Category Archives: Metal Chick of the Month

Metal Chick of the Month – Marlene Muñoz, Elizabeth Castillo & Caro Saturni

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Ruling the night of women’s rites with their dark lullabies!

I think the month of May needs an extra kick, and there’s nothing better than some first-class Mexican spices to turn up the heat considerably, right? That’s exactly why we’re not going to have only one metal lady this month, nor even two. We’re going to feast your eyes and ears with nothing more, nothing less that THREE metal ladies hailing from Mexico, a country known for the passion their metalheads nurture for all types of heavy music. Our three breathtaking metal divas are vocalist Marlene Muñoz, bassist Elizabeth Castillo, and guitarist Caro Saturni, who together with drummer Nicolás Garza form the ruthless Death Metal squad known as Spit On Your Grave, and I’m sure you’ll have a very good time knowing a bit about this triumvirate of absolute female power in Heavy Metal.

Before talking about each one of our chosen metal ladies, let’s do a quick introduction on their amazing band Spit On Your Grave. Formed in 2012 in Monterrey, the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, Spit on Your Grave are a no shenanigans, visceral Death Metal entity with three full-length albums and one EP released to date, always dealing with topics such as madness, serial killers, death and isolation, among others, having already shared the stage with metal titans the likes of Carcass, Sepultura, Nervosa, Cattle Decapitation, Cannibal Corpse, Brujeria and Dark Tranquility, just to name a few. All the information you need about the band is available HERE, and don’t forget to also stream their creations on Spotify, on YouTube, and other streaming services.

Furthermore, although we’re paying our humble tribute to the three girls that are currently part of the band (there are other women who are former members of Spit On Your Grave, but those might be our metal ladies in the future as part of their current bands), only Elizabeth is featured in all of their albums. As a matter of fact, she’s the only remaining member of the original formation of the band, and therefore she deserves to be the first one we’re going to talk about here on The Headbanging Moose. It’s all about seniority, right? But before that, how about a short and sweet overview of each of the albums released by Spit On Your Grave?

Released in 2014, their debut full-length album Existential Murderer consists of ten tracks that refer to raw old school Death Metal, basing its lyrics on situations of revenge, perversions, death, and only Elizabeth from our three metal ladies played in that album as aforementioned, while vocals and guitars were done by two other great female musicians, Zitlalic Gómez and Cecilia Cárdenas, respectively. Then in 2015 the band introduced a more melodic sound to their core essence with the EP Unblessed, the watershed that led the band to a variety of events and concerts making their way to the big stages with international bands, showcasing the same lineup from their 2014 album.

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In 2018, after a few lineup changes, those being newcomers Kharen Guardiola on vocals, Aldo Guerra on drums, and one of our metal ladies Caro Saturni (aka Carolina Ampersand) on the guitar, the band released their sophomore opus The Night Of The Women’s Rites, incorporating a more melodic sound where guitar solos stand out, while the album’s lyrics talk about goddesses and female deities from different cultures that somehow changed the course of history, including for example The Whore Queen (Cleopatra), Aphrodite and Cihuacóatl (these three song also released in 2018 as a single named Cihuacóatl), showing the courage, personality, attitude and the leadership of those women.

In between The Night Of The Women’s Rites and their newest opus Arkanum, the band released the single Ixik Uh in June 2022, which actually serves as a connection link between The Night Of The Women’s Rites and Arkanum, talking about an ancient Mayan ritual to Ixchel, a Mayan deity known as the Goddess of the Moon, in addition to fertility, childbirth, pregnancy, medicine, rain, womanly crafts, and war. The single was already recorded by the current lineup, including not only Elizabeth but also Marlene and Caro, making it the first ever song to feature all of our three metal ladies of the month.

And lastly, on the second week of April, Spit On Your Grave returned with their third studio album, the pulverizing Arkanum, a conceptual album that tells the process of a mental detox, which draws thematically on mystical elements, and with each track inspired by a different tarot card.“It talks about an internal struggle to restore your inner self,” the band said, “where your demons surface, and everything you believed in is questioned. That moment when you realize that for years you have followed someone else’s lead. You’ve had enough and decide to leave everything behind. It’s about losing yourself by being influenced by someone else and the struggle to wake up from that reality. Centering the lyrics in this inner fight with yourself, involving depression, anxiety, mistrust, feeling unfairly judged by everyone and having no help around.” Moreover, there’s a nice interview (in Spanish) to a YouTube channel called The Chill Dude On A Couch, where they talk about the album.

Elizabeth Castillo

Having said all that about the band’s discography, it’s time to focus on each of their amazing women, starting with the remaining founding member of the band, Elizabeth Castillo. Born and raised in Mexico, she’s not only the bassist for Spit On Your Grave, having recorded all of their albums, EP and singles, as already mentioned, but she’s also responsible for the bass duties with Mexican Black/Doom Metal band Hagel since their reactivation in 2014, having recorded with them the album Veneration of the Black Light back in 2021, featuring some insane songs such as Decalogue of Misery. Not only that, you can also find Elizabeth in a distinct folk band named Sandunga, playing traditional Mexican and Latin American music while also dealing with the Mexican folklore; however, Elizabeth is not the bassist for Sandunga, but their guitarist, and she also plays an instrument called “requinto jarocho” or “guitarra de son”, a four- or five-stringed instrument that has originated from Veracruz, Mexico, played usually with a special pick. If you want to know more about the band, simply click HERE, and don’t forget to also enjoy their official video for the song Maclovia, as it’s an amazing song outside of the metal realm. and how about watching her blast her bass in great fashion in the official YouTube channel for Spit On Your Grave, playing the classic Hammer Smashed Face, by the almighty Cannibal Corpse? That’s a really cool video, my friends!

Caro Saturni

The next metal lady of this month of May is the band’s guitarist Caro Saturni. Born on January 18, 1996 in Mexico, she joined Spit On Your Grave back in 2016 and released with the band so far their 2018 album The Night of Women’s Rites (as Caro Ampersand) and their 2024 album Arkanum (already as Caro Saturni), becoming the lead guitarist of the band, and you can check all her dexterity in a video from the band’s official YouTube channel where she plays the song Adjusting the Sun, by Hypocrisy. She’s also the guitarist for an all-female rock and metal band from Monterrey named Sister Sinyster, and although there isn’t much online about the band (as they just started in November 2023), you can enjoy this recent interview to Metalhead Inter Radio, and keep an eye on their Instagram for news as I’m sure we’ll hear a lot about those girls soon.

Marlene Muñoz

And last but definitely not least, we get to the she-wolf Marlene Muñoz, who joined Spit On Your Grave back in 2020 and has recorded with them so far their breathtaking new album Arkanum. Her harsh screams and guttural gnarls are fantastic, adding an insane dosage of brutality to the band’s core Death Metal, therefore elevating the band’s status in the local Mexican scene as well as worldwide. Apart from Spit On Your Grave, you can find Marlene as the vocalist for a Monterrey-based Melodic/Progressive Thrash Metal band called Judgment since 2019, having released with them a self-titled three-track single back in 2019, plus a standalone song named All I Have, in 2022, and let me tell you that all four songs released so far are amazing, leaving us eager for a full-length album by those Mexican metallers in the near future.

In summary, fi you’re looking for some fresh metal music with a powerful feminine touch, you must check the creations by all bands featuring Marlene Muñoz, Elizabeth Castillo and Caro Saturni, because those three multi-talented women definitely put their hearts and souls into making high quality music for us fans, and if you’re near them in Monterrey keep an eye on their social media because you don’t want to miss the metal attack provided by their bands live, in special the fulminating Spit On Your Grave. Hopefully the band will keep growing and reaching new horizons, playing all across the US and Canada, participating in multiple European festivals, bringing their music to places like Brazil, Japan, Australia and so on, because they play ass-kicking Death Metal, and we always need ass-kicking Death Metal with a feminine touch to make our lives way better, right?

Elizabeth Castillo’s Official Instagram
Caro Saturni’s Official Instagram
Marlene Muñoz’s Official Instagram
Spit On Your Grave’s Official Facebook page
Spit On Your Grave’s Official Instagram
Spit On Your Grave’s Official YouTube channel
Spit On Your Grave’s Official TikTok
Spit On Your Grave’s Spotify
Spit On Your Grave’s Linktree

Metal Chick of the Month – Jenny Diehl

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Valhalla is calling, Jenny!

There’s one online article that says that spring is “the season during which the natural world revives and reinvigorates after the colder winter months,” and after reading that I thought the whimsical sound of the harp would be ideal to represent the beauty of the spring bloom and the warmth of the sun. Having said that, our metal lady of the month of April obviously had to master the art of harp playing, but beware of her incendiary moves, as she’s also a very talented dancer who loves to play with fire. Hailing from the stunning Bavaria (or Bayern if you prefer), in Germany, she’s the harpist for The Dark Side Of The Moon, a performer and dancer with Feuerschwanz, an art director and filmmaker with Dream Film Factory, and a photo designer with Aurora Photography. I’m talking about the multi-talented Jenny Diehl, a woman who will hypnotize you with the soothing sound of her harp before burning you in flames with her moves and charisma.

Having just released their debut album called Metamorphosis in 2023, The Dark Side Of The Moon is a fantastic metal quartet formed back in 2021 by members of Feuerschwanz, Amaranthe and Ad Infinitum (as a matter of fact, the band was formed after a bet between two of the band’s members), who together love to explore unseen lands and dive into the adventures of worldwide heroic characters. Currently comprised of Hans Platz (of Feuerschwanz), Morten Løwe Sørensen (of Amaranthe), our metal lady Jenny Diehl (also of Feuerschwanz), and one of our previous metal ladies Melissa Bonny (of Ad Infinitum), the quartet aims at revisiting and transforming the greatest themes of cinematography, TV shows and video games in addition to a few songs of their own, taking the listener on a musical quest, from the depths of Moria up to the Iron Throne.

Blending the powerful and gripping sound of Symphonic Metal with classical and orchestral elements, the band offers to fans of the genre a mix of original and cover songs, always dedicated to their favorite warriors, books and movies including the likes of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Here is where things get really interesting for Jenny, as the unique sound of her harp adds a fragile layer to the heaviness of the overall sound of the band, something really hard to find in the heavy music scene worldwide. All songs from Metamorphosis will darkly embrace you thanks to the charming sound of Jenny’s harp, as well as the sounds crafted by the other band members, of course, plus guest musicians Charlotte Wessels (Delain), Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade), Rusanda Panfili (Hanz Zimmer Live) and Tom S. Englund (Evergrey).

Furthermore, you can enjoy all of the band’s beautiful official videos on YouTube, including the songs The Gates Of Time, Legends Never Die, New Horizons, First Light, Double Trouble/Lumos!, and their cover version for the Game of Thrones song Jenny Of Oldstones (as well as a very cool making of for it), among others. Perhaps the best song to depict the talent by our beloved Jenny armed with her harp is Legends Never Die, where her harp intro sets the tone for the rest of the song, embellishing the airwaves in a majestic way and, therefore, making the song stand out as one of the most amazing ones of the past few years in the Symphonic Metal universe.

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However, as aforementioned, if you think Jenny is just a delicate flower in a sea of heaviness, you must see what she has been doing since 2012 alongside Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany-based Medieval Folk Metal/Rock project Feuerschwanz. Of course, there are a few of their albums which include contributions from Jenny as a harpist, those being their 2016 album Sex is Muss on the songs Ein Schelm, wer Böses dabei denkt, Taugenix, and Nachtlied; their 2018 album Methämmer; and their 2020 album Das elfte Gebot, all of them absolutely worth a full and detailed listen, by the way, but Jenny offers even more as a member of such distinct Teutonic group. Jenny also performs as a dancer during Feuerschwanz’s live performances under the alias Myu Mieze, with countless online videos offering you a chance to witness her contribution to the band’s live shows, including their performance at Wacken Open Air 2022. Furthermore, you can also enjoy this very relaxed and fun video of Jenny taking us all on a journey through the homes of all members of Feuerschwanz, showing what the band is doing while they’re not on tour or in the studio, as well as a little bit of backstory about the band.

Jenny also holds a Bachelor of Arts, which led her to found Dream Film Factory alongside Russian cameraman and photographer Artem Selennov, and Alexander Dannhauser a few years ago. The trio offers a full-scale production service, from concept to finished film, creating an original film with its own distinctive look from any idea using modern, unique and tried-and-tested film techniques. They also offer individual services which include camera and image design, set design and prop construction, editing and color grading, conception and marketing, and stop-motion puppet construction, and you can check more of their work by visiting their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Linktree; for instance, simply visit their project page on their official website and you’ll see their work with several bands the likes of Burning Witches, Subway to Sally, J.O.E., Feuerschwanz, The Dark Side Of The Moon, Destruction, Goath, Nothgard, and more, with all videos being stunning, detailed and truly unique, like Was Ihr Wollt, by German Folk Metal band Subway to Sally, and Dissolving Flesh Redemption, by German Black/Death Metal horde Goath.

Lastly, Jenny also started to work as a freelance photographer under the name/brand Aurora Photography back in 2018, but as the project’s official Facebook page hasn’t been updated since mid-May 2021 I wonder if she has gotten way too busy with her bands and her film company to the point she can’t find enough time to focus on photography. Anyway, all photos available on Facebook are beautiful and deserve our attention, and maybe one day she’ll reignite her work as a photographer and keep delivering more awesomeness to our eyes. For now, I think there’s enough Jenny for us to enjoy with The Dark Side Of The Moon and with Feuerschwanz, with the sound of her harp and her fiery dance moves making the world of heavy music a much better place for all of us metalheads who love a good combination of music and images with a great storyline.

Jenny Diehl’s Official Facebook page
Jenny Diehl’s Official Instagram
Jenny Diehl’s Official TikTok
Jenny Diehl’s Official Linktree
The Dark Side Of The Moon’s Official Facebook page
The Dark Side Of The Moon’s Official Instagram
The Dark Side Of The Moon’s Official YouTube channel
Feuerschwanz’s Official Facebook page
Feuerschwanz’s Official Instagram
Feuerschwanz’s Official YouTube channel
Feuerschwanz’s Official Twitter

Metal Chick of the Month – Beatriz Mariano

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Life is flesh on bone convulsing above the ground.

It’s time to spread absolute fuckin’ evil all over the world here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multi-talented metal lady of this month of March, and trust me, as soon as you know more about her, about her music and her art as a photographer, you’ll get addicted to everything surrounding her, musically and visually speaking. Owner of a fantastic voice, placing her among the best female growlers of the new generation, she’s the frontwoman for one of the rising forces of the metal scene in her homeland Portugal, inspiring us to raise our horns anytime she hits the stage with her incredible charisma, her looks, and of course her she-demon roars. Her name is Beatriz Mariano, the mastermind behind Portuguese Blackened Death Metal horde Okkultist and a fantastic freelance visual artist, and she’s ready to drink your blood and reap your soul to the sound of her devilish, furious creations. Having said all that, are you ready to face our demonic diva in this humble tribute to her music and her art?

Born on September 9, 1994 in the charming and always cozy Portuguese capital Lisbon, Beatriz has lived and breathed music since she was a little kid. “I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun! If this makes sense,” commented our talented growler in one of her interviews, complementing by saying what her family thought about it when she founded Okkultist. “When I told my family I was in a band they were accepting. They don’t understand the music though. When I first asked ‘do you wanna listen to it’ the first reaction I got was a fat ‘no’. But as long as I’m happy, they’re supportive.” In addition, her passion for the occult also started at a very early stage of her life. “I’ve been in love with the horror, occult and macabre aesthetic since a very early age. My favorite cartoon as a kid was ‘Courage, the Cowardly Dog’. I was hypnotized by the first horror movie I ever saw. I just fell in love. It just felt right. It was a calling.”

It was back in 2016 when Beatriz founded her infernal sonic cult Okkultist together with guitarist Leander Sandmeier (Toxic Room, Toxikull), making sure they were bringing into being something truly evil. “I remember us all sitting down and just saying ‘this shit has to sound evil. It had to bring people chills to their spine. Let’s make them hallucinate about Satan when our shit plays.’ We wanted a pit to hell to open up as soon as you started playing our album.” Currently formed of Beatriz and Leander alongside bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra (Aramaic, Godiva, Heavenwood), Okkultist released their debut EP titled Eye of the Beholder, in 2017, followed by the full-length albums Reinventing Evil, in 2019, and more recently O​.​M​.​E​.​N., in 2023, all available for streaming on Spotify or on any other streaming platform. One interesting fact about their two full-length albums is that both were released under the label Alma Mater Records, whose founder and owner is the iconic Fernado Ribeiro of Moonspell. “It started when Fernando and I were discussing some visual ideas and then I presented him to this project I was involved in, and he immediately sounded interested in us, even though we only had a few demos out,” said Beatriz about her partnership with Fernando.

If there’s one thing that’s truly amazing about Okkultist is that Beatriz and the boys care about their visual work almost as much as they care about their music, turning their official videos into must-see pieces by anyone who loves the darkest side of music and arts from the bottom of their damned hearts. Hence, go check the band’s official YouTube channel for some insane videos the likes of Crimson Ecstasy, Death to Your Breed, Sign of the Reaper, Meet Me in Hell, I Am the Beast, Sacred Brutality, and I Spit on Your Grave, as well as their cover version for Children of Bodom’s hit Sixpounder (as the band’s own tribute to the memory of one of their idols, the unparalleled Alexi Laiho), and their full performance at Female Growlers United Front Fest back in 2018. Furthermore, you can also show your support to Okkultist by purchasing their music and merch form their Big Cartel page, or click HERE for all things Okkultist.

Apart from being a sensational vocalist and performer, as aforementioned Beatriz is also an extremely talented visual artist who loves to focus on the most obscure side of music and arts in her work in general. For instance, she was responsible for the photography of the 2014 demo Hellbreaker – Demo XXIV and of the 2014 full-length album Midnight Steel, both by Portuguese Heavy Metal squad Midnight Priest; for the design and layout of Okkultist’s 2023 album O​.​M​.​E​.​N.; and for the photography of the 2016 album Black Sheep, by Portuguese Heavy/Speed Metal band Toxikull; and you can take a look at her entire portfolio by visiting her official Facebook page or her Instagram, or click HERE to get access to all links related to our amazing artist. “Actually, photography is my main activity. And not the band. I am in complete control over the band’s visuals. It just made sense.  I first started working with self-portraiture when I was 15. I’m 25 now.  And when I first suggested it to the band they immediately accepted it, also because they enjoy my work. There wasn’t even a question. I just took over,” she commented in an interview four years ago, as she’s now 29, about her life as a photographer and as a musician at the same time, but in my humble opinion I believe today Okkultist became her main activity (or maybe she’s able to magically handle both, who knows).

Her life as a photographer definitely deserves a more detailed look due to everything that impacts her as an artist, her creative process and so on. “I’m constantly researching visuals. Anything! From movies to pictures, comics, illustrations, nature. Even sounds and textures. I’m especially attracted to the experimental field,” she said when asked about her inspirations as a photographer. Furthermore, she mentioned that she works with both pre-arranged shootings, when she already has an idea and concept in mind, and more spontaneous photography. “Usually when it comes to editing, I always end up picking the pictures where the model is not posing. Those are the most beautiful and appealing shots to me, and will certainly turn out to be the best and more impactful images.” Also, although she doesn’t think there must be a story behind each picture, she ended up admitting that almost everything that she does has a meaning, a story or a concept involved. Her opinion about having to study photography or not to be a successful photographer also goes in line with her passion for what’s more spontaneous. “To be really honest, the best way to learn is through experience. Schools, classes, or whatever, will never be able to teach you something that only you can go through. You will only get the full experience by doing it, and getting to it, and that’s the most fulfilling and complete way to learn! I’ve done that since I was a teen, and things like that can never be taught. Sure, studies can give you a hand in it, but no one will ever be able to ‘teach’ you something that only you can live and absorb pure and raw knowledge from! I’ve learnt that way, and with all the memories and living experiences it’s more than useful, it’s priceless!”

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An admirer of both analogue and digital photography, which according to Beatriz herself is necessary to go through the full photographic experience, she used to work with a really nice gear containing a 7D, and a 50mm f/1.4 lens, which she used the most, plus of course Photoshop, but I’m sure right now she might have advanced to an even better gear and maybe an updated software. She’s always been passionate for photography, pictures and filming, but it was when she was in high school and one of her teachers, named Ana Paula Xavier, assigned a project using photography and Photoshop to her class that things changed, becoming an obsession for Beatriz, and she couldn’t let go off the cameras ever since, being highly inspired by French photographer and grand couturier Hedi Slimane, therefore helping her find her own artistic identity. And regarding her idols and influences in general, not only in photography, Beatriz considers herself a very weird person, quoting Beetlejuice to describe herself (“I myself am strange and unusual”). She loves everything around creativity, being able to express herself through something she can make with her own hands, and of course being a Heavy Metal fanatic with an unusual and bizarre taste. For instance, she’s a diehard fan of horror, mentioning Clive Barker, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento as some of her inspirations, but of course she said she’s the type of person that enjoys building their own stuff.

As already mentioned a few times, Beatriz is an amazing vocalist, delivering sheer malignancy and evil through her harsh growls in the best Black and Death Metal style. She used to be a lot more active on her official YouTube channel and on Vimeo before going all-in with Okkultist, but you can still enjoy a lot of amazing videos, cover songs and so on featuring our Portuguese she-wolf. For example, you can enjoy her covers for Summer Wine, by Lee Hazlewood, Texas Sun, by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, and Scavenger Of Human Sorrow, by Death, as well as countless videos about fashion, make up, music and so on, including an amazing one called Creepy Nun/Valak Inspired Halloween Make Up where she teaches how to make the perfect make up inspired by the mysterious nun character from The Conjuring universe.

Beatriz also mentioned once that she would love to travel the world with Okkultist and blast some “evil fucking music” everywhere, although she knows it’s really tough for any smaller band to tour financially speaking. “We are doing the best we can to tour. But as a small band that barely makes any profit, it makes it extremely difficult for us to finance big projects. But things are on the move!” I believe right now if you want to experience the fantastic music and performance by Okkultist you have to visit their homeland Portugal, which might not be a big country, but I’m sure you’ll get fascinated with its strong heavy music scene. “Portugal is really small, so you can imagine the size of our community, but we’re tight. I see a lot of support from bands to bands, from fans to bands, from everyone,” commented Beatriz, who truly loves her country for its beauty, proudly saying some of the most beautiful places in the world are in Portugal, while on the other hand she thinks the Portuguese music industry doesn’t have the slightest idea of how many great artists Portugal has, with those artists being crushed because the local industry will only give you your due value if you’re coming from another country. “I could go on and on and on about this, but I should probably shut up now. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”

Last but definitely not least, our beloved diva of darkness is also a tattoo aficionada (or aficionado, as I never know if this term has male and female forms), and she loves to talk about all the amazing ink she has all over her body. “My favorite tattoo has to be the Pinhead portrait. Hellraiser is my favorite movie, Doug Bradley as Pinhead was my ultimate man crush as a teen. No joke. It was also done by my favorite tattoo artist Hollie Pryce Jones. She did it in a 12-hour sitting, with a one-hour break total. She’s a killer artist, and an amazing human being. Love that girl to death,” commented Beatriz about her all-time favorite ink, but life is not all roses and flowers when it comes to tattoos. She mentioned that any tattoos on her hands are the most painful without any doubt, and that her least favorite tattoo are the three coffin nails on her right wrist, albeit not due to the quality of it. “Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo is beautiful and done by an amazing talented artist called Bela Hilário, but the placement I picked is fucking dumb. Blocks the whole arm now that I’m trying to build a sleeve.” Having a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon prism on the back done by Pedro Santos, she said she’s certainly getting the Okkultist symbol tattooed somewhere in the future (if she hasn’t done so already); and that her list of favorite tattoo artists include Hollie Pryce Jones, Maksym Yakubchyk, Anrijs Straume, Felix Seele and Diogo Nunes. You should definitely check the work of those five amazing artists online, and who knows, maybe get inked with them just like Beatriz. Just be aware that it’s not going to look as good on you as on our screaming diva, of course.

Beatriz Mariano’s Official Facebook page
Beatriz Mariano’s Official Instagram
Beatriz Mariano’s Official YouTube channel
Beatriz Mariano’s Official X
Okkultist’s Official Facebook page
Okkultist’s Official Instagram
Okkultist’s Official YouTube channel
Okkultist’s Official X

“I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun!” – Beatriz Mariano

Metal Chick of the Month – Tina Gunnarsson

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Open your doors to the gates of hell, Tina!

It’s time to start melting the snow that covers a good part of the Northern Hemisphere with endless fire and heat emanating from our metal lady of this month of February, and I’m sure after listening to her incredible voice your heart will be forever warm even during the harshest of the winters. The frontwoman for Swedish Progressive and Symphonic Heavy Metal band Hexed, she’s the owner a powerful voice that will pierce your mind mercilessly, while her undeniable charisma will mesmerize you whenever she hits the stage. Her name is Tina Gunnarsson, and after reading more about such Swedish diva here on The Headbanging Moose I’m sure you’ll become a diehard fan of her music, getting beyond excited to raise your horns together with her whenever Hexed take your city by storm with their amazing live concerts.

Born on January 6, 1974 in Uppsala, a city near Stockholm, in Sweden, Tina started to sing and perform as a child along with her father, who according to Tina herself was an excellent songwriter. She remembers going up on stage and perform two of his songs when she was about six years old, saying that she already knew from that moment that music was going to be her life. By the way, she’s the sister of Teddy Möller, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for several Swedish underground bands the likes of Loch Vostok, Gauntlet Rule and One Hour Hell, among others, and she’s married to vocalist and guitarist Stellan Gunnarsson, who founded Hexed together with her almost ten years ago, proving that Tina definitely lives and breathes music. In addition, she mentioned that despite being married to Stellan for many years, they only started writing music together after the creation of Hexed, saying that before that they used to focus on their other bands and projects.

Speaking about Hexed, the Swedish Symphonic and Progressive Metal brigade fronted by Tina has been making a lot of noise among metalheads all over the world since their inception back in 2015, with Tina, Stellan and bassist Daniel Håkansson being the three original members who are still part of Hexed, plus guitarist David Nyman and drummer Patrick Wahlberg. Curiously enough, the other original member of the band was Tina’s brother Teddy, who played on all their releases, except for their latest album released in 2022. So far, Hexed released their debut single titled Dreams, in 2016, followed by the three-track EP Exhaling Life, in 2017, and the full-length albums Netherworld, in 2018, and Pagans Rising (which was by the way inspired by Sweden’s witch-hunting hysteria in the late 17th century), in 2022, all available on their own BandCamp page, on YouTube and/or on Spotify (as well as on other streaming platforms).

When asked about how she would describe her music to someone who’d never listened to Hexed before, Tina said that she used to label it as “heavy and melodic with some dark vibes”, and if you visit their official YouTube channel you’ll be able to experience that by listening (and watching) to fantastic songs such as Blasphemy, Pagans Rising, Symphony of Tragedy, Exhaling Life, Stigma Diaboli, Resurrection, Repentance, Oceans, and Obedience. Moreover, when asked to choose a couple of songs with a very special meaning for her, Tina mentioned the title-track of their 2018 album Netherworld, as it really helped her to create a vision and to build something more creative out of all the feelings she had during that time, and Moorfield, from their 2022 album Pagans Rising, because of the feelings she got when she read about the trials and execution while writing about the destiny of the three women that the lyrics are about.

A seasoned veteran in the realm of rock and metal music, Tina was also part of some other very interesting bands prior to forming Hexed back in 2015. For instance, she’s also the vocalist for a Swedish Melodic Heavy Metal band named Detained, formed in 2010 and that released a five-track self-titled EP back in 2011, but that hasn’t done anything (nor even any type of communication) after 2012. I think we can say this project is now defunct, right? Anyway, apart from Detained, she was also the vocalist for an unknown period of time for a Swedish Progressive Metal band named Mellow Poetry (which after a few years changed their name to Mayadome) together with her brother Teddy Möller, but apparently nothing was officially released with her on vocals under that specific name. That’s also the case with a band named Nebraska, which was most probably also from Sweden, but basically nothing can be found online about the band nor about Tina’s involvement with them. On the other hand, back to the now very distant year of 1987, Tina was the lead singer for an Uppsala-based Heavy Metal band named Tradore, also with her brother Teddy, with whom she released a demo that same year titled Beyond the Shadows, still under her birthname of Tina Möller. The band later changed their name to Rue Morgue, but Tina was no longer a member of the band after that.

As a guest vocalist, you can enjoy Tina’s soaring vocals in some amazing bands and projects that surely helped her shape her current vocal style and technique. One of the most interesting of those bands is undoubtedly Uppsala-based Extreme Progressive Metal band Loch Vostok, another band led by her brother Teddy, singing in the song Rebound, from their 2006 album Destruction Time Again!, and doing the female vocals in their entire 2009 album Reveal No Secrets. Apart from Loch Vostok, she also lent her amazing voice to the song (I’ll Never Be) Maria Magdalena, from the 2022 album Trial by Fire, by Norwegian Power Metal duo Mantric Momentum; did all female vocals in the 1996 album Paranormal Activity, and was a guest vocalist in the song Able to Feel, from the 1999 album Near Life Experience, both released by her brother’s old Progressive Rock/Metal band Mayadome (as already mentioned, originally known as Mellow Poetry); did guest vocals in the song Queen of the Sea, from the album In Hoc Signo Vinces, released in 2007 by Swedish Heavy Metal band Wasteland; and also did backing vocals in the 2006 album The Shadow Cabinet, by Danish Progressive/Power/Folk Metal band Wuthering Heights.

As any rock and metal musician, Tina has an array of sensational idols who had a strong influence on how her voice sounds today. Among her music heroes, you’ll find renowned acts the likes of Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, Kamelot and Pagans Mind, also mentioning the 80’s as an amazing source of music, saying she used to listen to ABBA and Supertramp a lot at home, and Queen as her first ever live concert. In one of her interviews, she said that she would love to do a collaboration with Queensrÿche or King Diamond, saying she loves the music by Queensrÿche and of course the voice by Todd La Torre, and that the music by King Diamond and Mercyful Fate has always been with her since the 80’s, nurturing a deep passion for its vibe, stories, theatrical shows, and so on. In addition, she mentioned that if she could go back in time and be part of the recording sessions for any album in history, she would gladly have been a part of Dream Theater’s Images and Words, one of the best records in history in her opinion. “When I listened to When Dream and Day Unite I began to really listen to them with their special sound, later on James LaBrie came in on lead vocals and this album Images and Words really inspired me as a musician.” She also said that she prefers leaving people alone if they’re having a private moment or if they’re outside of a concert or event, but of course she likes to be close to her idols and other talented musicians if that’s not going to disturb their peace. “I really enjoyed being at the same place as anyone must have been to see Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, having dinner at the table next to us in our special VIP area at Sweden Rock Festival, where our both bands were performing,” Commented Tina.

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Not only passionate about rock and heavy music, Tina also has a great love for nature, saying that she can easily notice a lack of energy of some kind, and where it’s missing based on the four elements. “I often visit the woods when I need to contemplate and understand ongoing things. I often dig the soil when my thoughts become dark and heavy and it helps me to stay grounded,” also saying that “we should use the capacity that our brain has to pick up energies, vibes and to trust our intuition more. That’s where the magic is. My favorite place is viewing a big lake with mountains surrounding it, that’s where I find peace of mind and can feel the real synchronicity with everything. I love the smell of each seasons beginning and how lucky I am to have four seasons in Sweden.” By the away, Tina is not just grateful for having all seasons in her homeland, but she’s also grateful for her family and friends, and to be able to create music, sing, dance and having good times while she’s still alive, and of course for everyone who listens to her music and who attends her live concerts.

According to Tina, the best part of being a musician is to have the ability and possibility to be creative in many ways, from the lyric writing, planning, scheduling, to bringing out all the visions for how she wants her music to be seen and heard, also saying that it would be a dream for her to be independent, but still earning enough money to live a decent life. “Music is the everyday life for us! With that said, we always work hard with all the stuff that has to be done as an active band. We all are employed as well and most of our spare time goes to music related things. No rest for the wicked.” And regarding the life of a musician on the road and travelling in general, apart from playing in major festivals like Wacken Open Air, she would also love to visit the lands where the native people in North America live, something she’s been dreaming about since she was a child. “Nowadays I understand more about all the native populations even in our own country and love Lapland as well. Maybe it is the genes in my blood talking and the lifestyle in harmony with nature.” Furthermore, although she’s not a religious person, she considers herself a spiritual person who believes in synchronicity, the wheel of life and the human mind. “The power of energies are not to be underestimated, things can really move and change with the right persons energies together. The forces we deal with in everyday life is the 4 elements as Earth, Fire, Water & Wind. All these elements create energy. It´s just that simple.”

A while ago, award winning film producer Bruce Moore released a documentary about women in metal, titled “Crushing Stereotypes One Riff At A Time”, where Bruce was able to catch up with a number of musicians, including our diva Tina, to find out what attracted them to the hard and heavy music world and if they had a story of how they took the plunge, what challenges they faced, and how things have changed, or if they have at all. Unfortunately, it looks like the movie is not available for streaming online anymore, but I would keep searching for it if I were you because all reviews of the movie are awesome and say it is a must-watch production for any type of metalhead.

When not in the studio or not on tour, Tina said that she likes to spend her time in her garden, in a forest, or going fishing. “This makes me unwind and it gets me some new energy. I’m also enjoying tarot and that kind of stuff,” she complemented, also saying that when she’s together with the other members of Hexed, she loves to cook and prepare dinner for her bandmates, while the others are responsible for the drinks, the music and the jokes. On a more serious note, Tina fears mankind hasn’t fully learned with all mistakes done during the Middle Ages, a time when religion (in that case Christianity) was responsible for the persecution and murder of people who thought differently and believed differently. “With all the power religion has over humanity I am afraid it will repeat itself if we don’t speak of it or fight against it. The children must learn from our own history and I really dislike when new generations are indoctrinated in a certain religion, let them choose when they are mature enough to have own thoughts and opinions.” Having said all that, it’s time to join Tina in her quest for heavy music, for freedom of speech, for freedom of religion, and so on, blasting her music to all four corners of the earth, until all pagans rise together with our multi-talented metal lady.

Tina Gunnarsson’s Official Facebook page
Hexed’s Official Facebook page
Hexed’s Official Instagram
Hexed’s Official YouTube channel
Hexed’s Official X

Metal Chick of the Month – Joey Roxx

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Strike back… The metal attack!

New year, same old savagery! That’s what you’ll get here at The Headbanging Moose during this promising year of 2024, and in order to start it with a bang let’s continue our annual tradition and kick off our metal lady of the month segment with a superb bassist that will surely put you to raise your horns and bang your heads in the name of heavy music. She’s such a badass woman that even her name rocks, and I’m more than sure you’ll love to listen to her rumbling bass guitar embellishing the airwaves wherever you go. I’m talking about Austria and Switzerland’s own Joey Roxx, a veteran metalhead who has been kicking some ass as the bass player for German Heavy Metal powerhouse Mystic Prophecy for almost a decade, delivering the goods and taking no prisoners in her quest for heavy music.

Born somewhere in time in the stunning country of Austria, but raised and currently living in Switzerland, our unstoppable Joey Roxx, whose real name is also a mystery to most of us, had her first memories related to music in general already at a very young age, mentioning the big, out-of-tune grand piano in her family’s living room as her earliest one, which was also the very first instrument she tried to play when she was still a little child. She also mentioned in one of her interviews that she remembers the music her parents used to play in their home during her childhood, citing a record by Reinhard Mey, a German Liedermacher (or “songmaker”, a German-style singer-songwriter) as one of the rare good moments of her parents’ albums, and also that her father used to “torment” her with the music by world renowned German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor Richard Wagner (due to the fact he was Hitler’s favorite composer, that became one of the worst memories of her early musical contact, symbolizing her punk soul already growing inside of her). In the end, she had to dig deep to find something that she was somehow allowed to listen to, saying that her parents have absolutely no influence on how she got into music, and that she had to listen to “her” music secretly. Furthermore, when she was around 11 or 12 years old, she had her very first contact with rock and metal music by becoming the drummer for a Gotthard/punk cover band at the girls’ boarding school that she attended.

Even though Mystic Prophecy was formed back in 2000 in Bad Grönenbach, Germany by frontman R. D. Liapakis (Valley’s Eve) together with together with Martin Albrecht (Valley’s Eve, Stormwitch, Rough), her career with the band began only in the year of 2015, having already released with the band the albums War Brigade (2016), Monuments Uncovered (2018), Metal Division (2020), and Hellriot (2023), plus the EP Hail to the King, in 2021, all available for a full and detailed listen on Spotify and on YouTube. Currently formed of frontman R.D. Liapakis and our metal diva Joey Roxx alongside Evan K and Markus Pohl on the guitars, and Hanno Kerstan on drums, the band plays a well-balanced and thrilling fusion of American Power Metal with classic Heavy and Thrash Metal, and all those elements can be easily recognized in their music as for example in the songs Hellriot, Azrael, Metal Attack, Demons of the Night, Unholy Hell, Dracula, Metal Division, Eye To Eye, Metal Brigade, and many more, as well as in this amazing live performance in Greece alongside Nightrage, Firewind and Rage back in 2017, all with Joey kicking some serious ass armed with her rumbling bass guitar.

Apart from her sensational metallic journey with Mystic Prophecy, she was also the founder and bassist for the band Hangmän’s Nooze (between 2008 and 2010); played bass for Kissin’ Black (between 2015 and 2016), Swiss Melodic Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act Paganini (between 2013 and 2019) and Swiss Melodic Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act Shezoo (between 2010 and 2014); and played bass live with German Melodic Heavy/Groove Metal act Souldrinker in 2014. In addition, she was also the rhythm guitarist for a band named Dezert Eaglez from 2005 until 2007, but again, there’s isn’t much available online about the band and their music (all it’s known is that it was just a teenage garage band, and that right now she’s also playing in a Black Sabbath tribute band called Lady Evyl, along some more.

As a teenager, Joey had posters of Sebastian Bach, Mike Tramp (of White Lion) and The Kelly Family (an Irish rock, pop and folk music music group consisting of a multi-generational family) hanging in her room, and she used to listen to a lot of Gotthard as well, with their song In The Name still having a special place in her heart. And speaking about The Kelly Family, it looks like Joey was a huge fan of their music, as she mentioned in an interview that they were the first concert she’s ever been to, and that she also has several of their albums in her private collection. She was not a fan of their music, though, it’s just that she was growing up in a small village in the Swissmountains, and didn’t have much options to consume music. In the early nineties there were only groups like Backstreet Boys or Spice Girls or the likes of these known to children, plus the Kelly Family, which was the only one who played live with real instruments, and as she was playing music since she was four she never got into what she herself likes to call “plastic dance performance/playback show” stuff, so The Kelly Family was the only logic thing to be into as a 10 year old kid. However, Joey turned into a Rush fangirl with time, considering them their favorite band, and Bravado her favorite song ever. As a matter of fact, when asked about three songs that should not be missing on a perfect mix tape, Joey obviously added Bravado to the list, complementing it with Battleship Chain, by The Georgia Satellites, and Get The Funk Out, by Extreme.

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Furthermore, our dauntless bassist said that her first self-bought album was Down To Earth, by Rainbow, saying that “I thought the cover was beautiful. The music on it is even better.” She also considers Extreme the most underrated band of all time, and she’s very proud of having the album The Ship, by Swiss Progressive Heavy Rock band Tea, in her collection, signed by the band’s vocalist Marc Storace with the comment “But you’re far too young for that!” At her funeral, she said she wants the song I Hope They Serve Jack Daniels In Hell, by Bourbon Crow, to be played, and that a romantic evening must include the music by Belphegor (and no one knows if she was joking or not when she said that). She also said that she doesn’t like to listen to digital music, but only to CD’s and vinyl, enjoying CD’s while she’s driving and leaving all vinyl for when she’s at home; and by the way, when asked about which albums she would take to a deserted island, she said that she would never go to any island without her record collection. Her taste for good music goes on, as besides rock and metal music she’s also a fan of Blues and Southern Rock, Horror and Death Punk, Russian classical music, and honest pop music (“not the radio nonsense,” as per Joey herself), also saying that she doesn’t like all that “more show, less music” nonsense that happens with bands like Sabaton, Battle Beast and Powerwolf.

Joey is also an avid concert goer, of course whenever she’s not touring with Mystic Prophecy, mentioning Rush on the Snakes & Arrows Tour in 2007, Rush at Sweden Rock Festival in 2013, and (guess what!?) Rush on the Time Machine Tour in 2011 as her top three concerts of all time. I guess I don’t need to repeat that she’s indeed fanatic for the most important Canadian rock band of all time, right? As a matter of fact, she considers Canada  the country with the most “best of all time” bands, including not only Rush and Triumph, but also Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova, Loverboy, Devin Townsend and so on. On the other hand, she mentioned Mötley Crüe as one of the bands she doesn’t want to see live again, as the last time she saw them it was quite embarrassing for the band and their fans (despite Joey loving their music very much). She also mentioned that she can’t stand still at a concert by American Southern Rock band Dan Baird & Homemade Sin, or at a concert by any of Dan Baird’s bands. And if you also love the thrill of live concerts like Joey, click HERE and go catch Mystic Prophecy live, as I’m sure you’ll love to have your ass kicked by Joey and her ruthless bass together with her talented bandmates.

Not only an accomplished musician, Joey has also ventured through other industries and markets, all connected to rock and metal, and all related to the visual aspects of the business. For instance, she’s the creative designer at JR with the Scissorhands, crafting handmade, authentic Rock N’ Roll clothing; she’s the manager (or at least used to be the manager) at Roxx Off Concerts; and she’s also a former “mad hatter” (yes, like the character from Alice in Wonderland, designing cowboy hats and custom shirts) and custom cutter at Souls of Rock Clothing, showing all her versatility in our rock and metal universe. Although she lives and breathes music one hundred percent of her time, she mentioned in an interview that that she’s probably one of the few people who has never sung in the shower, and that there’s no such amount of alcohol in the world (by the way, she’s a a beer and single malt whiskey girl) that would make her sing along to a hit song (unless maybe Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder, a song by Die Toten Hosen). And last but not least, she said that if one day she ever gets married, she hopes there’s an Elvis there, because she will probably be drunk in Las Vegas with him as her best man. I thought Elvis is always supposed to be the priest at those famous Vegas weddings, but if Joey wants him to be her best man, who are we to go against one of the most versatile and badass bass players hailing from the current European heavy music scene, right? Jokes aside, this is just her way of saying that she will never ever get married and have a family, because the chances of her being drunk in Vegas again are pretty low to zero, and those marriages are not official in Europe and can be annulated within 24 hours, which FOR SURE would be the case if ever that might happen to her for some sort of strange reasons.

Joey Roxx’s Official Facebook page
Joey Roxx’s Official Instagram
Mystic Prophecy’s Official Facebook page
Mystic Prophecy’s Official Instagram
Mystic Prophecy’s Official YouTube channel

“I’m quite open to anything that’s played with a lot of passion and real instruments. I can even find hip-hop to be of good quality and enjoy it live with a band, even if I’ll never really like it.” – Joey Roxx

Metal Chick of the Month – Anni Kokkonen

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Your love is poison… Running through my veins!

As it’s getting colder and colder in the Northern Hemisphere, we needed a metal lady for the month of December who’s not only used to this chilly, frosty weather, but who can also warm up our hearts with her undisputed talent, charisma and passion for heavy music. Hailing from the beautiful land of ice and snow, commonly referred to as Finland, she’s the lead singer for Symphonic/Melodic Power Metal band Nevicate, and for Symphonic/Melodic Groove Metal band Stormbreaker, as well as a lyricist and a pianist, always putting a huge smile on our faces and inspiring us to raise our horns with her powerful voice and whimsical keys. If you have no idea who Anni Kokkonen is, get ready to be stunned by one of the must-see names of the current underground scene in Finland, taking you on a wild journey through the realms of Melodic Metal in her homeland.

Anni started her career in music as the vocalist for Joensuu, Finland-based Symphonic/Melodic Power Metal outfit Nevicate (which by the way means “snowfall” in Italian) back in 2014, when the band was actually formed. Sometimes labeled as a band that plays “Pop Metal”, the music by Nevicate projects a great deal of musical features including modern EDM, classically orchestrated “drama-music” and dark, mystical Nordic atmospheres, or in other words, it’s a mixture of symphonic tones, pop vibes and electronic elements, with all lyrics revolving around psychological themes, dealing with the fragile human mind and wounds caused by adversity, resulting in a blend of feminine power, masculine headbanging and melancholic moodiness. So far, the band formed of our diva Anni Kokkonen on vocals, Lassi Porali on the guitars and backing vocals, Lumi Ollila on keyboards and backing vocals, Oskari Hevonkoski on bass and Toni Manninen on drums released their self-titled debut demo in 2016, followed by the singles Shattered, in 2017, The Surface, in 2019, and Dewdrops, in 2021, with Anni being responsible for the vocals and lyrics in all of them.

The band began to gain more ground in 2015 after participating and getting more encouragement in a project called Rock Academy in Joensuu, during which the band developed their own personal sound that reaches both catchy and heavy spheres. Having a strong musical background which can be heard from their meandering song arrangements and rigorous co-playing, all band members exploit both their steady musical knowledge and the emotion and interpretation entailed by years of playing experience. If you want to explore in more detail the mystical world ruled by Nevicate, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, BandCamp, Spotify, and YouTube, where by the way you can watch their videos for the songs Dewdrops, The Surface, and Shattered, as well as other nice videos of making of’s and playthroughs. No idea at all if the band is on hold, if they called it quits, or if they’re just taking their time before their next release, but one thing is certain, and that is we need more of the music by Nevicate.

We can all say that right now Anni is fully focused on her Symphonic/Melodic Groove Metal band Stormbreaker, playing melodic but deliciously aggressive metal music. Founded in 2021 in Joensuu, the band currently comprised of Anni alongside veteran musician Petri Tarvainen on vocals, Jaakko Kauppinen and Tomi Virtanen on the guitars, Tatu Heikkinen on bass and Sami Ratilainen on drums was originally formed as a solo project of Petri Tarvainen, employing a host of familiar traits including a dynamic male and female vocal approach, stunning musicianship, and classic arrangements, being therefore recommended for fans of Arch Enemy, Beast In Black and Nightwish, among others. Earlier this year the band released their debut effort, a four-track EP overflowing adrenaline, harmony and rage entitled Vengeance, available for a full listen on YouTube, Spotify, BandCamp, Tidal and Apple Music, or click HERE for all things Stormbreaker.

Apart form her amazing work with Nevicate and Stormbreaker, we can also enjoy Anni and her hypnotizing vocals as a guest backing vocalist in the 2022 six-track EP Age of Mist, by Joensuu-based Melodic Death Metal band Cerebral Mist. The band is currently inactive due to the death of founding member Antti Parviainen in February 2018, with Age of Mist being finished posthumously by the remaining members of the band four years later to honour him and his work. Hence, you can enjoy the music by Cerebral Mist and celebrate the life of the deceased Antti Parviainen by listening to the EP in its entirety on BandCamp, on Spotify, or on YouTube. Furthermore, you can also enjoy Anni’s powerful vocals as a guest in the single Singularity (available on BandCamp, on Spotify, on YouTube, and on other streaming services), released in 2019 by Finnish Melodic Death Metal act Decrowned.

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Not only a fantastic vocalist, Anni is also a skillful pianist who does improvisations and covers on her Instagram profile @piano_b_onfire, and as Anni states in the profile herself, she plays the piano “just for fun”. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure the fact Anni can play the piano so well is extremely helpful for her when it comes to writing music for any of her bands, and speaking about her influences, she mentioned her own feelings as one of the driving forces in her writing process. “Usually, my current life situation gets me to write down my feelings which gradually develop into a lyric form. Also, whenever I’m touched by some other things that can make me put my thoughts on paper,” commented our Melodic Death Metal diva.

It’s also important to mention how dynamic the duo of Anni and Petri is for Stormbreaker, with Anni not only doing the clean parts in paradox to Petri’s harsh growls, but also showcasing her more venomous side and doing some screams as well, again proving how versatile her vocals can be. Her vocals will remind you of a young Doro Pesch at times, ad also of the iconic Kimberly Goss (of bands like Sinergy and Avernus), and all that range and versatility can be appreciated in all of its glory when Anni hits the stage, as she truly loves to perform live. “Live performances are one of the most important things to us. They tell the listeners what the band is truly about and can easily reach new fans at the same time. And to me being on stage is the best part of doing music,” she commented.

Anni doesn’t only love to be on stage and bring her music to life in front of an audience, but she also believes music videos are another crucial part of any band. “Music videos are a great way to promote bands in order to get gigs, and making them can give new exciting experiences which is always great and motivational,” she said, and we must all agree it’s always great to see a charismatic performer like her on screen, right? And lastly, when asked in one of her interviews if she prefers physical copies like CD’s, LP’s and cassettes, or if she’s a fan of digital downloads, she actually answered both are necessary in our world today. “Both have their pros and cons. Digital downloads are easy to share and spread all over the world but of course it’s a different matter to put an actual CD on a shelf. That’s why we like to make physical copies as well so we can really feel our accomplishment in our own hands.” Hence, what are you waiting for to buy the music by Anni’s amazing bands in digital or physical format, or even both? I’m sure she’ll be more than happy with that, inspiring her to keep creating thrilling and beautiful music, always embellishing the airwaves of her homeland Finland and anywhere else where good music is appreciated with her striking voice.

Anni Kokkonen’s Official Instagram
Anni Kokkonen (piano)’s Official Instagram
Stormbreaker’s Official Facebook page
Stormbreaker’s Official Instagram
Stormbreaker’s Official YouTube channel
Nevicate’s Official Facebook page
Nevicate’s Official Instagram
Nevicate’s Official YouTube channel

“Live performances are one of the most important things to us. They tell the listeners what the band is truly about and can easily reach new fans at the same time. And to me being on stage is the best part of doing music.” – Anni Kokkonen

Metal Chick of the Month – Donna Diane

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Cover your heads… No one escapes my hell… On all you know!

It’s time to make a lot of noise here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multitalented, unstoppable metal lady of this month of November. Pulling triple duty for Chicago, Illinois-based Noise Rock duo Djunah, simultaneously singing, playing the guitar, and playing a Moog bass organ with her feet (which is the reason why they like to say that they have “a leg for a bassist”), she will blow your mind with her undeniable charisma and skills, in special her powerful, unrestrained vocal style, channeling all her mental health issues through her music in the best way imaginable. Get ready to be absolutely stunned by the one and only Donna Diane, letting her music penetrate deep inside your soul and touch your heart in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll.

Drawing a broad range of comparisons from PJ Harvey and Diamanda Galás to Melvins, the independent Noise Rock project Djunah (pronounced “JUNE-uh”) pairs Donna’s powerful, unrestrained vocal style with crashing guitar riffs and heavy, punishing drums courtesy of drummer Jared Karns (Their/They’re/There, Hidden Hospitals), blending elements from Noise Rock with Post-Metal, Post-Doom, Post-Hardcore and so on to give their sound a very unique taste. Known for their massive, intense live sound, the duo was formed back in 2018 fueled as much by big emotions as it is by love of gear. Donna and Jared have already released the singles Built and Brother, both in 2018 (and both also available as amazing videos on YouTube by clicking HERE and HERE, respectively), followed by their debut full-length album Ex Voto, in 2019, and more recently their sophomore effort Femina Furens, in the first quarter of 2023. For instance, you can find all of their noisy creations on BandCamp and on Spotify, and some of their wicked songs also on YouTube, including the excellent Animal Kingdom and Seven Winds of Sekhmet, or click HERE for all things Djunah.

Speaking about the single Brother, it’s important to say that the song not only features the voices of Anita Hill, Ana Maria Archila, Maria Gallagher and Christine Blasey Ford, but even more important than that, 100% of all sales are donated to Brave Space Alliance, the first Black-led, Trans-led LGBTQ+ center located on the South Side of Chicago. This is a very strong statement of the political and social aspect of the music by Djunah and the importance of discussing such themes to Donna, which means if you want to join her in her everyday fight against prejudice and inequality, you should definitely purchase the single from Djunah’s own BandCamp page. That’s a very good example of exactly how music can have a strong and lasting positive impact in our lives.

Their most recent opus, titled Femina Furens, also has a deep, emotional meaning to Donna. Femina Furens, which is Latin for “furious woman”, fuses influences from poetry the likes of Gerard Manley Hopkins, Sylvia Plath and John Donne, and heavy music such as PJ Harvey, Hum and Neurosis to tell the story of diagnosis and continuing recovery from complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD, with its artwork being inspired by representations of the divine feminine in 1970’s Sci-Fi Metal art, particularly the work of French artist Philippe Caza for “Métal hurlant” (later republished in the United States as “Heavy Metal” magazine). Animals, chariots or sleighs, and mythological figures appear prominently on the album as a way of exploring themes of emotional regulation, power and control, some of the core features of trauma disorders.

“We’re heavy, noisy, and still fairly melodic. If you like aggressive guitar, big drum fills, and an even ratio of singing to shouting, you’ll probably like us,” commented Donna, and you can easily sense the impact of all of her main idols influences in the music by her beast Djunah. For instance, she listens to a lot of early and pre-war Blues, Soul and R&B, with some of her favourite singers being Tina Turner and Lou Rawls, while she also loves Bo Diddley. However, it’s not just music that inspires her. “I’d say the majority of my influences are nonmusical because it makes for more interesting art that way. Some influences are related to the gear I use and building songs around those sounds. Politics had an incredibly strong influence on the album – songs like Built, Bless Your Money, and Mirrors for Narcissists are good examples of that. Messing around with poetry and meter is also a big source of inspiration for me. The name Djunah actually derives from one of my favorite writers, Djuna Barnes, eternal queen of the ungodly long sentence.”

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Donna is (or was) also part of a Chicago-based slashy, bass-Heavy Rock trio named Beat Drun Juel, where she’s responsible for the vocal and guitar duties while Jesse Giallombardo takes care of bass and Mat Haywood of drums. This project came before the creation of Djunah, having released so far a demo EP titled Off Your Face, back in 2014, followed by the two-track EP This Is How I Get Over You / That Boy Musta Stole Something of Mine, in 2015, and the full-length album Suppressor, in 2016, all available on their BandCamp page. Furthermore, you can also go to the project’s official YouTube channel and enjoy their videos for the songs That Boy Musta Stole Something of Mine, Hugger, and Die Unknown. I believe the band is either done or on hold due to Djunah, but you never know if or when Donna will revisit it in the near future.

Donna was also featured on Premier Guitar’s Rig Rundown back in 2020, where she talked about how she managed to learn how to play two instruments at the same time live, plus of course singing. “I actually dove right into it. The most time-consuming part was learning about synthesis because I’d never used an analog synthesizer before. I played a few solo shows with the bass organ first to see if it was something viable to do on stage. Then Nick and I started playing together, and it took us just a couple months to get a set together. I will say I’ve improved a lot over the two years I’ve been doing it. I’m constantly developing technique and changing my setup to help me to do more complex things. So, it’s always a work in progress,” commented our multi-talented diva, also saying that she believes people enjoy the show a lot in intimate settings when they can see what she’s doing up close. “It was definitely a case of necessity being the mother of invention. My old band had ground to a halt, and I wanted a way to play solo without sacrificing the bass. I don’t like using prerecorded sounds or loops, so I decided to try playing guitar and a bass synth simultaneously. It’s such a mindfuck – I love it!”

In April 2021, Donna opened up about being diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD, a disorder caused by complex trauma, or multiple traumas sustained and repeated over time. “Complex trauma can take many forms, such as domestic violence or abuse in childhood (as in my case), and it can have painful, lifelong consequences,” commented Donna, who believes it’s extremely important for anyone suffering from their own sicknesses and traumas to search for help and support, also pointing out the importance of music in that process. “Every day, people come forward with personal stories about sexual assault or opioid addiction or mental illness, and we’re slowly learning as a society to embrace that vulnerability instead of shaming it and telling it to shut up. I want to make music that represents the power of that vulnerability. A lot of my life, I was told I was too sensitive and that being sensitive is weak. So, I killed off a lot of the feeling, in my heart and in my body, just to make it through the day. Reclaiming it and finding power in it has been incredibly healing for me. I think that’s why there’s a lot of sexuality in the music. Sex, to me, is the ultimate in combining sensitivity and power. I sometimes think of it as feminine power, but really it has no gender.” Hence, if you or someone you know need help, you can call the suicide crisis line at 1-800-273-8255 or text 741741, and also search for valuable resources at the No Shame On U website (Chicago only or nationwide).

There are several online interviews with Donna that will show you how amazing she is, and everything she’s doing to take the name of Djunah to new heights. In this one to Car Con Carne Podcast, for example, she talks about her journey and her fight against her personal issues and struggles with C-PTSD; then two years later, she joined Car Con Carne Podcast again in an episode called ‘she who is powerful’ to talk about Djunah’s newest album Femina Furens. There’s also a podcast named Conversations With Dwyer where Donna talks about playing in Chicago dive bars at 17, how she went from writing a novel to music, the DIY ascent of her band and her struggles with C-PTSD; and another one called Mid-Riff where Donna discusses inventing bass organ techniques, dressing like Steve Albini, mentorship, the impact of trauma therapy on music, and much more. Having said all that, what are you waiting for to know more about the unstoppable Donna Diane and her Djunah? Let there be rock, and let there be noise.

Donna Diane’s Official Instagram
Djunah’s Official Facebook page
Djunah’s Official Instagram
Djunah’s Official YouTube channel
Djunah’s Official BandCamp page
Djunah’s Official Spotify

“Music is a physical, full-body experience for me anyway, so playing with my whole body – and controlling so much of the frequency spectrum – only deepens that.” – Donna Diane

Metal Chick of the Month – Bridget Lynch

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It ends with flames, Bridget!

Whenever you think of Brutal Death Metal, words such as gore, torture, murder and depravity, among several others, quickly come to your mind, creating that physical and mental preparedness needed to endure the heaviness and violence of this distinct subgenre of extreme music. However, after reading our tribute to our metal lady of this month of October here on The Headbanging Moose, I’m sure her first and last name will also be added to your Death Metal dictionary, and you better get ready because her guttural roars are definitely not recommended for the lighthearted. As a matter of fact, she’s not just a fantastic growler, but also a talented bassist, a drum programmer, an illustrator and a tattoo artist, and if for any reason you think that’s still not enough, let me tell you that the multi-talented Bridget Lynch, the frontwoman for Texas-based Brutal Death Metal outfit Stabbing, will kick you right in the head and teach you a lesson in violence.

Born on April 14, 1998 in Houston, the most populous city in Texas and in the Southern United States, we can say Bridget began her career as a metal vocalist in 2014, when she did live vocals for a New York-based Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore band named Animals Killing People, whose music is, among other topics, inspired by animal rights. There’s only one decent video online showing her contribution to the band live at Building Temples From Death Fest in Houston back in 2014, and although the quality of the sound is not great you can already sense how venomous her growls are. Furthermore, in 2015 she was supposed to be part of a San Francisco, California-based  Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore band named Cerebral Engorgement, and although there are a couple of pictures online of Bridget with the band, she never officially played with the band, nor released any recording with them.

Let’s say that her first official band was Houston, Texas-based Grindcore/Queercore trio Dystopian Reality, having recorded alongside guitarist Valerie and drummer CC their 2019 self-titled EP. The band doesn’t seem to exist anymore (or at least it’s not active on any social media), but you can enjoy not only their full EP on Youtube or on BandCamp, but also this fun live footage from the band in 2019 on YouTube. Right after her stint with Dystopian Reality, our dauntless growler was also part of another Brutal Death Metal project from Houston named Nephilim Grinder, having recorded with them their two-track debut 2020 demo (which can be enjoyed in full on BandCamp), and one important detail about Nephilim Grinder is that it was the band that put her in contact with Marvin Ruiz, the guitarist for her current band Stabbing (and we’ll get to that shortly).

In the middle of 2020, Bridget founded her own solo project (most probably due to the isolation that happened during the Covid-19 pandemic), a Goregrind beast entitled Pyosisified, being responsible for all vocals and instruments in the best “one-woman army” way you can imagine, and releasing that same year the project’s self-titled five-track demo (which is available on BandCamp). No one knows for sure if Bridget will keep her solo beast alive due to her commitments with Stabbing, but I’m sure the Grindcore and Brutal Death Metal scene would love to hear more from Pyosisified. And apart from all those bands, you can also enjoy her demented vocals in the song Hash Driveway, from the EP Split the Fuck Open, released earlier this year by Colorado Springs-based Death Metal/Grindcore act 10 to the Chest.

It was back in 2021 when Bridget alongside guitarist Marvin Ruiz, plus husband and wife Rene Martinez on drums and Meryl Martinez on bass (both having recently left the band, by the way), founded Austin/Houston, Texas-based powerhouse Stabbing. As a matter of fact, in the beginning we can say it was just Marvin and Rene jamming back and forth with guitar riffs and drum parts. “We thought we had something and we just needed a vocalist and a bass player. He knew Bridget and I knew Meryl, so there you go. We got a band. So that’s how we put that together. And it was pretty easy. We didn’t really expect to put together a full band like that,” said Rene. Highly recommended for fans of bands the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Disgorge, Devangelic and Defeated Sanity, just to name a few, Stabbing deliver a vicious sonic assault, combining sick guttural vocals, slamming blast beats, menacing guitar riffs and terrifying lyrics.

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Rene mentioned that in the beginning they actually tried out a few vocalists before they went with Bridget, but in the end, she was the best fit for it hands down. “Bridget is just a beast on the mic. You don’t really see a frontwoman in this genre, which adds a great dynamic to the band,” he mentioned in an interview. And we must all admit her gore drenched, gut-ripping vocals are exactly what Stabbing needs to solidify even more their beyond brutal fusion of slam, grind and unfiltered brutality. Hence, you can enjoy Bridget’s maniac guttural attack by listening to their 2021 debut demo, to their 2021 EP Ravenous Psychotic Onslaught, and to their 2022 full-length opus Extirpated Mortal Process, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify (or click HERE for all things Stabbing), and you can also enjoy some of their wicked creations with Bridget kicking some serious ass on vocals on YouTube, including the songs  Gutted By The Beast, Extirpated Mortal Process, Splatter Pit, live versions of Excrement Sarcophagus and Splatter Pit, and a rehearsal of their set  for Sick Dog Fest in 2021.

As mentioned in the beginning of this tribute to Bridget, she’s also an up-and-coming illustrator and a tattoo artist who’s making a name for herself not only in the metal scene in Houston, but anywhere in the world where art and brutality unite in the name of heavy music. For instance, she’s the artist responsible for the artworks for the 2019 album Double Promo Penetration, by multinational Brutal Death Metal band Kraanium; for the 2018 EP Nullity of Light, by Tempe, Arizona-based Blackened Death Metal act Light Dweller; for the 2018 EP Purity Through Putrefaction, by Los Angeles, California’s own Death Metal group Malignant; for the 2021 demo by Oakland, California-based Brutal Death Metal band Summoner; and of course the artwork (and sometimes the logo only) for some releases by her past and present bands, those being the 2020 demo by Nephilim Grinder, the 2020 demo for her own project Pyosisified, and the 2021 EP Ravenous Psychotic Onslaught by Stabbing. In addition, if you want to know more about her illustrator and tattoo artist endeavor, and even book an appointment with Bridget to get a new ink, you can do so by visiting her Instagram profile dedicated to her work as a tattoo artist.

Stabbing are touring the United States and Canada (and hopefully I’ll be able to witness Bridget kicking ass live with her demented roars here in Toronto) this November and December as one of the opening acts for American Brutal Death Metal masters Suffocation and American Death Metal institution Incantation, as part of their Ancient Unholy Uprising Tour 2023, and if Bridget and her Stabbing are soon taking your hometown by storm, don’t miss the chance to witness one of the most electrifying growlers of the new generation of extreme music, as she definitely has the talent, the charisma and the strength to reach new heights with Stabbing or any of her other projects. She’s a hard working musician and artist that deserves our full recognition and appreciation, crafting her Death Metal magic just the way we like it, always keeping it as brutal, technical and awesome as it can be.

Bridget Lynch’s Official Instagram
Bridget Lynch – Tattoo Artist’s Official Instagram
Stabbing’s Official Facebook page
Stabbing’s Official Instagram
Stabbing’s Official YouTube channel
Stabbing’s Official BandCamp page
Stabbing’s Official Spotify profile

Metal Chick of the Month – Lady IX

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On the Isle of Vanaheim grant me one last poisoned kiss…

Dark. Mysterious. Delicate. Unique. These are just some of the words that can be used to describe our metal lady of the month of September, and after reading more about her I’m sure several other words related to beauty and darkness will come to your mind. Well, to be honest, there isn’t a lot of information about her personal life anywhere, just to show you how cryptic she is and how she likes to keep her fans curious to know more about her life and her work. No one knows her real name, but we can all call her by her alter-ego Lady IX, the mesmerizing frontwoman and songwriter for Belgian Gothic/Doom Metal outfit Hyldr, who’s also an aspiring writer and the author of the Hyldr Chronicles, a lover of YA books (aka young adult fiction) and audiobooks, and above all that, a lover of your blood. Yes, you read it right, so you better get ready to enter the Stygian realm of Lady IX and her Hyldr here on The Headbanging Moose because, as you might have noticed, there’s no turning back after she sinks her fangs in your jugular.

It’s absolutely unclear if Lady IX was born in Wales, in Belgium or anywhere else, nor if she actually resides in Brașov, a city in the Transylvania region of Romania ringed by the Carpathian Mountains, which would make total sense based on her obscure and hypnotizing persona. What we know is that it was back in 2021 when Lady IX decided to form the Gothic/Doom Metal beast Hyldr, focusing on an emotional approach to morbid themes inspired by her own book, the aforementioned Hyldr Chronicles, using it as a template for the band’s song concepts. By the way, the name Hyldr is a reference to a Valkyrie that one character, a Japanese woman who ends up in the middle of a Viking turmoil, wishes she could become in the book, presenting elements of the supernatural combined with doses of Greek tragedy.

Currently formed of our diva Lady IX on vocals, keyboards, lyrics and songwriting alongside guitarists VI and Jean Dark, bassist Wôde, and drummer Saïko, Hyldr take the listener on an unforgettable musical adventure, bringing to our avid ears a captivating fusion of sounds inspired by both cinematic and operatic works, crafting a realm that fans cannot resist. Having released so far the singles Heart of Soil and Your Frozen Chest, plus their debut full-length opus Order of the Mist, all in 2022, the band conjures a treat for fans of Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Ghost, Draconian, Saturnus, and others who appreciate the ominous beauty of Gothic and Doom Metal. For instance, Order of the Mist (which title refers to rulers of the underworld in Nebelwood Forest where the shape-shifting Huldra folk have the power to bring back the dead) offers our damned souls eight distinguished tracks that are sometimes haunting and hypnotic, sometimes epic and melodic, including the two aforementioned songs Heart of Soil and Your Frozen Chest, as well as Nibelungen and The Blade Of Gold. Furthermore, the band is already gearing up for the future, having already composed the sequel to Order of the Mist while they’re at the same time looking for a label to help them spread their caustic fusion of Gothic and Doom Metal worldwide.

Speaking of the song Nibelungen, where they venture into the depths of their genre to create a truly hypnotic piece and where Lady IX seamlessly blends into the mesmerizing excerpts from Fritz Lang’s cinematic masterpiece Die Nibelungen, it’s not just a stunning fusion of visual darkness and enchanting music inspired by the magnificent work of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, but Lady IX and the rest of the band also hope that the fans connect with the official video for the song in a significant way, especially given its relevance in today’s world. “I hope that our fans and new ones will be curious enough to perhaps go and find the original film and watch it. Such an old movie in black and white must be daunting to a lot of people, but this sort of cinematographic relic really is worth the effort,” commented Lady IX about the song and the video, also offering a playful proposition. “We also would like the fans to crowdfund a remake of the entire film with all Hyldr band members playing the main roles! A worldwide financial success awaits!” Hence, you can enjoy Nibelungen and all other songs and videos from Hyldr directly from Spotify, from BandCamp, or from Youtube.

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Now switching gears a little from music to literature, let’s talk about the inspiration for the existence of Hyldr, Lady IX’s own Hyldr Chronicles, a YA science fantasy horror book fully written by our beloved diva of darkness. In this YouTube playlist, Lady IX reads the ghostly yet relaxing audiobook by the fire, chapter by chapter, and tells the gory folktale of a young woman from Otarunai in Japan who has an uncanny ability to see the dead and sometimes communicate with them. One traumatic day, she is torn from her troublesome coastal village and finds herself trapped in a world where sinister Norse mythology becomes a harsh reality. Before new chapters are read or written, Lady IX will occasionally allow her loyal Huldra listeners of the Hyldr Chronicles to join in interactively by choosing paths for the characters to take. By the way, the specific order of the songs in the album Order of the Mist does not follow the chronology of the Hyldr Chronicles, but slices the story up “like a dissected corpse” as mentioned by the band. “All our songs are connected, distilling a larger story,” said Lady IX about the uniqueness of her book and her band’s new album.

Her official YouTube channel, as well as the official YouTube channel for Hyldr, are actually full of other surprises the likes of Hyldr Chronicles. For example, there’s a playlist called Ghostly Choirs, where you can enjoy the harrowing singing from the Hyldr Chronicles by Lady IX; another one named Order of the Mist Vocal Autopsy, where Lady IX’s vocals are put under a microscope from the album Order of the Mist; and one named Lady IX Songs, where you can enjoy a variety of videos with Lady IX including our diva singing the song My Bones To The Sea, by Harakiri for the Sky. As you can see, despite the fact that there are almost zero details about Lady IX’s personal life available online, her music, her creations and her passion for everything that’s dark and gothic are easy to find, taking you on a one-way journey to the deep and somber lair ruled by our hypnotizing metal lady and her Hyldr.

Lady IX’s Official Facebook page
Lady IX’s Official Instagram
Lady IX’s Official YouTube channel
Hyldr’s Official Facebook page
Hyldr’s Official Instagram
Hyldr’s Official YouTube channel

Metal Chick of the Month – Katiuzca Guerrero

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Chaos, war and death!

Just like what happens in old school Death Metal, our tribute to our metal lady of the month of August will go straight to the point, with no shenanigans nor anything like that, focusing on the music above anything else, and I’m sure you’re going to be impressed with her undeniable talent as a musician, as an illustrator, and also as a martial arts fighter. The Right Hand of Kali Ma, the Hindu goddess of time, creation, preservation, and destruction, she’s known as the guitarist for Peruvian Death Metal veterans Disinter, and she takes no prisoners in her quest for underground extreme music and arts. Her full name is Katiuzca Guerrero Medina, or simply Katiuzca Guerrero, but you’ll also find her under the monikers Sadistik Kali and Tsurr when she’s armed with her scorching guitar. Having said all that, get ready to be stunned and crushed like an insect here on The Headbanging Moose by a fierce and ruthless woman who lives and breathes Death Metal, proudly carrying the flag of Peruvian extreme music wherever she goes.

Born and raised in the Peruvian capital of Lima, our dauntless Katiuzca went to Colegio Nacional San Agustin 2085, and later studied Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Instituto de Educación Superior Ricardo Palma, both located in Lima, before starting her career in music and arts. In 2014 she began kicking some ass on the guitar and bass with Lima, Peru-based band Tunjum (which began in 2007 as an all-female project playing Pagan-themed Death Metal), under the moniker Tsurr (which might have been inspired by a sentient species, among the galaxy’s most dangerous predators, indigenous to the planet of T’surr, from Star Wars), having recorded with them a rehearsal promo/demo, the EP Sagrado Tiempo De Caos, and the demo Muerte Ancestral, all in 2014. You can find the EP available on some online underground retailers, and some videos online such as the song Demonios de la Tierra, but overall Tunjum are a very underground act and apart from their most recent release (already without Katiuzca in their lineup) you won’t find anything on BandCamp or on Spotify.

After her brief stint with Tunjum, our Peruvian metaller joined Lima, Peru-based Funeral Doom/Death Metal masters Lament Christ from 2017 to 2019, but the band didn’t release any new material while they had her on the guitars. Then after leaving Lament Christ she became the rhythm guitarist of Peruvian Death Metal band Necrofagore as Sadistik Kali, having recorded with the band the 2020 album Into the Gloom of the Buried Valley before departing from the band in 2021. As a matter of fact, she was also responsible for the cover art for the album recorded with Necrofagore, but let’s talk about that in more detail when we focus on her career as a Death Metal illustrator.

Finally, in 2022, Katiuzca became the second guitarist for Lima, Peru-based Death Metal institution Disinter also under the moniker Sadistik Kali, having recorded with the band their 2022 pulverizing opus Guerra Eterna, a 12-track concept album divided into three chapters, those being Chapter I: Caos, Guerra y Muerte (tracks 1-4), Chapter II: Ancestrales Cultos Heréticos (tracks 5-8), and Chapter III: Gloria Inmortal (tracks 9-12), featuring absolute Death Metal beasts such as the song Illiatupac. Currently formed of our ass-kicking Katiuzca on the guitars alongside founder and drummer Roberto Leonardi (Supplicium, Gore), former vocalist and current bassist Leonardo Navarrete (Black Angel, Eternal Exhumation, Rotten Evisceration, Ritual), and guitarist Jose Delion (Flagelum, Metal Crucifier, Konrac), Disinter craft austere music about anti-Christianity, gore, history, paganism, Peruvian nationalism and terror, and if you’re curious to know more about such important band of the Peruvian extreme music scene you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, and buy or stream their ferocious music on BandCamp and on Spotify. In addition, there are a few interesting video on YouTube with Katiuzca slashing her stringed axe together with Disinter, including a summary of their concert at Total Thrash Attack 2023, the song I Have Come also at Total Thrash Attack 2023, a rehearsal of the song Aberrantes Ofrendas Al Ukupacha, another rehearsal for the song Señores De La Guerra Chimu, and the live videos for La Ultima Ofensiva and Aberrantes Ofrendas Al Ukupacha.

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Regarding her career as a Death Metal cover artist and graphic designer, Katiuzca owns her own business named Temple of Kalighat Arts, also located in Lima, Peru, labeling her own practice as “a world full of madness and death dedicated to the illustrations done by the Right Hand of Kali Ma.” You’ll find her artworks beautifully embracing the demonic music by bands the likes of Abatuar, Grave Desecration, Sepulchral Voices, Black Communion and Putrid, anog many others. For instance, you can feast your eyes on the cover arts for the 2017 album Perversiones de Muerte Putrefacta by Abatuar; the 2019 album Porkus Filth’s Crusher by Excruciate 666; the 2022 self-titled EP by Serpent Antique; and of course the 2022 album Guerra Eterna by her current band Disinter; just to name a few. In addition, you can also see her art on the front cover of underground webzines like the one for the Call from Beyond zine issue #2, published in 2018. Hence, don’t forget to keep an eye on the official Facebook and Instagram for Temple of Kalighat Arts for more of her sensational and devilish creations. If you think that’s a lot for just one person, let me tell you that she also works in the sales and distribution department of a Peruvian company named Thrashirts, a heavy music-oriented label specialized in booking and management, distribution, merchandising, concerts and festivals, and more. Is that enough for you?

Well, let’s say Katiuzca is an unstoppable woman, and while you might already be too tired to follow her speed, she still has a lot of energy left to kick your ass as a Muay Thai, boxing and MMA fighter and instructor. She’s one of the teachers and part of the administrative staff at Peru Fight Academy Norte, having arrived from the #NiUnaMenos campaign (a movement against violence against women, spearheaded by an organization called Frente Nacional de Mujeres por la Gobernabilidad y la Democracia), and at that time she was already a national No-Gi Jiu Jitsu champion and a national runner-up in Muay Thai. You can see her in action on a couple of YouTube videos like this one and this one, and check out her profile HERE, but be careful, as she will mercilessly kick your damned ass in the name of Death Metal.

Katiuzca Guerrero’s Official Facebook page
Temple of Kalighat Arts’ Official Facebook page
Temple of Kalighat Arts’ Official Instagram
Disinter’s Official Facebook page
Disinter’s Official Instagram
Disinter’s Official YouTube channel