensive use of male growls against the backdrop of clean female vocals. If some of Nightwish's songs had fewer orchestral parts, they would sound exactly like Kivimetsaen Druidi.
Kari Rueslatten
Singer Kari Rueslatten may appeal to those who are looking for music similar to what can be heard on the first Nightwish demo and the Angel Falls First album, but with the addition that it is all sung by pop vocals. It should be noted that Tuomas Holopainen, when creating his group, considered the idea of using vocals similar to those of the Norwegian singer. Later, he collaborated with the singer, an example of a recent creative union was this video.
Draconian
Swedish musicians, among rock (metal) groups with female vocals, similar to Nightwish, are represented by a whole legion. It is headed, of course, by Draconian. Beginning in 1994 as a doom-death metal project, the band moved towards gothic doom metal, but their music still contains much of the lightness and melody that characterized early Nightwish. The team uses soft female pop vocals and extreme male vocals.
Beseech
Another musicians worth talking about are Beseech. Of course, they, like many bands similar to Nightwish, are gothic. The symphonic sound of this group is almost never used, but the winning duo of vocalists is Eric Molarin and Lotte Hoglin, however, this duet is not like what Nightwish fans are familiar with - here the male vocals are more like the work of The 69 Eyes. If our heroes started with Anette as a vocalist, their music could well sound like this.
Angtoria
The Angtoria project is a very prominent representative of symphonic metal and is one of perhaps the best groups with female vocals. Despite the fact that the famous Englishwoman Sarah Jazabel Deva, known for Therion, Crandle of Filth and others, is participating in it, the group is usually classified as Swedish. The group is one of the groups with very beautiful female vocals, extensive use of choirs, but its music is much darker and heavier than the music of Nightwish as a whole.
Spanish and Italian rock (metal) bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish
Forever Slave
In hot Spain, for some reason, the list of groups with female vocals similar to Nightwish is very short. Perhaps its only worthy participant is Forever Slave, founded in 2000. The band's work is very reminiscent of early Nightwish, although the vocalist, Lady Angellyca, has a much higher voice than Tarja Turunen, and the music contains electronic elements and an energetic, hard and slightly flat sound, typical of American rock bands with female vocals. The band quite actively uses male growls. It is curious that Lady Angellyca auditioned for the position of Nightwish vocalist in 2005.Diabulus in Musica
The band Diabulus In Musica, which began its ascent to the Olympus of symphonic metal with female vocals in 2006, is similar in many elements to Nightwish. However, the band did not linger within the framework of only symphonic metal, and began to widely use elements of gothic metal and some other similar genres. The band's lyrics are close to those of early Nightwish, and the vocals are unusually bright and academic. In addition, the group is run by many specialists who work with recognized leaders in the field.Against Myself
Another band similar to Nightwish from the birthplace of bullfighting is Against Myself. This team is one of those who still have a long way to go to fully develop. The musicians use elements characteristic of their successful colleagues from Suomi, mixing them with a slightly alternative sound, which may allow them to be classified as an alternative group with female vocals, but the vocals in the spirit of Anette Olzon seem too weak.Niobeth
An interesting one is the Nightwish-like band Niobeth, founded in 2004. Vocalist Itea Benedicto has such a beautiful soprano voice that the group can claim a place on the list of the best groups with beautiful female vocals. The music of this team itself is rich, like the musicians from Suomi, with powerful guitar riffs and large-scale orchestral inclusions. Like any music like Nightwish, it contains elements of gothic, power, and folk. According to the authors of this opus, these are some of the performers similar to Nightwish who retain their originality and at the same time can please a fan of the Finnish flashman. Italy, like its hot neighbor, also made a significant contribution to the development of rock (metal) bands with female vocals. On the Iberian Peninsula you can find a huge number of different heavy, alternative, punk, folk and other bands that can be included in the list of the best bands with female vocals. However, this large list also includes performers similar to Nightwish.Beholder
The creativity of the Beholder group is similar to Nightwish from the period of their formation - bright guitar and keyboard parts that abound in the first albums of the team from Suomi. The group uses pop female vocals, and the male vocals are reminiscent of Tony Kakko's vocals in duets that Nightwish have. The group was founded in 1998, but did not achieve serious success.Godyva
Another project in which you can see something like Nightwish is the group Godyva, which appeared on the scene in 2000. The vocals combine elements of pop and academic vocals and are somewhere between the vocals of Anette and Flor. The music is quite typical for bands that have not achieved perfection in orchestration and therefore focus on guitar sound and bright drums. Sometimes in the group’s work you can find the use of their native language.Teodasia
Perhaps the lightest band similar to Nightwish is Teodasia, formed in 2006 and already opening for Tarja Turunen. Despite its lightness of sound, this group has beautiful female vocals, combining pop and academic schools. Characteristic of the group's music is the extensive use of piano and acoustic instruments.Mandragora Scream
One of the groups that took some features of the Finnish sound into their music is Mandragora Scream, created in 1997 by vocalist Morgan Lacroix. This group has never played complex songs rich in symphonic sound, but the themes of many of the lyrics are close to those of Nightwish. They, like our heroes, are classified by some as gothic groups with female vocals. Compared to other female-fronted bands on the list, Mandragora Scream stand out due to the unusual timbre of their vocalist.Theaters des Vampires
Another group from Italy is the notorious Theaters des Vampires with their outrageous vocalist Sonia Scarlett. Currently, the group belongs to the list of gothic metal bands with female vocals, but in the period from 1994 to 2004, the musicians actively used elements of symphonic metal in their music. The group has always stood out for its original vocals and the image of the vocalist.Lacuna Coil
Another group from the Iberian Peninsula - Lacuna Coil, firmly included in the list of alternative groups with female vocals, will appeal to those who liked some of Tuomas Holopainen's experiments with alternative in Nightwish's discography. All the work of the Lacuna Coil group is very similar to Nightwish in the style of experiments from the album Dark Passion Play.- Topping the list of French bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish, is a team that can equally be classified as French or Russian - Markize. The musicians are French, but the group’s founder, songwriter and vocalist is Russian - Alina Dunaevskaya, not just the namesake of the famous composer, but his daughter. The sound of the group is the soft Nightwish of the time they worked with Anette. The guitars lean more toward the classic metal sound, but there are a lot of other elements that for a while make you believe that it’s 2007 and Anette is singing in French. Markize has every chance of one day being ranked among the best female-fronted bands, given the very favorable opinion of Western critics of Alina's work and participation as an opening act on a tour with Tarja Turunen.
Kerion
Another project from France, but much more experienced, is Kerion, which dates back to 2004. This female-fronted French band is very similar to Nightwish, not only in its overall sound, but also in its use of the typical power-metal themes that dominated the Finnish band's early albums. The music contains elements of symphonic sound, but they do not cover the keyboard parts and guitars. Vocalist Flora primarily uses pop vocals, but serious vocal training is noticeable in that she sometimes resorts to more complex singing techniques, including academic elements.Wildpath
Much of the Finnish band's success appears to have been inspired by the founders of Wildpath, a French female-fronted group similar to Nightwish. This is another group that decided to choose the style of early Nightwish for their creativity. However, the vocals do not perfectly match the early sound of our heroes - the vocalist has a higher voice and the dramatic chest depth of Tarja's vocals is impossible to hear, despite the academic style of sound production.Hamka
Another group whose work is similar to Nightwish is Hamka, who found themselves in the vastness of power-metal. The group's creativity will appeal to those who prefer Nightwish to the last two lineups. The voice of vocalist Eliza mixed the characteristic vocal features of Anette and Flor, from whom the girl took the charismatic presentation of the material. The group's music is typical of its style, made with almost no deviation from the canons and serious experiments in the search for an original sound. - Despite the fact that when most music lovers mention metal bands from Switzerland, the first thing that comes to mind for most music lovers is the classic gothic metal band with rare use of female vocals Lacrimosa with Tilo Wolff and Anne Nurmi, there are many groups with female vocals similar to Nightwish in the country of banks and cheeses.
Legenda Aurea
First on their list is Legenda Aurea, created in 2005 and, like many, aimed at repeating the success of Nightwish. There is no need to say much about them; it is enough to hear once an almost perfect fit into music like Nightwish.Lunatica
A godsend for fans of Anette's vocals will be the band Lunatica, which plays symphonic power metal and is certainly related to groups like Nightwish. Of course, the team does not resort to large-scale orchestral arrangements, but the symphonic sound is expressed very clearly against the backdrop of rather aggressive guitars. Andrea Detwiler's vocals are very similar to Anette's, especially in energetic songs, but in ballads the similarity is lost.Dysrider
The group, similar to the late Nightwish with a very memorable vocal part, built on the contract of female soft academy and male growl - Dysrider, appeared in 2014. Of course, young musicians do not use orchestral sound as widely as their colleagues from Suomi, but the vocal combination of the voices of Flor and Anette turned out to be very successful. Metal bands with female vocals from England, Belgium, Poland, Hungary and other European countries, similar to Nightwish
Of course, the whole world knows Sarah Brightman as a great singer with unique academic vocals. Fans of Nightwish know how much they once wanted to have vocals like Sarah Brightman Tarja Turunen, but the work of this English singer cannot be classified as music similar to Naywish.
Season's End
For the reason mentioned above, the first in the list of metal bands with female vocals from Foggy Albion will be the Season's End team, created in 1998. The basis of the group's sound is a combination of pleasant female vocals with elements of academic and smooth male vocals. The group is quite typical in its sound for all bands trying to stay on the wave of symphonic metal.However, their sound is devoid of excessive pomposity and will appeal to those who prefer Nightwish without the strong addition of an orchestral sound.
Autumn
In the list of metal bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish, there were also those who were older than them. Such an example was the group from Belgium Autumn, formed in 1995. This team became the first sign of a genre that was gaining popularity. Despite the large number of elements borrowed from alternative groups with female vocals, the sound of these old-timers of the scene will appeal to the ears of fans of the Anette era in Nightwish, especially since experiments with a similar sound took place in the work of Tuomas Holopainen.
Amadea
Hungary is not rich in bands similar to Nightwish, but a metal band with female vocals has appeared in its vastness, which can return Nightwish lovers to the roots, back to the distant 19996. The music and sound of the Amadea project are so similar to what the Finnish musicians started their journey with that this group has no doubt about its right to a place on the playlist. Her position is also strengthened by truly academic vocals - Agnes is the owner of 4 octaves. Unfortunately, the group was unable to continue their musical career and their discography was limited to a single and a demo.
Delight
Polish band Delight - at first glance more similar to Lacuna Coil than Nightwish, and belongs to the alternative group with female vocals, but after listening to a few songs it becomes clear that the musicians use many of the elements that made the Finns so popular. Like the first Nightwish, Delight places a great emphasis on the powerful sound of guitars, many riffs are reminiscent of Emppu's work. The voice of the vocalist, Paulina, will appeal to those who choose Nightwish without academic vocals, but with enormous power and charisma, like Flor. What is pleasantly surprising in the work of this team is the unobtrusive use of male vocals.
At the Lake
Poland also added the At the Lake team, founded in 2005, to the list of groups with female vocals, similar to Nightwish. The work of this group will appeal to fans of late Nightwish and Tuomas' experiments with folk sounds. Many classify this group as a folk group with female vocals. The team actively uses acoustic string instruments, while turning to full-fledged symphonic arrangements. Many elements of the guitar's sound are reminiscent of early Nightwish with their clean, bright sound. Milena Kluz's vocals are typical for this genre of music, although it could remind Nightwish fans of the way Anette sang if she started using elements of academic vocals.
Magica
Small and mysterious Romania gave the world the Magica project, a group playing music similar to Nightwish with Anette Olzon. Magica vocalist Ana Mladinovic uses pop vocals, however, they do not sound as gentle as Olzon's vocals sometimes sounded. The band's music is more similar to early Nightwish - they have almost no large-scale attraction of symphonic sound.
Moondive
A project that has never hidden the fact that it is inspired by the work of Nightwish is Moondive - from Serbia, created in 2001. The music of this group is similar to raw Nightwish, listening to them, you don’t leave the feeling that you are listening to a demo recording of a Finnish group with a vocalist similar to Tarja, only with less depth of voice.
Innocens
The small Czech Republic, which is in many ways related to us, also made its mark on the list of countries that have groups with female vocals, similar to Nightwish. Innocens is Nightwish, but with more electronics. The combination of electronics and symphonic arrangements turns out to be very successful and not at all repulsive. Light metal has the right to life! Katerina’s vocals are unusually beautiful, gentle, but at the same time strong, reminiscent of Anette’s best work as part of the group.
Wishmasters
The second group from the Czech Republic, related to performers similar to Nightwish, is Wishmasters. The very name of the team suggests that in their work one can find a large number of references to the works of Tuomas Holopainen. So far the only album of this group, it is a distillation of the most recognizable elements of Nightwish. However, despite many similarities, there is also a striking difference - in addition to Iveta’s vocals, quite ordinary male vocals sound, without the use of extreme vocal techniques.
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In the CIS countries, attempts by many young and not so young musicians to create music like Nightwish from different eras are very common. The list of Russian groups with female vocals similar to Nightwish is huge, but only a few of this list managed to leave any noticeable mark or survive to this day in active status.
The Aerium
One of the notable positions in the list of metal bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish, is occupied by The Aerium, founded in 1999. They were not the most original and did not reinvent the wheel when there was already a ready-made concept for success - heavy music and female academic vocals. Of course, all the musicians spiced it up with an orchestral sound. Veronica, the group's vocalist, had previously sung classical works, showing all the beauty of her coloratura soprano. If the music had been a little more energetic, one could say with complete confidence - “This is Nightwish in Russian.”
AnDem
However, by far the most famous group in Russian rock with female vocals, similar to Nightwish, is AnDem. The work of this group can be safely described as Russian symphonic metal with academic vocals. The serious preparation of the vocalist, Juliana, immediately made the group one of the most worthy participants in the annual Nightwish tributes. AnDem's music is rich in sound elements familiar to the Finnish listener's ear - symphonic inserts, sounds of nature. The themes of the lyrics are similar to those of Tuomas's early lyrics. The most interesting album in the group’s discography is “Daughter of Moonlight.” It is very difficult to imagine a list of musical groups with female vocals without this team. Today, the group has slightly changed its composition and now has two vocalists with bright vocal abilities.
Emerald Mind
Along with AnDem, the brightest group similar to Nightwish is Emerald Mind, which does not hide the conservatory education of the vocalist, Svetlana, who has a lyric soprano. This band will appeal to everyone who appreciates canonical symphonic metal with academic vocals. The team does not overload their creativity with orchestral arrangements, leaving plenty of room for guitar sound.
Alkonost
In the list of some of the best groups with female vocals, similar to Nightwish from Russia, one cannot fail to mention the Alkonost team from Tatarstan, founded a year earlier than the Finnish team. This project is characterized by vocals with academic elements, with a serious bias in the group's sound towards folk with female vocals. If we briefly describe Alkonost’s music, we can say something similar to: “This is Nightwish with Tarja’s vocals, but with folk motifs that appeared in the band’s later work.” Those who prefer compositions from the Finnish group that are not loaded with orchestral sound, but built on a beautiful vocal line and the use of national instruments, should take a closer look at this group.
ArtMania
Another Russian group with female vocals, a follower of the famous Finnish team, was the St. Petersburg group ArtMania, created in 2006. The lyrics of the project are quite characteristic of the power-metal direction, the overall sound is very simplified compared to Nightwish, but the similarity of the sound of this artist is achieved through the vocals. Some of Olga’s intonations are very close to the intonations that Anette’s fans loved so much, which the Swede used to perform energetic and aggressive compositions.
Sanctorium
Another Russian group with female vocals, a group from the Northern capital, similar to Nightwish, is Sanctorium. The project was founded in 2005, however, it chose two directions for its activities - the team can be classified as both gothic groups with female vocals and power groups with female vocals. The deep masculine growl and some characteristic musical elements were taken from gothic; from power, many of the usual melodies and the general mood of the compositions were taken. The female vocals were recorded in an academic style by Daria Zhukova; in 2014, the group released its first album.
Luna Aeterna
Another group inspired to create their music by the combination of beautiful female vocals and heavy music is Luna Aeterna, created in 2001. For those who miss the first lineup of Nightwish, the discography of this group will be a real gift.
Dark Princess
One of the most famous Russian rock bands with female vocals is Dark Princess. This project began in 2004 and incorporated many elements of the sound of various groups, including motifs similar to the music of Nightwish. After Olga Romanova left, the group continued to exist without changing the style and general outline of the sound. However, the project still relates more to alternative groups with female vocals.
American rock (metal) bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish
Evanescence
Of course, this list of female-fronted bands is topped by Evanescence, founded in 1996 and led by longtime vocalist Amy Lee all along. The band began to experience its heyday with the release of the album Fallen. Of course, classifying this group as a group similar to Nightwish is quite a stretch; nevertheless, Amy Lee allowed herself in her music to lead the group either to an alternative group or to folk with female vocals. But, if you remember the famous book Nightwish, you can find lines that American labels really wanted to get a team from Suomi and persuade them to play something similar to Amy Lee’s music. In the work of the American team it is difficult to find widespread use of orchestral sound and other elements inherent in the music of the heroes of this site. The ballad Evanescence My Immortal will definitely appeal to those who love ballads performed by Anette Olzon.
Aesma Daeva
A more similar American group with female vocals to Nightwish is Aesma Daeva, founded in 1998. Vocals by Laurie Lewis, previously seen in Therion, are soprano. In almost all the songs in the group's discography one can hear a characteristic academic sound. However, the depth of sound that distinguished the Tarja Turunen is completely different here and the sound turns out to be less velvety. The band uses growl, which is more typical of gothic bands with female vocals. You shouldn't expect a rich orchestral sound from the project's music.
Echoterra
Another American metal band with female vocals, similar to Nightwish and promoting symphonic power metal, is Echoterra, founded in 2007. This team, compared to the others named, is closest to our heroes. Their music contains many elements that are well known to Nightwish listeners, but still, the music is a little lighter and would be more suitable for the sound of Vision of Atlantis. Now the vocalist position is occupied by Melissa Ferlaak, who has academic vocals and previously worked with Aesma Daeva.
Todesbonden
In many ways, the group Todesbonden, which appeared in 2003, is similar to modern Nightwish, whose music is a mixture of all possible styles, but symphonic sound and folk prevail. Sometimes you can even hear obvious oriental motifs. The work of Todesbonden is an example of the fact that experiments with music can give a completely unique and wonderful result, framed by academic vocals.
Trillium
For fans of Flor's vocals, the American group with female vocals Trillium, Amanda Somerville, will be interesting. The music is quite rough and not heavily decorated with the lace of a symphonic sound, but no other frame is required for Amanda's vocals.
Latin American rock (metal) bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish
As you know, the passionate nature of Latin Americans almost immediately fell in love with Nightwish, and then the solo work of Tarja Turunen, so it should not be surprising that Latin America has on its list of the best rock (metal) bands with female vocals a whole galaxy of performers playing music like Nightwish.
Venin Noir
One of the best female fronted bands on the list is Venin Noir - similar to early Nightwish. When listening to the work of this team from Brazil, the atmosphere of Angels Falls First never ceases to come to mind - the deep sound of music with pronounced keyboards and guitars and dramatic spacious vocals. At the same time, as if on purpose, the male vocals are surprisingly weak and create a striking contrast with the female ones. I just want to say: “Welcome to the origins!”
Escapist
Another group similar to Nightwish and clearly inspired by their work is Escapist from Argentina, founded in 2004. The very name of the group suggests to Nightwish fans that they will find something to their liking in the discography. Indeed, the sound of this metal band with female vocals is close to the sound of the Finnish band from the period 1996-2000. Luciana's vocals are similar to Tarja's, even the timbre of the vocalists is similar to many. I would like to note, in anticipation of meeting this group of readers: “The cosplay turned out to be very successful.”
Nostra Morte
Another place in the list of the best metal bands with female vocals from Latin America is occupied by Nostra Morte, created in 2006 in the Mexican city of Nayarit. The project is primarily classified as a gothic group with clear, beautiful operatic female vocals and male growling. The lyrics of Nostra Morte mainly talk about pain, love, some are based on literary works.
Fortaleza
Another group from Mexico is Fortaleza, which firmly occupies a place in the list of metal bands with female vocals, similar to Nightwish. This project differs from the previous one in that it is Latin American Nightwish from the Anette Olzon era. You shouldn't expect academic vocal passages from Fortaleza - the work of this group contains the tenderness of the Swedish siren's vocals. It is noteworthy that the team makes extensive use of the sound of the violin and even has a full-time violinist in the group.
Anabantha
Speaking of Mexican bands, we cannot say about Anabantha, whose discography looks much more significant than that of Nightwish. This project has every chance of appealing to those who are looking for a group with female vocals to add to their list of favorites, a project similar to Nightwish that would be reminiscent of the times of Anette Olzon. The band's sound is quite typical for their chosen genre, but at the same time it retains some roughness, as if the recording had not yet been made in its final form. A characteristic feature is the use of national musical instruments in some songs and Maria’s singing style, which is a bit reminiscent of folk groups with female vocals. It should be noted that Anabantha is especially good at ballads. The group was founded in 1997.
Rock (metal) bands with female vocals from Australia, similar to Nightwish
Enter Twillight
The Enter Twilight group was founded in 2002 and is certainly similar to Nightwish; it is distinguished by beautiful female academic vocals. The timbre of vocalist Lydia is close to that of Anette. The group is not very keen on symphonic arrangements, gravitating towards gothic in sound, but still, the guitar parts and the general mood of the melody are closer to Nightwish than to any gothic groups with female vocals.
Rock, it’s not a woman’s business. But to any rule, there are exceptions!
1.Heart
An American-Canadian rock band formed in 1974 in Seattle (but a year later moved to Vancouver, where they recorded their first album) and are still active. The composition of the group has undergone many changes during its existence, but sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson remain permanent members of the group. The group gained widespread fame in the 1970s, playing music that mixed hard rock in the style of bands such as Led Zeppelin and American folk. In the mid-1980s, the group changed its musical style. The focus was on power ballads, where the sound of the guitars was minimal or absent altogether. The most famous hits of the mid-1980s were “These Dreams”, “Alone”, “What about Love”, etc. In the 1990s, Heart began to lose popularity, albums were recorded less and less often. However, the band's live performances with a repertoire of songs from the 1970s and 80s. are still in demand.
2.Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
American rock band of the 1980s led by Joan Jett.
According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website, "Joan Jett and the Blackhearts created a powerful blend of hard rock, glam, punk, metal and garage rock that sounds fresh and relevant in any era. Recording covers of songs from all corners of rock - catalog - from Gary Glitter to Tommy James to Sly and the Family Stone - the band effortlessly broke down barriers between genres and eras."
3.The Cranberries
Irish rock band formed in 1989 and achieved worldwide fame in the 1990s. Bright and strong vocals of Dolores O'Riordan, melodic rock with light national influences, "open" guitar drive, heartfelt lyrics (songs about unhappy and happy love, songs on serious topics such as ethnic conflicts, drugs, environmental problems, child abuse, greed, cruelty of people, envy, lies, family, death). According to one music observer, The Cranberries are a unique combination of agonizing love songs, menacing denunciations and beautiful melodies.
4.Janis Joplin
American rock singer who performed first with Big Brother and the Holding Company, then with the Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie Band. Joplin, who released only four studio albums (one of which was a posthumous release), is considered the best white blues singer and one of the greatest vocalists in the history of rock music.
5.Stevie Nicks
American singer and songwriter, best known as the face and voice of Fleetwood Mac, a British-American group that has seen many ups and downs since its inception in July 1967, updated its lineup several times and changed the style of music performed, thanks to which it was able to maintain popularity longer than the vast majority of competitors - right up to the very end of the 20th century.
6.Debbie Harry
American singer and actress, songwriter, leader of the new-wave group Blondie. With her two-toned bleached hair, Harry quickly became a punk icon. Her revolutionary era look was popularized in video clips. She became a frequent visitor to the Studio 54 club. In June 1979, the group appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. Deborah herself, combining cold sexuality and street style, connected herself so tightly with the name of the group that many came to the conclusion that Blondie is not the name of the group, but the name of the singer.
7.Patti Smith
American singer and poet. Patti Smith is commonly called the “godmother of punk rock,” thanks in part to her debut album, Horses, which played a significant role in the formation of the genre. Smith took her first steps in music in the 70s on the stage of the New York club CBGB, along with other new wave musicians. Patti Smith's most famous song, "Because the Night", was co-written by Bruce Springsteen and peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100.
8.Grace Slick
American rock singer and songwriter who began her musical career with the group The Great Society and later gained fame as the vocalist of Jefferson Airplane. Slick, one of the most prominent figures in the psychedelic scene of the late 1960s, was noted as a strong, skilled vocalist and author of interesting texts.
9.Shirley Manson
Scottish singer and actress, vocalist of the rock band Garbage. Shirley Manson became known for her charismatic, rebellious character and unusual contralto vocals. After seeing Manson in Angelfish's "Suffocate Me" video on MTV, the Garbage musicians invited her to record as a vocalist. After Garbage took a creative break after four successful studio albums, a greatest hits collection and over 14 million records sold, Manson began recording an unreleased solo album. Shirley Manson also starred in the TV series Terminator: Battle for the Future as Catherine Weaver. In 2010, Garbage resumed activity and Manson returned to the group.
10.Yanka Diaghileva
Rock singer, poetess, songwriter, member of the punk rock groups “Civil Defense”, “Great Octobers”, etc. One of the most prominent representatives of the Siberian underground of the late 1980s. With the assistance of Yegor Letov, she began giving concerts, mainly apartments, where she performed her songs with a guitar. Diaghileva quickly gained fame and respect in the Soviet rock underground. Again, with the assistance of Letov, unauthorized Yankee albums were published.
During her lifetime, Yanka was virtually unnoticed by the official media. She really didn’t like giving interviews, rejected Melodiya’s offer to release a disc, television did not shoot video materials about Yanka. She died in May 1991 under circumstances that were not fully clarified, the official conclusion of the investigation was drowning as a result of an accident.
