UtF Looks Back on 2011 – and Looks Ahead at 2012

Yup, it’s that time of year: to take a look back on the year that was 2011. In female-fronted rock and metal music, of course. However, while every other media outlet out there shares Top 10 or Top 20 lists of favorite albums, we decided to do a different kind of year-end wrap-up.

Instead of highlighting albums, we chose to highlight bands. All of us at Unleash The Furies discovered a wealth of female-fronted rock and metal bands this past year – some of which didn’t actually release any albums in 2011, but got heavy rotation in our music players regardless. With this idea in mind, four of our staff writers sat down and picked their favorite discoveries of 2011. They also shared their predictions for up-and-coming bands who could make major breakthroughs in 2012.

Let’s start with…

Our December 2011 Band of the Month Is…

Devilskin

Sometimes, we have a fight to the finish between two – or three – bands for this title. Other times, one band takes a huge early lead and no one is able to catch up. The latter scenario is what happened this month for Devilskin. Shortly after we launched our Band of the Month Poll for November 2011, fans of this quartet from Hamilton, New Zealand stormed the poll and helped Devilskin leapfrog over the other nominees.  Good enough to win the title? You bet! By the way, a fact for you: Devilskin is our first Band of the Month from an island nation.

Click here for Devilskin’s Band of the Month page.

Here are the official results of last month’s poll:

1. Devilskin – 327 votes (56.09%)
2. Adrana – 115 votes (19.73%)
3. Nemesea – 63 votes (10.81%)
4. Trillium – 52 votes (8.92%)
5. Cardamon – 26 votes (4.46%)

And now, it’s time for our January 2012 Band of the Month Poll! Our staff still feels the thrills of this year’s Flight of the Valkyries Festival. (The show was held at Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland USA on November 19.) So, how about we give our new poll a FotV 5 theme? Here is this year’s line-up, and your choices for our first Band of the Month for 2012:

• Benedictum, a heavy metal band from San Diego, California, and this year’s headliner at Flight of the Valkyries
• Brave, a progressive rock/metal band from Washington, DC
• Cassandra Syndrome, an operatic metal band from Frederick, Maryland
• DesDemon, a symphonic power metal band from New York City, New York
• Echoterra, a symphonic metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota featuring Melissa Ferlaak (ex-Visions of Atlantis, ex-Aesma Daeva) on lead vocals
• Flames of Fury, a power / heavy metal band with members that live in the states of New York and New Jersey
• Serpent Witch, a doom metal band from Bethesda, Maryland

You know the rules by now. Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day through New Years Eve (Saturday, December 31st)!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by sending an email to unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

~ Sara