Witchy women, spooky ladies, goddesses. These are terms that are used to describe women in metal, the equivalent of a “yaaaaassss kween” in heavy parlance. But there are a few issues with using terms like these to define ladies who play heavy music.
First of all, they can be a bit patronizing, implying that any band with a female involved is a “female fronted” band, or a group that has to use women as a gimmick. They can also be a little cis-centered, as the woman in question is usually the cis standard of beauty, and trans-exclusionary feminists sometimes try and use witchy, womyn-centered feminism as a way to keep trans folks out.
Doomstress is here to change all that.
Doomstress Alexis, the band’s vocalist, lives and breathes her music. Her bass is practically attached to her at the hip, and she sounds more natural belting witchy lyrics than she does speaking. It’s also hard to imagine her wearing anything other than the gorgeous, tight leather getups she dons onstage.
She is also trans, and as an out, trans woman, she wants to be a voice for women in metal, and for every trans person who has ever felt out of place, especially in a world like the metal scene. Doomstress also participates in movements like “We’re Just People,” a photo essay that showcases the lives of trans folks to show how they live and what they do, and lives as an example to out and proud people everywhere.
Hailing from Texas, Doomstress tours the country with her band, singing and playing metal anthems and selling merch to the die-hard fans who come out to her shows. She has made a name for herself, not just with specifically queer fans, but throughout the entire metal community. And even though she knows that trans people still face a lot of barriers to their basic human rights, she continues to live boldly and play the music that moves her.
Naturally, we had to have her take on things for our music issue. OUT FRONT sat down with Doomstress last time she was in town and chatted about metal, intersectional feminism, and trans inclusion over a couple of beers and a lot of heavy riffs.
How did you first get involved in the doom metal scene? How did you get into the music and start playing?
I have an older brother that played; he actually ended up playing drums on a Doomstress record! As far as getting involved in doom, I went and auditioned with a band that my guitarist, Brandon, played in for a number of years, back in 2002, 2003; that was my introduction to the doom world.
What is the vision behind Doomstress? Do you write all the music and lyrics?
I write all the lyrics and music for my other project as well, Project Armageddon. I’ve always been a songwriter. A lot of it’s just whatever hits me in different ways, my emotions, the world around us, something I read. I take inspiration from everything, and let different inspirations play off of each other.
Why does doom speak to you as a metal genre?
There’s that building, that emotional appeal and darker appeal that I really like. At the time I got into it, I was dealing with a lot of issues surrounding my gender identity. I was going through depression and some dark times, and it helped me get through.
Tell us about the work you’ve done with the “We’re Just People” photo essay series. How did you get involved with it, and what is it all about?
The photographer who did that project works with all film, and he likes to do different social subject matter and cover it in unique ways through photography. In Texas at the time we were facing that trans bathroom bill, so he wanted to make a statement about that and to show people everyday life, just candid living of what a trans person’s life is like, the fact that it’s nothing scary like what people put in your mind. So he put out a call looking for a subject, and a mutual friend asked if he knew me, introduced us, said I would be awesome for it.
Doom has always had witchy roots and female energy in a lot of ways. As a trans woman, do you feel that energy is welcoming, and do you connect with all that through your music?
Yes, absolutely. I like bringing that out in the music for sure. I have so many different influences, old style metal,the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, melodic harmony work that is more old-school-metal-related. I like to pull from it all to create my own energy.
Follow Doomstress online at doomstress.bandcamp.com to keep up with her latest releases, upcoming projects, and tour plans.
