Feminazgûl is an American

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...

band from

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Founded by

Margaret Killjoy Margaret Killjoy is an American author, musician, and podcast host. She is best known for her speculative fiction in the fantasy and folk horror genres, in particular for her two-book Danielle Cain series. Killjoy is involved in several musical p ...

in 2018, Feminazgûl released their debut EP, ''The Age of Men Is Over,'' the same year. The band released their first full-length album, ''No Dawn for Men'', in 2020.

History

Feminazgûl was founded by

, a

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

author, in 2018. They created the band's debut EP, ''The Age of Men Is Over'', as a solo project the same year. The band was also included in the 2018 ''Worldwide Organization of Metalheads Against Nazis'' ''(W.O.M.A.N.)'' compilation album. In 2020, the band released their first full-length album, ''No Dawn for Men'', with the addition of Laura Beach as lead vocalist and

Meredith Yayanos Meredith Anne Yayanos is a California-based violinist, vocalist and thereminist. Her work has been featured on tracks with artists including The Dresden Dolls, The Vanity Set, Revue Noir, David Garland (musician), David Garland and The Walkmen. S ...

as violinist and

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...

player. Lars Gotrich writing for

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

described the album as "a viciously beautiful piece of feminist black metal". In 2021, Feminazgûl released a

split album A split album (or split) is a music album that includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There are also singles and EPs of the same variety, which are often called "split singles" and "split EPs" respectively. Split albums differ from "v ...

with Awenden. The group, which is based in North Carolina, has been described as black metal and atmospheric black metal. The band has been noted for their

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

, and anarchist beliefs. These beliefs come through in their music, which also often incorporates quotes and themes from mythology and fantasy. Feminazgûl's name is a reference to " feminazis", a derogatory term for feminists, as well as to the

Nazgûl The Nazgûl (from Black Speech 'ring', and 'wraith, spirit')introduced as Black Riders and also called Ringwraiths, Dark Riders, the Nine Riders, or simply the Nineare fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. They were ni ...

, a group of controlled by

Sauron Sauron () is the title character and the main antagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor. He has the ambition of ruling the whole of Middle-earth, using the power of the One Ring, which he ...

in J. R. R. Tolkien's

Middle-earth Middle-earth is the Setting (narrative), setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the ''Midgard, Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf'' ...

. Both of the band's album titles, ''The Age of Men Is Over'' and ''No Dawn for Men'', are quotes from ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

.''

Band members

– multiple instruments,

backup vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

* Laura Beach –

harsh vocals Vocalists are capable of producing a variety of extended technique sounds. These alternative singing techniques have been used extensively in the 20th century, especially in art song and opera. Particularly famous examples of extended vocal techniq ...

–

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

, backup vocals

Discography

Studio albums

* ''No Dawn for Men'' (2020)

EPs

* ''The Age of Men Is Over'' (2018)

Singles

* "A Mallacht" (2021)

Other albums

* ''Worldwide Organization of Metalheads Against Nazis'' (

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

, 2018) *''Awenden/Feminazgûl'' (

with Awenden, 2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Feminazgul American black metal musical groups Anarchist music Anti-fascist music American feminist musicians Musical groups established in 2018