Meet The Female Artists Dominating Heavy Music Right Now

Reliqa at #99 with ‘The Bearer Of Bad News’

Fronted by vocalist Monique Pym, her vocal runs will have you hooked within the first 30 seconds of this track. Monique a very unique vocal style & we can’t wait to see heaps more of this band and this woman in 2022.

Terra at #92 with ‘Arrows’

Cassie Jade came out swinging on this track. After just releasing their EP ‘Reverie’ & announcing headline shows in Sydney & Melbourne, it was an honour to have this track in our countdown as their next stepping stone to greatness. Cassie sings heavy themes over a roaring pop-punk track that you just have to sing along too.

Miley Cyrus at #80 with Metallica cover of ‘Nothing Else Matters’

Miley has held her own as a prominent woman in the music industry for over 15 years now. To have her in the countdown might not have been what we would ever expect but one listen to this cover & you understand why. Her voice is phenomenal and her presence in the hardest 100 is amazing.

The Last Martyr at #79 with ‘Hindsight’ 

Monica Strut has confidence oozing out of her & this track belongs on every countdown. The Melbourne band are asserting their dominance in the heavy scene. We cannot wait to catch them smash Unify Forever this weekend.

Avril Lavigne at #75 with ‘Bite Me’

I don’t think anyone is mad about Avril’s comeback into the pop-punk world. This track is punchy, Avril’s vocals are as good as they have ever been and this track symbolises how huge her latest record is. It might seem like a curveball for the hardest 100 but I ain’t mad about it.

Saviour at #66 with ‘Reshape Me’

Shontay Snow has such a unique voice that enhances every Saviour track with a spooky & vintage kind of feel. This song is just the first taste of their upcoming album ‘Shine & Fade’. I could listen to Shontay sing all damn day. Hoping to see her voice many times on next year's countdown & every single one after that!

To Octavia at #59 with ‘The Sound Of Rain’

Guitarist Molly Congreve is a force to be reckoned with. Her talent is outrageous & I love watching her dominate track after track with this band. Another band about to play Unify Forever this weekend, they are an ABSOLUTE must see. I stand by what I said during the countdown, this band is one of the most exciting up and coming acts in our scene. Molly is a huge part of that.

Yours Truly at #34 with ‘Walk Over My Grave’

Mikaila Delgado is working her way to icon status one banger at a time. When chatting to The Faction about this release for the countdown, she was so stoked that their heaviest song made it so high. The band were caught off guard by this high placement but I am not surprised in the slightest. If you don’t already stan Mikaila & Yours Truly then you’re doing it wrong.

Redhook at #24 for ‘Bad Decisions’ & #60 for ‘Kamikaze’

Emmy Mack is absolutely DOMINATING. The Redhook frontwoman is also a triple j host & we were so stoked to have her DJ our Sydney Hardest 100 event at Crowbar. They’re the first act with two tracks in the countdown. Bad Decisions is so heckin catchy it’ll be stuck in your head for hours after hearing it & we can’t wait to see where Emmy smashes it next!

Seiran at #19 for Dismember and #17 for The Void

Damn, what a cracking performance on The Void on the tubs for Catherine Xi, drummer for Seiran, who took out #17 and #19 on The Faction's Hardest 100 of 2021.  I expect we will see her on the big stage at Unify or Good Things Festival some day pretty soon.

Stand Atlantic with #11 for ‘Deathwish’ & #78 for ‘Molotov’

Bonnie Fraser, WHAT A WOMAN. This band have catapulted to the top so fast & Bonnie’s conviction as a female lead is absolutely inspiring. With their new album ‘FEAR’ just around the corner, I can imagine next year’s countdown will be FULL of Bon’s voice. They have tour after tour-ready & you will want to see them sooner rather than later to experience this dynamite chick & her DYNAMITE energy.

Spiritbox with #4 for ‘Circle With Me’, #15 for ‘Yellowjacket’, #27 for ‘Secret Garden’ & #45 for ‘Hurt You’

4 SONGS from the Canadian group fronted by our metal queen, Courtney La Plante. However, she made the countdown 6 times featuring on #53 with Erra on their track 'Vanish Canvas' & our #1, Make Them Suffer's 'Contraband'. Courtney's ability to switch so seamlessly from guttural screams to angelic vocals is dominating the heavy music world. There is so much hype for this band it's overwhelming. But it’s all for good reason. Courtney is no stranger to the world of heavy music but Spiritbox are in a league of their own. 2021 saw their debut album ‘Eternal Blue’ take the band to new heights. The record will have you head-banging one minute and cry-singing the next. Courtney is utterly captivating & completely unmatched right now. Watch live videos of the band if you haven’t already to see how well she translates live. Truly, a phenomenal woman.

Make Them Suffer with #1 for ‘Contraband’

Although recently departed from the band, pianist & clean vocalist, Booka Nile absolutely owns this track. Contraband is so brutally heavy (in the best way), that the melodic chorus from Booka is exactly what you need to bring you back down to earth when Sean & feature artist Courtney lift you up from their screams. Her keys are dominant from the get-go and this track is just such a ripper tune. Booka’s future in the heavy world may be unknown but her legacy from this track alone will never be forgotten. If you love Booka’s voice as much as I do, her band Internet Friends have new music on the way & this woman is a force to be reckoned with.

As a woman in the heavy music industry, I would like to thank every woman on the countdown for her musical contributions. I have looked up to all of you & more for as long as I can remember & what currently may only be 17% of the tracks, will continue to grow as the years go on, I know it.

Unify Forever is this weekend & 2022 will see the most gender diverse line-up the festival has ever had. Check out the full line-up & get final tickets here.

The theme for 2022’s International Women's Day is ‘Break The Bias’. Read more about it on the official IWD website here.

To honour International Women's Day, this Tuesday 8th March, The Faction Radio will only play songs by bands containing women to #breakthebias