by No.9 Byron Davis – God Forbid
Byron Davis is a menacing beast of a vocalist. While there are other black men in God Forbid who deliver powerful metal, it’s Davis’ vocals that engage you. Formed in 1996, in New Jersey, God Forbid has five studio albums under its belt, with a sixth on the way in 2012. The band has also participated in a number of festivals, including Ozzfest and Mayhem. Listen and see; this is truly an underrated metal act.
No.8 Alexis Brown – Straight Line Stitch
Welcome to our only black female on the list. Formed in 2000, Alexis Brown joined in 2003, and has been with the band and its rising success since. Combining vocals that range from clean to guttural metalcore growls, Alexis Brown has a phenomenal voice in both respects. But where does the power in her vocals come from? She’s so small!
With the growing prevalence of women in metal it’s refreshing to see a black woman fronting a band.
No.7 Derrick Green – Sepultura
Derrick Green had no easy shoes to fill when he joined Sepultura in 1998. First, it’s tough to replace the founding and legendary vocalist, Max Cavelera. Second, Derrick is from Ohio, not Brazil. And the critics weren’t easy on him; it took years for him to find his footing in the band and for the world to accept him as the new frontman of Sepultura. Lost, however, was some of the earlier themes of revolution and oppression, recently replaced by inspiration from Dante’s The Divine Comedy and A Clockwork Orange.
Prior to joining Sepultura, Derrick Green meandered about in a couple different bands, most notably, Outface.
We hope you don’t get into a rage about what’s coming up…
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