Traditionally, on March 8th – International Women’s Day, I once again invite you to pay special attention to ten black metal bands led by fascinating women and in one way or another leaving their mark on the black metal scene. You can recall the first part of the special series HERE.

1.PYRA 
PYRA is an emerging Italian black/death metal band, led by the powerful charge of Lorenza De Rossi and Irene Brazzolotto. Their self-titled debut EP was released in 2022 via Immortal Frost Productions, and their debut full-length album “Those Who Dwell in the Fire” recently captivated the senses of avid fans of the underground scene (read the review of their album  HERE).

2.NordWitch
NordWitch is a Ukrainian black/death metal band from Ukraine, formed in early 2015 with members Maksym Senchilo (bass), Maksym Vityuk (guitars), Leonid Dementiev (guitars), Maria Dementieva (vocals) and Donets Stepan (drums). In 2016, the band released their debut full-length album “Mørk profeti” through the Satanath Records and Darzamadicus Records labels. Shortly after, the musicians gradually fell into complete silence, and since 2021 there has been almost no news about NordWitch. As far as I know, in 2018 the band played some truly memorable concerts, the last time being about three years ago when Maxim and Leonid were looking for a replacement for Masha. It is not known exactly what the status of the band is today and whether we will ever hear a new album from them, but their debut “Mørk profeti” definitely left a mark.

3. Nornír 

Nornír is a German black metal band that formed in 2014. They certainly made an impression with their massive debut “Verdandi” and their second full-length album “Skuld” released last year via Northern Silence Productions. Few people have thought about it, I guess, but the band’s guitarist and vocalist is a woman – Lethian. She also usually does the album covers.

4.Nekrodelirium 
Nekrodelirium is a project formed in 2011 by Sandra Stensen. From the very beginning, she performed vocals, guitars and bass, and shortly after, drummer Erik Röjås joined her, who left after the release of the band’s debut album “Apocalypse”, released through the Temple of Darkness Records label. The status of the band is unclear to this day, but the album is, fortunately, still available for the black metal fans out there.

5.Divination of the Damned
Divination of the Damned is a Californian black metal band that, as far as I know, doesn’t even have a page in the metal archives. However, it’s a cult band that carries the spirit of black metal in its entirety. Below you can watch a recording of their participation and see for yourself what kind of energy we’re talking about. The band was formed in 2009 by Chelsea, and so far they’ve only officially released two singles, “Divine Possession (Rape My Soul)” and “Into the Endless Peril of Torment and Suffering” in 2014. During their concerts, Chelsea performs some new ideas that they never officially release, but are actually very fascinating. The band hasn’t been active for a long time, and the chance of a Divination of the Damned album is like your heart beating at a body temperature of -37.4°C. Still, one can dream about it.

6.Ieschure
The mystical atmosphere of Ieschure undoubtedly stands out among the lore of Ukrainian black metal bands. Led by Lilita Arndt, who performs all the instruments and vocals, the solo project brings a traditional occult, mystical veil to the music. The first full-length album “The Shadow” appeared in 2017, and after it a number of EPs and split albums were released. The project is still active today, and soon we may hear more about Ieschure’s second full-length album.

7.Mother of the Hydra
Mother of the Hydra is an international black metal band formed by V-kaos (Veronica Setterhall) in 2006 in Sweden. The main idea behind the band is the contradiction in humans as mortal human beings of the flesh and immortal beings of the spirit – and how this can be just a false image that holds us back. This is something that is often reflected in older alchemical works, and the band is heavily inspired by such sources. The band has only released one album – “Contradiction” from 2011, and there will definitely be no second one, the band is permanently disbanded.

8.Fjell Thyngor
Fjell Thyngor is a now-defunct Canadian black metal band, consisting of Themisto (bass and vocals), Zhargor (guitar), and Dazbog (drums). The trio released a single demo, “Hexenjagd”, in 2018. The record was released independently, and you might be able to find CDs. In 2022, after a number of concerts and the departure of the band’s drummer, Fjell Thyngor decided to go on hiatus.

9. Crawling
Crawling is an independent Turkish black metal project formed in 2022. Inspired by nihilism and the ideology of Satanism, Helin has released several demos and recordings, two full-length albums and a split title, with her latest full-length album “Delubrum” being released this past year.

10. Niflheim 
The Australian cult band Niflheim was formed in 1995 by Skadi (bass, guitars and vocals) and Aegir (drums). The band’s name was inspired by Niflheimr (an old Icelandic word for “dark world”), which is believed to be a dark and frozen world located in the darkest and most remote part of the world. In 1997, the band released their debut full-length album “Myrkvid”, and the following year, on July 25  in 1998, Niflheim played their first concert in Melbourne. The concert was filmed and later released as a social video titled “Chains of Eternal Bondage…Live in Melbourne”. In 1998, the band released the split album “Riding the Thrymheim Winds / Blood on the Southern Cross” with Antichrist, shortly after which they disbanded.

Happy celebrations to all daughters of fire!