Why Alissa White-Gluz Deserves Better
After 12 years as the ferocious frontwoman of melodic death metal titans Arch Enemy, vocalist Alissa White-Gluz has parted ways with the band in a split that was as abrupt as it was surprising. The announcement came just days after Arch Enemy wrapped up a world tour in support of their latest album Blood Dynasty, with both the band and Alissa making brief statements on November 23 announcing the end of their partnership.
The news has sparked an outpouring of reactions which unfortunately includes a wave of misogynistic vitriol that cannot be ignored.
The official announcements were strikingly brief. Arch Enemy’s social media post was businesslike with disabled comments across all platforms. Shortly after, Alissa’s own statement kept things cordial and focussed on the future, notably thanking the fans but not mentioning her bandmates, suggesting that this was not a particularly warm send-off despite the polite words.
Alissa wasted no time launching the next phase of her career dropping a brand-new solo single and music video co-written with guitarist Oliver Palotai from her upcoming solo album. The quick release of a high-quality music video indicates that Alissa had been preparing for a while behind the scenes, poised to spread her wings the moment her Arch Enemy commitments ended. Unlike the band, she kept comments open on her announcements, inviting fans to engage directly.
Fans were stunned with the sudden split coming out of left-field mere weeks after finishing a tour with White-Gluz at the helm. Many expressed disbelief, sadness, heartfelt gratitude and excitement for the future underscoring how central Alissa had become to Arch Enemy’s identity over the past 12 years, but amid the shock and well-wishes from more reasonable fans, an ugly pattern surfaced. Detractors on social media seized the moment to hurl insults steeped in misogyny, ignorance, and baffling double standards.
A flood of comments from self-proclaimed “old-school fans” immediately claimed Alissa could never measure up to Arch Enemy’s previous vocalist Angela Gossow, with endless demands to “Bring Back Angela!”. Angela Gossow left vocal duties on her own terms in 2014 citing the strain that constant touring and growling had put on her health. She was never pushed out or replaced. She hand-picked Alissa White-Gluz as her successor. Both are powerhouse vocalists in their own right, and Gossow’s endorsement should have silenced the notion that White-Gluz was some kind of inadequate stand-in. Pitting them against each other is not only disrespectful, but completely ignores that Angela stepped back due to health concerns and has remained the band’s manager ever since. Demanding her return in 2025 indicates the most basic lack of knowledge of the band’s actual history, and is a complete slap in the face to Alissa’s accomplishments.
One particularly absurd focus of the hate has been White-Gluz’s outspoken veganism, constantly using her platform to advocate for animal rights and environmental causes. Detractors would often mock these beliefs, as if caring about animals is somehow less metal.
Joe Duplantier, the frontman of one of the world’s most acclaimed metal bands, is an extremely vocal environmentalist and vegan.
Gojira have sung about saving whales and rainforests for their whole career and been celebrated for it, with absolutely no one questioning their metal credentials. If a male musician’s ethical stance is tolerated or even lauded, but a female musician is labelled preachy for the same views, that’s just sexist double standards.
Alissa White-Gluz devoted 12 prolific years to Arch Enemy, touring the globe relentlessly and recording four studio albums with the band, managing to carry them forward after a major lineup change. Such an inflection point can easily sink a band, but they continued to thrive with Alissa’s era seeing the band headline major festivals. It’s no small credit to her charisma and vocal ability that the band actually expanded their fanbase rather than simply retaining it after Gossow’s departure. Her live capabilities are immense, stalking the stage and headbanging with her hair flying and switching from clean singing to deep, ravenous growls all while getting the crowd pumped. She honoured Gossow’s legacy while also imprinting her own identity on Arch Enemy’s sound, handling the split with class. Beyond the music itself, White-Gluz has been an important voice in metal as a prominent woman in a male-dominated genre and hasn’t shied away from calling herself a feminist. Some fans might not care, but many find her stances deeply inspiring, proving you can be brutal on stage and compassionate and principled in life, defying the outdated notion that metal has to be macho and nihilistic.
Staying true in the face of trolls shows tremendous strength. Alissa White-Gluz fronted Arch Enemy for over a decade, gave us some killer records, and there’s no reason that her departure had to devolve into a sexist free-for-all with “fans” spewing hatred at a musician who did right by the band’s legacy and fanbase for such a long time. In punk and hardcore there’s a long tradition of shutting down bigotry. The metal community could use a bit more of that attitude.
Alissa White-Gluz has earned our respect and solidarity.
The comment section, not so much.
