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Metal Chick of the Month – Laura Guldemond

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Lock, lock, lock her in the tower!

As the fires of summer continue to burn in the Northern Hemisphere, there’s nothing better than dedicating an entire article to one of our beloved Burning Witches, more specifically the one responsible for turning the band’s lyrics into sheer power and energy through her soaring, undisputed vocals. Not only a classy vocalist and frontwoman, she’s also a diehard metalhead, always ready to show her love for old school Heavy Metal, and always ready to rock our world with her incredible voice and charisma. Her name is Laura Guldemond, a crazy wild child and frontwoman for one of the must-see names of the current metallic scene, and once you know more about her career, her personal life, and her passion for heavy music, there’s certainly no turning back, as you’ll be under the spell of one of the most talented “witches” of the worldwide metal community. Having said all that, are you ready to be locked in the tower by the phenomenal Laura Guldemond here on The Headbanging Moose?

Born on July 31, 1988 in Zoetermeer, a city in the Western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, Laura doesn’t exactly come from a family of musicians, but there was still a lot of music surrounding her in her early days. “It’s funny, because my parents weren’t into music, but my grandparents were musicians – they played the double bass and the violin. They travelled around playing music, and I guess the next generation was fed up with that, so it had to continue with me! My mum’s half-sister still plays the flute, too.” Although she could sing a little bit and was comfortable with some notes, she had to learn the high notes by taking singing lessons, and at one point she decided she wanted to become a professional singer. Then she went to a conservatory in Eindhoven called The Metal Factory to continue with her studies. “When I was about twenty years old, I decided to take things a little more seriously, and that’s when I started taking singing lessons. Later on, I decided that I had to study music somehow. I auditioned for the Haarlem conservatory and ended up in the preparatory course for it, but then I came across the Metal Factory, and I was part of the first batch of students there.”

Laura has been immersing herself in Heavy Metal and Hard Rock for most of her life, saying it was a big discovery for her when she was younger. “My parents never really went any heavier than Queen. Which I like, but then I discovered Within Temptation, and I loved it. That was probably mainly because it sounds a little mysterious. That’s what I liked about it, at least. When the time came that I had enough allowance to buy albums, I found W.A.S.P.’s Dying for the World right next to Within Temptation. I really like W.A.S.P. as well. From then on, I started listening to more and more different things. Quite quickly after that, I decided that I wanted to play guitar. And I did have a guitar, so I did try to play it, but I had no lessons, and I ended up giving up. I did already sing, and that’s what I kept doing,” she commented.

It was in 2019 when Laura joined the amazing Burning Witches, replacing the band’s original vocalist Seraina Telli, and she fit the blank spot perfectly with her undisputed vocal potency, being immediately embraced by the band’s diehard fanbase. That same year, she released her first song with the band, the excellent Wings of Steel, following by the EP Wings of Steel, also in 2019, and her first-ever full-length opus with the girls, Dance with the Devil, in 2020. That same year, the band released an EP titled Acoustic Sessions, followed by their full-length albums The Witch of the North (2021), The Dark Tower (2023), and more recently Inquisition (2025), all available on Spotify or any other streaming platform. Furthermore, you can also check Laura and the girls kicking ass on the official videos for songs like High Priestess of the Night, The Dark Tower, The Witch of the North, and Unleash the Beast, or check their official YouTube channel for those videos, full playlists and other content including interviews and live footage of all of their tours.

When Laura joined Burning Witches, she said they were all very welcoming, helping her overcome any initial challenges as she said she’s the type of person that needs a lot of time to get used to other people. There was of course a lot of rehearsal time required in the beginning until they all got used to Laura’s vocal style and vice-versa, but as expected there’s also a lot of fun involved in the overall process. “We go out to dinner sometimes, we hang out after rehearsals, so that is nice,” she commented, also having some nice words to say about the freedom she has while writing material for the band. “When it comes to writing my melodies and lyrics, I have a fairly large amount of freedom. Sometimes they come up with something they like, but even then, I am free to try something else, or we can discuss various ideas. It’s always fairly open. It kind of depends on how attached they are to the ideas they already have. There are plenty of times when there is no idea at all yet, and I can just make up whatever I like.”

Needless to say, the band’s diehard fans were all very welcoming when Laura became a member of Burning Witches, even when you take into account they already had two very solid albums released prior to her joining the band. Laura was actually more prepared for the feedback from the audiences than her bandmates in the end. “To be completely honest, I think it had been a much more emotional process for the rest of the band than it has for me. In a way, I had kind of already prepared myself for such reactions. The stories are out there. Like Tarja and Nightwish, for example. You still hear people complaining about that these days, which makes me think: guys, seriously, still? You know it is going to happen, and you know it is going to keep happening. So I was mentally prepared for that. Some of those people have returned, others haven’t. That’s just how things go.”

Before becoming the frontwoman for the indomitable Burning Witches, Laura was the vocalist for an array of very interesting bands and projects. It looks like her first Heavy Metal band was Utrecht, Netherlands-based Progressive Metal act Synergy Protocol, having played with them from 2013 until 2015, and having recorded their 2014 debut three-track demo. Around the same time, from 2014 to 2015, she was also the vocalist for Epic Rock Choir, a Netherlands-based group of singers specialized in major rock and metal opera projects like Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s The Theater Equation, and founded an Experimental and Electronic Rock and Metal project named Generation Lost together with Marco van der Hoorn, but nothing has ever been released under that flag.

The other two bands that Laura was a member of were Dordrecht, Netherlands-based Progressive Metal/Rock project Magoria, working as one of their vocalists between 2017 and 2018, and of course her main band before she joined Burning Witches, the excellent Eindhoven, Netherlands-based Symphonic Power Metal band Shadowrise, fronting the band from their inception back in 2009 until they split up in 2019 (one of the reasons being of course her full-time commitment with Burning Witches), having recorded with them the 2016 EP Escape from Shadow Island, and their 2018 self-titled full-length, both available on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Not only that, Laura can also be found as a guest musician in several different bands and projects, showcasing her absolute energy, dynamism and versatility, allowing her to sing basically any music genre you can think of. For instance, she was a guest vocalist on the song Valkyries in the Sky, from the 2024 album Gods of Metal (Year of the Dragon), by German/Italian Heavy Metal band All for Metal; choir vocals on the official video recording of the 2016 album The Theater Equation, by Dutch Progressive Metal/Rock icons Ayreon; vocals on the song Schwestern aus Stahl, from the 2025 Damokles, by German Heavy Metal/Hard Rock band Blindgänger; vocals on the song The Path That Never Ends, from the 2026 album Sons of the Abandoned, by Spanish Melodic Death Metal outfit Bloodhunter; vocals on the song Back on the Streets, from the 2022 album Back on the Streets, by UK Power Metal band Chrysalïd; and vocals on the 2025 single Fierce, by Swiss Symphonic Metal band Deep Sun.

If you think this is it, you’ve got another thing coming, as Laura was also a guest vocalist on the song Receptor, from the 2025 album Receptor, by American Progressive Metal act Dissona; vocals on the song Poison Tears, from the 2025 album Unbreakable, by the indomitable Heavy Metal/Hard Rock duo Ellefson-Soto; vocals on the song False Faced Demon, from the 2022 album Inquisition, by Dutch Symphonic Metal band Epinikion; female vocals on the song Blind Souls, from the 2017 album The Endless River, by Jordanian Melodic Death Metal band Eternal Insomnia; vocals on the 2022 album Malleus Maleficarum, and on the Avatarium cover The Fire I Long For, from the 2023 album Ventus Metallum, by German Heavy/Power/Progressive Metal project FB1964; and vocals on the song For Blood & Glory, from the 2021 album Serpent Chariot, by Austrian Blackened Thrash Metal band Golden Blood.

Do you want some more? Well, Laura was also featured as a guest vocalist on the song Stand United, from the 2022 album Dealer of Souls, by Swiss Heavy/Power Metal band Gomorra; on the song All Women in Me, from the 2023 self-titled album by Dutch Progressive/Symphonic Metal band Heavenqueen; on the song Sleeper, from the 2025 album Gilgamesh, by Ukrainian Progressive Metal/Rock act Korypheus; vocals on the song The Great Masquerade, from the 2025 album Remnants of Rapture, by Canadian Heavy Metal outfit Lycanthro; on the song Alone, from the 2024 album Shadow Empress, by Progressive Metal warrior Nino Helfrich; backing vocals on the 2015 album Wayward Sanctuary, by the now defunct Dutch Progressive Metal/Rock project ReSolve; vocals on the song Your Time Has Come, from the 2024 album Blood of the Witches, by German Heavy Metal/Hard Rock guitarist Stephan Georg; choirs on the 2015 album The Diary, by Dutch Symphonic/Progressive Metal/Rock duo The Gentle Storm; vocals on the song Neverealm, from the 2026 album Neverealm, by Greek Heavy Metal band Valiant Sentinel; and vocals as one of the “Pirate Queens” on the song The Pirate Queens, from the 2022 album Lost, by Dutch Symphonic Power Metal project Woods of Wonders.

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As you can see, Laura is one of the best vocalist of the current Heavy Metal scene worldwide, with countless bands recruiting her as a special guest in their new albums, and of course with her career with the striking Burning Witches being the icing on the cake. However, it’s important to say that before being such an accomplished vocalist, she’s also a true metalhead, nurturing deep passion for the same rock and metal icons as any of us, as well as some of the most interesting names of the non-metal scene. “Lots of awesome metal bands have influenced me during the years. To name a few I listened to a lot as a teenager; Within Temptation, W.A.S.P., Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Halestorm, Eluveitie, Death Angel and Kamelot. But also great contemporary singers like Sia, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce. This is reflected in the versatility of my voice,” she commented.

When asked which song she loves the most in her life, her answer was the purest, most incendiary form of Heavy Metal you can think of. “I love Painkiller by Judas Priest because the drums start playing and you immediately feel the energy.” Moreover, she considers the one and only Metal God Rob Halford as a role model, saying he’s one of the people who’ve inspired her the most in terms of how she sings with Burning Witches now, as well as the indomitable Bruce Dickinson. “What I love is that he has so many songs with a lot of vocal dynamics. So I would say both he and Bruce Dickinson inspired me. I’ve heard Bruce a few times when people are listening from a bit further away and it sounds hyper-laden. I think it’s because I have a bit of memorization there too.” Dio is also a huge influence in her life, and the fact Burning Witches recorded a cover version for the all-time classic Holy Diver also shows how much she loves his unique voice.

Speaking of cover songs, Laura also maintains a really entertaining YouTube channel as her “solo project” (which you can also find alongside all of her other links and social media by clicking HERE), recording multiple cover songs with very special guests the likes of Courtney Cox and Sara Jolís as her support band, among other interesting videos. For example, you can enjoy Laura’s soaring vocals in killer cover songs including W.A.S.P.’s Wild Child (which is by the way one of the bands she used to listen to the most when she began listening to metal music), Iron Maiden’s The Trooper, Cradle of Filth’s  Nymphetamine Fix, AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, Slayer’s Raining Blood, Pantera’s Walk, and Judas Priest’s Painkiller, among several other incredible videos where she will melt your faces with her scorching, sharp vocals.

Speaking of her vocal technique and how she prepares for the intense life on the road, Laura, who currently uses a Neumann U 87 Ai (a legendary large-diaphragm FET condenser microphone, featuring cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8 polar patterns), mentioned in one of her interviews how difficult it is to bring to stage what’s recorded in the studio. “Recording a song is one thing, but singing it at the same level every night is a different matter.” Owner of very versatile and dynamic vocals, as already mentioned, she said she always enjoys trying new things with her voice. “The others in Burning Witches like it when my voice sounds relatively deep, so we have been playing around with lower keys in recent years,” she commented. “These days, I have been trying to learn to use vocal fry better than I could before. So who knows? Maybe I will be doing something with that in the future. But it has to get better first. Singing clean with a bit of distortion on it is something I know I can do well at this point. If I add something that doesn’t sound quite as good, and you can actually hear that difference in quality, it will just end up sounding weird.”

She also commented about the importance of maintaining a good health, in special when your voice is your instrument of work. “I am often afraid of getting a sore throat, so my main priority is keeping nice and warm. During summers, I hardly ever have a sore throat, but once winter rears its head, I have to be careful. And to be fair, during spring and autumn as well. Also, when I work out too hard, and my body gets tired, I get a sore throat as well. That is something to watch out for.” She also mentioned it’s extremely important to build up her stamina before a headlining tour starts, alternating between singing and resting until she’s warm enough for the band’s longer-than-usual sets. “Especially if I have just been on vacation, and I haven’t sung for a while. Then it truly is important to build up my stamina, as I’m really going to feel the difference once I have to do a longer set.”

This might sound repetitive, but Laura is not only an extremely talented vocalist; she’s also a vocal coach ready to help any newcomers to the world of singing with her professional and dynamic approach. You can find more details about Laura’s services as a vocal coach (in Dutch, English or German) on her official website, including the subtypes of services available such as singing lessons, workshops, and growling. “I always try to find ways to make them practice things step by step. There are certain techniques that require you to use a little more power, which means they are potentially more dangerous, as more power is a bigger burden on your vocal cords if you do it wrong. That’s why I try to explain things step by step, so they can actually warm up to it step by step, allowing them to do things properly from the moment they start to add more power to it.”

In the end, after witnessing Laura kicking some serous ass live for the first time earlier this year in Toronto, I felt the urge to write this tribute to such a phenomenal vocalist, and after knowing more about her and her focus and hard work to keep delivering high-quality Heavy Metal for the masses, we must all agree she’s more than just another frontwoman. She’s the epitome of heavy music, a woman that puts her heart and soul into her music, delivering breathtaking vocals with endless charisma it doesn’t matter if she’s singing with Burning Witches, if it’s recording a cover song for her YouTube channel, or if it’s as a guest for another rock and metal band. Laura will most certainly hypnotize you with her stunning vocals and screams, lock you inside her tower of Heavy Metal, as I warned you in the beginning of this tribute, and throw the key away. Well, I bet you’ll be more than happy when that happens.

Laura Guldemond’s Official Facebook page
Laura Guldemond’s Official Instagram
Laura Guldemond’s Official YouTube channel
Burning Witches’ Official Facebook page
Burning Witches’ Official Instagram
Burning Witches’ Official YouTube channel

“Lots of awesome metal bands have influenced me during the years. To name a few I listened to a lot as a teenager; Within Temptation, W.A.S.P., Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Halestorm, Eluveitie, Death Angel and Kamelot. But also great contemporary singers like Sia, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce. This is reflected in the versatility of my voice.” – Laura Guldemond

Metal Chick of the Month – Helle Bohdanova

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Strong voice and airy lungs… Three lives are not enough… To sing of all the wonders I’ve seen!

Slava Ukraini! As the temperatures are rising in this month of July, there’s nothing better than celebrating the summer heat with the ass-kicking heavy music crafted by our metal lady of the month here on The Headbanging Moose. The name Olha Ihorivna Bohdanova, or Ольга Ігорівна Богданова in her mother tongue, might not mean much to you, but once you associate it with Helle Bohdanova (or Helle Bogdanova), the unstoppable frontwoman for Ukrainian Melodic/Progressive Metal band Ignea, then all will make a lot more sense to you and you’ll start headbanging like a true metalmaniac to the sound of her incredible vocals. There’s no escape from her hypnotizing voice, but I’m sure that’s exactly what you want, as you dive deep into her realm of heaviness, melody and endless fire. Because there will most definitely be fire, no doubt about that, which means you better get ready to be burned alive while Helle penetrates deep inside your mind with her flammable vocals.

Born on October 22, 1991 in Kyiv, the capital and most populous city of Ukraine, Helle is a vinyl lover, a dark style enthusiast, and a proud Kyivan who’s been making a name for herself as the voice of Ignea, blending Melodic, Symphonic and Progressive Metal with Middle-Eastern Folk influences for a unique sonic experience for any fan of good music. It was back in 2011 when keyboardist Evgeny Zhytnyuk and guitarist Dmitry Volovnenko formed the band that would later become Ignea, Progressive Metal band Parallax, as the first Ukrainian band to play what they would label as “Oriental Metal”, singing about topics such as life on Mars, Sputnik-1, war, The John Carter movie, and the Pioneer One series. In 2012, the band was joined by bassist Xander Kamyshin, guitarist Max Khmelevsky and our ruthless vocalist Helle Bohdanova, and started rehearsals. Dmitry decided to pursue his life and career interests outside Parallax and left the band, and in 2013 the band released their debut EP, titled Sputnik, followed by a 2014 single named Petrichor.

The band then announced their name change to Ignea on November 22, 2015, already releasing a new single named Alga (named after a war call of Crimean Tatar people who were defending their land) less than a week later. Playing a mix of heavy riffs with symphonic, electronic and folk elements, and of course strong story-telling, therefore creating a powerful OST-like experience while staying true to the melodic essence of their music, the band then released a rebranded version of their EP Sputnik back in 2016, followed by their 2017 first full-length opus The Sign of Faith (showcasing a heavier sound, both clean and extreme vocals, and authentic Middle-Eastern melodies), their 2020 sophomore effort The Realms of Fire and Death (a concept album with powerful story-telling, metaphors, and symbols, accompanied by a book of short tales incorporating the lyrics of each song), the 2021 split EP Bestia (a concept EP about the human nature of Slavic mythological creatures and the world’s duality) alongside Ukrainian Symphonic Metal band Ersedu, and more recently the 2023 album Dreams of Lands Unseen (a concept album that reflects the life of Ukrainian photographer and documentarian Sofia Yablonska, known for traveling to very distant corners of the world while documenting the lives of tribes and natives, which was especially dangerous and uncommon for a woman of her time), which had its release date postponed to 2023 because of the Russia-Ukraine full-scale war. Also, don’t forget to check the band’s official videos for the songs Jinnslammer, Queen Dies, Seytanu Akbar,  Nomad’s Luck, Dunes, and many more on their official YouTube channel, including live performances of some of their best creations.

The high quality of their music not only led them to tour across several countries, including Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Czech Republic, France, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, and of course, Ukraine, but The Realms of Fire and Death was also selected as the metal album of the year and the band as the best Ukrainian metal band of 2020, according to the Ukrainian national awards named The Best Ukrainian Metal Act. Also, despite the Russia-Ukraine war, the band managed to play multiple charity shows in Ukraine, and embark on an Europe and UK tour with Industrial Metal legends Fear Factory, playing 43 shows within a span of only two months. Needless to say, you should definitely buy and/or stream their entire discography on BandCamp or on Spotify for a very good time alongside Helle and the boys.

Currently formed of our beloved Helle Bohdanova on vocals alongside Dmytro Vinnichenko on the guitars, Oleksandr Kamyshin on bass, Yevhenii Zhytniuk on keyboards, and Ivan Kholmohorov on drums, the band proudly serves as cultural ambassadors for Ukraine, diligently raising awareness about the country’s ongoing situation among their international fanbase, as well as solidifying their status with appearances in several major European festivals including Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze, Bloodstock, and Leyendas del Rock. Not only that, nine songs by Ignea have been featured in the highly anticipated video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, a collaboration that brings the Ukrainian band’s powerful and atmospheric music to the immersive post-apocalyptic world of the game, enhancing its dark and gritty ambiance.

One curious fact about Helle and her contribution to the success of Ignea was her adventure through Faroese lands with their cover version of Í Tokuni, featured on their 2020 album The Realms of Fire and Death, and originally released by Syðrugøta, Faroe Islands-based Nordic Folk Rock/Pop artist  Eivør in her 2015 album Slør (check the original version HERE). Helle was learning Norwegian when it was time to record her vocals, and her experience ended up being weird as the song’s language, Faroese, is close but not that much to Norwegian. “I’m learning Norwegian indeed, and it actually didn’t help, even made it worse. Because lots of words are similar in written form but they’re pronounced absolutely differently, so I had to force myself to get away from Norwegian. But I enjoyed singing it so much, it’s almost like a mantra for me. And there’s also some kind of throat extreme vocals which I’ve never done before and it came out naturally for me from the first take. It’s like I’ve always done that.”

Apart from her already solid career with Ignea, Helle can also be found as a guest vocalist for Brazilian/Polish Symphonic Death Metal band Itself, singing in the song Voices of the Unheard, from their 2023 album The Absence, and in the song Untimeliness, from the 2024 album Shadow Empress, by German Progressive Metal project Nino Helfrich. Unfortunately for now those are the only two songs featuring Helle as a guest musician, but I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of her alongside some of the biggest names of the underground as well as mainstream artists in the near future, as her voice is fantastic and deserves to be featured in an array of songs and albums from all types of music, not only heavy music.

Regarding her idols, interests and influences, Helle mentioned already that she has been interested in mythology since her very early childhood, resulting in for example mentions of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, the Japanese goddess Fuji, the Norwegian god Logi and the Slavic god Svarog in the excellent song Gods Of Fire. “For me, it’s more about the vibe and different worlds, not about science or history. In my belief, each person has its god/gods, just like each country has a president or monarchy. I cannot explain that, but so far, this is how I see it. If I could, I would include much more gods in the song but it would be too long!” Another one of her idols is travel photographer and reporter Sofia Yablonska, with their album Dreams of Lands Unseen revolving around her life and philosophy. “I think the most amazing thing is that she felt very contemporary to me. We’re nearly a century apart and yet, her philosophy and thoughts are very modern and applicable for today. She was definitely ahead of her time in all aspects. Moreover, she always took her life in her hands and overcame all the obstacles she faced, no matter what dangers and discomforts appeared,” commented Helle.

It was back in 2023 when Helle, after winning Best Vocals, received 36% of the votes in the category Best Brutal Vocals and won another award for Ignea at the very competitive and fun FemMetal Awards that year, adding to the band’s previously won awards for Best Metal Act, Best Music Video, and Best Album. Just to give you an idea of how competitive the Best Brutal Vocals category was that year, the other nominees were Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies), Fernanda Lira (Crypta), Liv Jagrell (Liv Sin), Obscura (Asagraum), Prika Amaral (Nervosa), and Sofia Frasz (Exiled Hope), all phenomenal vocalists from excellent bands of the current metal scene worldwide who I’m sure you’ve already heard of, and who keep making the world of heavy music a much better place when they take the global stages by storm.

Helle was also asked in one of her interviews about her thoughts on playing live with an orchestra, to which she replied that although it’s a beautiful idea, it’s at the same time very hard and expensive to bring together 40 or more people on tour. “Even huge bands are sometimes not able to play with an orchestra,” said Hellen. Having been touring internationally since 2018, Hellen said she believes it’s very positive to tour with bands that have quite a different audience, helping them in gaining more new fans on tour. “I think some bands we’d like to tour with someday are Amorphis, Moonspell, Cellar Darling, Delain, and Lacuna Coil, to name a few,” commented Helle, also saying that all can change depending on their musical direction. Moreover, Ignea toured with Fear Factory, Butcher Babies, and Ghosts of Atlantis not too long ago, saying it was a huge honor for them to join that amazing lineup, proving how dynamic their music can be, as well as a three-week tour across nine countries within the Female Metal Voices Tour 2018 headlined by Butcher Babies and Kobra and the Lotus.

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In their 2020 album The Realms of Fire and Death, Helle recorded the song Чорне Полум’я in their native language Ukrainian for the first time ever in the band’s history (although the band had been playing it live together with Queen Dies since 2018). “To be honest, I’m a global citizen and I’m not that connected to certain geographic location. This planet is my home and I feel good on the road. Singing in Ukrainian seemed very suitable for this particular song, and I’m glad we did it. It was also perceived very well by our listeners, so maybe we’ll do such experiments in the future, if we feel that a certain song should be recorded in Ukrainian. It’s not an intentional thing, it comes from our inspiration,” said Helle, who also commented if the band will record more songs in Ukrainian in the future. “I think that we’ll stick to English as our primary language but we’ll definitely create more songs in Ukrainian, because sometimes you listen to the instrumentals and you just hear Ukrainian there, you know. Also, we were very pleasantly surprised that lots of our listeners are particularly waiting for this song and we’re very flattered that they want to hear Ignea music in our mother tongue.”

Having been impacted directly by the Russia-Ukraine full-scale war, Helle said that the band has been very active with informing their audience abroad about everything happening in her homeland, mentioning that there have been very difficult times for them not just as a band, but as Ukrainian citizens. “We used to share updates on Patreon but the platform approached us, just like it approached other Ukrainian creators, and forced us to remove all info about the war and stop ‘financing the war.’ We did as they said because we’ve grown a big community on Patreon and it’s the band’s main source of income at this point. All I’m saying is we sometimes feel that the world is turning its back on us, no matter what atrocities Russia commits. Interviews have become one of the few places to freely talk about it. As for predictions, we won’t do any. Everyone’s tired of this war but we’ve got no other way but win it, be it near future, or not. Occupation by Russia is the worst that can ever happen.”

By the way, Helle mentioned that there’s one Ukrainian saying that’s screamed by all artists and fans at every show in her homeland, and will certainly still be screamed at least until the war is over, which is “Слава Україні – Героям Слава!” (“Glory to Ukraine – Glory to Heroes!”). In addition, when asked which Ukrainian bands she would recommend to any metalhead across the globe, she listed the bands Hell:on (Death Metal), 1914 (Blackened Death/Doom Metal), Fleshgore (Brutal Death Metal), Pušča (Post-Black Metal), Vidmershiy Shmat (Black Metal), Angered Crowd (Death/Groove Metal), and Death Pill (Hardcore), among others, saying the Ukrainian scene has been growing in recent years with more bands, more shows, and more support to the local metal acts.

Our unstoppable diva also has a very cool view of concept albums. “I can tell that perhaps concept albums are easier to present and promote, so it can be a reason why the bands tend to do it nowadays. But what I loved most about doing the concept album is that you create a world and you’re surfing it while writing music, words… It’s more than just putting together songs that are not connected to each other. My day job is also related to texts and I’ve been writing as long as I remember myself. So, story-telling is something that captivates me and the listeners as well.” As you might have just noticed, Helle is also a writer, having already published a book of poems and often shared her creations with her supporters on Patreon. “Words were always easy for me to put together. I started reading and writing at a very early age, and, for some reason, it’s always been easier for me to write rhymed pieces, poems, or lyrics,” she said. “I’d say that whatever I’m trying to do – write music, paint, do some hand-made stuff, I’m just best with words. And maybe I should really master it more and more. As for inspiration, I get inspired most by travelling and seeing new places, new people.”

In 2021, Helle also released a podcast available on all major streaming platforms like Spotify named The Bandsment, which is about everything bands are doing to get out of the basement. These band to band talks and videos dedicated to certain aspect of music business are for independent bands who want to be more efficient in their growth and day-to-day operations, rock and metal artists who want to share their experience of running the band and cross-promote, people willing to start a band and don’t know where to begin with, and everyone who is interested in the backstage life of bands and how they function. Among the bands and artists interviewed we can find some very interesting names like Baest and Diva Satanica (Bloodhunter, Nervosa), and although there aren’t any new episodes after March 2021, the content of the thirteen episodes available are more than interesting and useful already.

In a nutshell, the indomitable Helle Bohdanova is much more than just a singer. She’s a true frontwoman, a talented, focused and very professional musician, a writer, a traveler, a businesswoman, a music lover, a proud Ukrainian, and so on (and you can get more details about all of her endeavors by clicking HERE). Just like her own moniker and the name of her band state, she will burn your soul like the fires of hell, always in the name of heavy music, and always showcasing endless passion for what she does. Helle might be one of the most precious gems of the current Ukrainian scene, and if you consider yourself a true admirer and supporter of the underground, simply go check her music and her art, as I’m sure you’ll get addicted to all of her incendiary creations.

Helle Bohdanova’s Official Facebook page
Helle Bohdanova’s Official Instagram
Helle Bohdanova’s Official YouTube channel
Ignea’s Official Facebook page
Ignea’s Official Instagram
Ignea’s Official YouTube channel