Specific subgenres unimportant, although having growled vocals is a bonus (I have discovered a weakness for ladies doing the metal growl), though a mix of growl and clean vocals is the best option.
Examples of female-fronted bands I dig:
Kittie
Arch Enemy
The Agonists
The whole J-Pop/Metal crossover genre (eg: Babymetal)
Like less:
Nightwish - girlfriend’s a big fan, and while I don’t dislike them, I wouldn’t seek them out.
Would rather poke my ears out:
In This Moment - her voice is the auditory equivalent of sinus congestion.
Feel free to throw in hard rock, though that’s not as hard to find.
The pride of Phoenix, Lori Bravo, spearheaded Nuclear Death with her high school mates back in '86, and known mainly for their Carrion For Worm album ('91). Lo-fi, spaghetti-tuned deathmetal, with bassist/vox/songwriter Bravo alternating between low and mid-range growls. Curious if any other gals out there hit vocal ranges as low as she did.
They’re pretty good…and I see they’re still active after 40 years (with breaks, to be sure, but still). Surprised I never heard of them given that longevity.
I’ll have to give the links in Id, Bo and journeyman’s posts a good listen later, but the one I’ve listened to (Sit Stay Roll Over) is definitely in the range I like.
River Hippie - I’m familiar with Band Maid and like them.
Orphanage. A Dutch band that was around a few years before Nightwish came along. Similar style, with a less sleek, less corporate friendly sound. All their growls were done by males though.
I don’t know enough about the genre to say if this band is metal or leans more into the punk (or even rock) category, but last night I heard this song by Dream Wife on Orange Is The New Black.
FYI, that song is NSFW, check your volume if others are around.
Witch Mountain This singer does the highs and the growls, love it. Blood Ceremony - Flute and organ mixed in with my metal? Yes please. The Black Wizards Funky doomy psychedelic fun.
