Via an interview with Heavy Consequence, Arch Enemy singer Alissa White-Gluz was recently asked to share her thoughts regarding how women are viewed in the metal world. The band just released a new album titled Deceivers, and among the multiple topics discussed, Alissa was asked if she has seen a growth in the number of women who partake in creating metal.
Regarding this question, Alissa White-Gluz shared the following: “There are more of us now, and that’s awesome to see! I always like to flip this question around and ask men what they think, though. Women are not walking around every second of the day contemplating our existence. It seems to be men doing that. I have never really seen a difference between musicians of any gender. I would be really curious to hear if there actually are any, other than a lower vocal range for men, obviously. Otherwise, listening to a guitarist shred or a drummer jam, I wouldn’t be able to judge the gender of the artist. Would you? And why does it matter? I just like people who rock, plain and simple.”
Later on, she is asked if she thinks there is an added pressure on women to look a certain way within the worlds of rock and metal; to this, Alissa says:
“That is true of all aspects of popular culture, not just metal. There is a paradigm that women are forever the muse, never the artist. I love that we can actually be both. I am a painter, actually. I have been drawing and painting since I was very young, and I worked as a commissioned painter in my teen years and early 20s. Because of that, I observe quite a bit from a technical point of view. I see the play of light and shadow across every face I meet. I see the tangled fingers of someone carrying heavy bags. I see someone’s choice of clothing as a form of self-expression, and I contemplate that. It makes everyone beautiful and interesting to me, when I picture them as light entering my corneas and kissing my retinas. It is nice to step back and let people just be these images, sometimes, instead of the complex and troubled creatures we actually are.”
Excellent points Alissa! Diversity only makes an artform stronger, and there is a lot more representation in terms of women and non-men creating metal today. Rock and metal are for everyone and we are thankful to have such an incredible and badass role model like you!
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