They are louder than hell, stronger than a shot of Jameson, and they are once more on the rise. Stockholm, Sweden’s own Crucified Barbara have been belting out a timeless racket of spirited hard rock and heavy metal since 1998. Since their inception they have released three studio albums while touring across Europe, the Americas, and even Australia. All that hard work got them signed to Nuclear Blast Records in 2012, where they released their most recent album, The Midnight Chase to widespread critical acclaim.
- GMR Music Group
- GMR Music Group
Two years later, Stockholm based Despotz Records is showing these ladies some well-deserved love. Co-founder and partner Ömer Akay made it clear that homegrown talent is a high priority for their record label. “The signing of Crucified Barbara”, he says, “fits perfectly in line with our strategy and goal to be a choice for Sweden’s biggest rock bands. We are incredibly proud that these wonderfully gifted musicians chose to sign with Despotz”.
The praise is not surprising. Frontwoman Mia Coldheart was already a well-known, respected guitar player in the Stockholm hard-rock scene when she joined the band back in 2000. Three years later she took over the microphone as well, as Crucified Barbara had found their sound and would never look back. Mia’s voice turned out to be as lethal as her strings. She combines a smoky urban grittiness with a strong singing ability, the diversity of which has allowed the band to tackle a variety of styles within their sound.
Mia’s killer leads are strengthened by the band’s other guitarist Klara Force. The bottom end is handled by four-stringer Ida Evileye, finger picking away like a female Steve Harris. Keeping the beat is drummer Nicki Wicked, whose skill and energy lays a foundation as wicked as her namesake.
Crucified Barbara could be considered this generation’s Girlschool, who broke the gender barrier in the 1970’s as one of the first and only all-female heavy metal bands in the world. Even today it is not a common occurrence. If there is anybody left in the world who thinks women can’t kick the same level of ass as men, they should probably avoid Crucified Barbara at all costs, lest their antiquated viewpoint suffer a sudden and brutal death. As Mia sings in the song of the same name, rules – and bones – are made to be broken.
This band is Mötorhead with ovaries. They are the sneer and attitude of Motley Crüe circa ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ but with a distinctly more metal edge to their sound. They can dominate at the festivals as well as in the clubs, and have done so in support of some pretty major acts over the years, such as Doro, the aforementioned Mötorhead, In Flames, Backyard Babies, and Sepultura. Their sound encapsulates all the hard rock aesthetics of the ilk of vintage Skid Row, but there is a healthy dose of Iron Maiden in there as well.
These comparisons are made in order to illustrate an idea of the band’s influences, but make no mistake, Crucified Barbara is not some rehashing of ideas. Their songs are hooky, creative, and original, echoing a certain hard-rock feeling while still forging their own path. Buoyed by the awesome power of Mia’s vocals, their sound is reminiscent of the late eighties without getting stuck in any one decade.
With their signing to Despotz Records, Crucified Barbara appears to be getting one step closer to taking their place amongst the greats. Their fourth studio album and first for Despotz Records will be out in August of 2014. Don’t miss out.
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