Is Huntress Frontwoman Jill Janus Too Hot To Be Metal?

By Jason Roche Tue., Apr. 17 2012 at 3:32 AM

Ben Gibbs

Huntress's debut album, Spell Eater, doesn't arrive until later in the month, but people are already talking shit about the Los Angeles group's frontwoman, Jill Janus. The band, otherwise composed of men, plays a galloping blend of Judas Priest-inspired traditional metal and classic thrash, while Janus has a powerful voice that can hit the high registers and still sound beefy.

But her sexually charged presence in many of the band's publicity photos -- not to mention its video for "Eight of Swords" -- has caused some to argue over the band's merits. Emphasizing her long legs and ridiculously large chest, Janus' persona is perhaps akin to a particularly lascivious character from a Frazetta painting.

Aesop Dekker, drummer from Portland, Ore., folk-black metal titans Agalloch, has taunted the band mercilessly on Twitter, expressing sarcastic disappointment that its album is not called Fake Tits, False Metal.

As for Janus herself, she claims not to give a flying fuck what anyone thinks about her. "I don't read anything online," she says. "I will always use sexuality to gain attention. But I also understand you have to have skills to back it up. ... I am on my warrior path, and nothing will stop me."

At Geisha House in Hollywood, Huntress guitarist Blake Meahl talks about meeting Janus in 2008. She was booking "Rock Mondays" at Les Deux and scheduled Meahl's previous band, Professor, for a show. Janus and the band became friends, and eventually joined forces to become Huntress.

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Blake Meahl, Huntress, Jill Janus, Spell Eater

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Parmesh

What a patronising little blog post. Maybe people "argue over the band's merits" because we think they're a bit crap?

Abcabcabc232323

I had listened to the whole album and all the songs are great. The guitars kept me headbanging nonstop and about Jill Janus, she's more than a bad girl i usually came across from the punk rriot girrl category, i will like define the whole package of Jill Janus as new coming Heavy Metal Queen.

HUMAN

Huntress was on the bill in Vancouver last night. But we missed them because the fucking venue changed. I'm not gonna lie - the only reason I looked them up this morning was because I saw that they had a totally fucking hot lead singer. But their music is pretty awesome, and that chick can sing. Jesus. So, from a marketing perspective, good work - style made me discover substance. Nothing unfair or unmetal about that.

Electric Druid

These guys rock, good luck to 'em! Best new song I've heard this year - hard hitting riffs, great lead break and stellar vox, looking forward to the album. Rock on Huntress!

Mario

Its stupid to think commercializing or marketing metal is not metal... are you retarded? what the hell does it have to do with the music? You idiots don't realize the bands also have to eat, live somewhere and have expenses. expenses are paid with money, money comes from record sells and shows... It isn`t affecting their sound why the fuck do you care how they market their music? Comparing it to the glam rock scene? seriuosly? I'm starting to think it's our own fault metal i getting deeper and deeper into the underground... to hot for metal... fucking dumbest thing i've had to read for a long while

Angry Metal Guy

Over at my site I gave the band a great score and review on the new record. I love her voice and the record rules. And theater and showiness is all a big part of metal: think Venom, Yngwie Malmsteen, Rhapsody, Iron Maiden, or Dimmu Borgir.

But I gotta say what I find to be the biggest turn off about her is the fact that she was hocking her wares in the first interview with the band I read. It was at that point that I decided that this band was theater and not really a genuine metal band just doing it for the love of it. Authenticity in metal is key and merchandizing is not authentic, which is why we laugh at Kiss and bitch about how Iron Maiden puts out a new live record with the same setlist every other year. But at least Kiss and Iron Maiden have cred to back them up. Huntress is functionally unknown, and that reeks.

Jason Roche

Thanks for checking out the article and commenting, I am definitely a fan of the AngryMetalGuy website. The neverending struggle in metal (hell, music in general) between commercialism vs. credibility is something that always fascinates me.

Angry Metal Guy

No, thanks for writing it! It's a really interesting topic. And thanks for reading the blog!

But yeah, authenticity is such a big deal in metal (and well, even more so in punk—which is why the Sex Pistols just being a clothing advertisement has always tickled me), but of course what is authenticity? Is taking a huge loan from a record company to make records and touring like mad to sell them "authentic"? I mean, I think we talk a lot about authenticity, we want the feeling of authenticity, but a very small minority actually ever go find out about local death metal and black metal bands and do the "authentic" underground thing on the local level. So I think it's a contradiction.

But what, at least give me two records before you start trying to sell me your shit. :P

Mark Scott

The way this is written, I expected this to be three minutes of musical expression and 3 minutes and 8 seconds of tits. Nothing near the sort.

Diamond Bodine-fischer

I don't personally like her style of singing, and I think their last band was way better, but hating on her cause she's hot is absurd. If that's the only thing somebody hates about the band, then it sounds to me like they really dig the band, and the bands super hot singer.

HohenheimOL

The issue is that she's using sex as a marketing strategy. Both sex appeal and commercialism are fundamentally unmetal, which is why Aesop is making a fair statement(though a rather hostile choice of words).

Sure, they may play good music now, but the use of image to market is unnervingly reminiscent of glam metal. The only difference right now is that their music is apparently good enough to market itself, though personally I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt due to Manowar having done the same thing back in their glory days.

Angry Metal Guy

Yeah, but you can accuse that of almost any of the big, female fronted bands in the scene. Hell, even Angela Gassow gets used in that way. She's attractive, but she's fronting a death metal band ffs.

It's more obvious with Huntress. And that sort of marketing via titties/self-promotion crap is the kind of thing I have a real problem with. But the music speaks for itself, IMO. I dig it.

Ray

The whole thing strikes me as silly, to be perfectly honest. No one cares, this video really seems like it could have been made as parody as much as an actual "rock video".