Credit: Steve Ladanyi/Yell! Magazine

Just as we did for Black History Month in February with our article 11 Blacks Who Kill It in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock, we’re honoring women during Women’s History Month with our tribute to 11 Women in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who Matter.

One thing was certain when we set out to make this list: we didn’t want any label-produced, cotton-candy, pink-bunny-rabbit women in heavy metal. Yes, we’re talking to you, Black Veil Brides (oh, wait, you’re dudes). We wanted real modern women who take their craft seriously, who are influencing other young women, and who are making an impact on the metal scene.

It’s truly amazing to see how far women in heavy metal – hell, in music in general – have come since the days of Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Joan Jett, Vixen or Lita Ford. All of them are talented, but most assuredly exceptions to the conventions of their time. Truth be told, labels wanted hot chicks so that albums would sell. Just look what became of Heart when their label told Ann Wilson to lose weight. Perhaps due to the advent of the Internet and the digital era, women in heavy metal have more options to get heard than ever before.

Here is Yell! Magazine’s 11 Women in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who Matter:

No.11 Krysta Cameron

Iwrestledabearonce

Kicking the list off is Krysta Cameron of Iwrestledabearonce. The band is spastic, fast, heavy, creative, interesting, diverse, technical, chaotic, regulated, and led by Krysta Cameron on vocals. Her vocals masterfully range from death growls to metalcore screams to straight, Lisa Loeb-ish tones, but shush on that last point, since Krysta is actually influenced by Bjork, which you can hear as well.

If you’re one to judge looks, Iwrestledabearonce might at first appear to be some hipsters trying to be “ironic”; however, they’re just a bunch of nerds with too much talent having some fun, the kind of fun in which they interrupt a song to play the Inspector Gadget theme song.

Formed in 2007, Iwrestledabearonce has a self-titled EP (2007), and two albums on Century Media: It’s All Happening (2009) and Ruining it for Everyone (2011). Initially from Louisiana, the band now calls Alabama their home and has a big world to conquer. Let’s all give ‘em a big bear hug and wish ‘em well.

Stick around. We’ve barely begun this list of women in heavy metal and hard rock who matter…