Female-Fronted Friday: 13 Spiders

When: 2021

Where: Knoxville, TN.

Genre: Hard rock/Alt-metal

FFO: Flyleaf (early), 3 Pill Morning, 10 Years

13 Spiders was originally founded in 2021 by Alicia Hurst. She was the bassist and planned to put together an all-female act, but that didn’t work out. In order to keep the band alive, Alicia opened the door to any musician who was interested. She managed to find a bassist, guitarist, and drummer, yet the position of vocalist was a difficult one to fill. As the author of the lyrics and the vocal melodies, Alicia was pushed to the forefront of 13 Spiders.

13 Spiders’ current lineup consists of Alicia (vox), Mike (bass), Andrew (guitar), and Scott (drums). Real life has intervened and stalled the release of new music, but the band does have songs in the studio just waiting for their producer to get in with Alicia to lay down the vocal tracks! The most recent single is “You,” which dropped in late 2024. They do have an upcoming track entitled “Scarred Innocence.” The song was written as a voice for child victims of sexual abuse and is based on a real-life case that occurred locally to them.

Make sure you follow 13 Spiders on all their socials, as well as your streaming service of choice, so you don’t miss any news or the studio release of “Scarred Innocence” (they have been performing it live).

“You”

“Scarred Innocence” [Live]

Female-Fronted Friday: Anaria

When: 2011

Where: New England

Genre: Rock/Symphonic Metal

FFO: Nightwish, Edge of Paradise, Within Temptation

Having existed in some form or fashion since 2011, Anaria currently consists of vocalist Jessica Mercy, guitarists Sergio Salvucci and Dan Spinney, bassist Matt Frotten, and drummer Johnathan Jena. The band is genre-defying, but the most prevalent elements in their music are symphonic metal, modern rock, and cinematic scoring, with a sprinkling of pop.

Anaria has released five full-length albums – Ancestors (2014), Seasons of the Mind, Vol. 1: Inception (2015), Exile (2020), Holding Cell (2024), and Between Loving and Dying (2026). Their latest single, “From the Dark,” hit streaming platforms back in March. All of their audio, video, and photo production is done in-house, as Sergio and Jessica have built their own production company. Jessica also doubles as a freelance singer/songwriter.

To learn more about Anaria, or to simply keep up with their various goings-on, follow them on all the usual socials/streaming services!

“From the Dark”

“Chasing Shadows”

“Awaken”

“Wings of a Butterfly” (HIM cover)

Female-Fronted Friday: Anoxia

When: Formed in 2004

Where: Maryland

Genre: Hard rock/Metal/Post-industrial

FFO: Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Collide

Front woman Chrystal James put Anoxia together in 2004, and her haunting siren’s song has been drawing listeners in ever since. The band masterfully crafts a heavy backdrop, weaving together elements of hard rock, metal, and post-industrial music, while Chrystal delivers heartfelt lyrics with her powerhouse vocals.

📸 Blake Noelle Photography

Anoxia has released two full-length albums (plus an anniversary edition of their self-titled debut). Recently, they appeared at Zen West in Towson, Maryland, opening for Stitched Up Heart and Infected Rain. Anoxia will also be paying tribute to Evanescence at My Phase Days in August, a night celebrating breakout bands of the early 2000s.

To catch up – and keep up – with Anoxia and their various activities and live shows, follow their socials! And if you aren’t already familiar with them, check out the four songs I shared below.

“Earthbound”

“Relinquish the Quiet”

“Not Alone”

“Justify” (Piano Version)

Female-Fronted Friday: No More Sun

When: Founded in 2015

Where: Hudson Valley, NY

Genre: Alt. Metal/Hard Rock

FFO: Spiritbox, Jinjer, New Years Day

Formerly known as No Worries, No More Sun is the modern face of alternative metal and rock. The band hails from New York and consists of vocalist/bassist Julia Foreman, drummer Andrew Gauzza IV, and guitarists Alex Hicks and Charles Apollo. Over the past couple of years, No More Sun has been dropping singles regularly, and in February 2023, they released a full-length album entitled No Worries.

You can check out their latest single, “Unspoken Mind,” below, along with a few other choice songs. Be sure to follow their socials for updates, music news, and details on upcoming shows – they have a few June dates lined up that you don’t wanna miss!

“Unspoken Mind”

“Sick of You”

“Leech”

“Odd One Out”

Kissing Candice Teams Up With Ash Costello on New Single “Industry Hostage”

New York-based horror metal act Kissing Candice have released “Industry Hostage.” The song features an appearance by New Years Day vocalist Ash Costello.

You can stream the track on Spotify or your streaming service of choice, and you can watch the video below!

Female-Fronted Friday: Solar

When: Formed in 2003

Where: Rockford, IL

Genre: Hard rock/Metal

FFO: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Warlock, Judas Priest, Megadeth

Solar is a four-piece rock band that consists of lead vocalist Stephanie, guitarist/vocalist Brad, bassist Larry, and Donovan the drummer. They have graced stages all across the U.S. with their seamless blend of heavy and melodic, and have released four full-length records: First Light (2006), Radiance (2021), Oracle (2022), and Frantically Calm (2025).

You can check out a few of my favorite Solar tracks below. Make sure you follow their socials for the latest music, news, and live show announcements.

“Rise”

“Frantically Calm”

“Glow”

“Mr. Stitches”

“I Don’t Owe You Anything”

Female-Fronted Friday: Devil Electric

When: Formed in mid-2015

Where: Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Genre: Hard rock, vintage metal

FFO: Black Sabbath, Dio, Jefferson Airplane, Dorothy

Devil Electric have released two studio albums – Devil Electric (2017) and Godless (2021). Their third, Tahlia, drops today, March 27th! The band will be playing shows in support of the new record throughout April and May. Unfortunately, none of those live performances will be in the U.S.

You can stream their music and learn more about Devil Electric by following their socials. Head over to their Bandcamp to order exclusive Tahlia bundles!

Check out a few tracks from the course of Devil Electric’s career, starting with their latest single, “This Hereafter.”

“Tahlia”

“All My Friends Move Like the Night”

“Hypnotica”

“The Dove & the Serpent”