Ok folks, we may have found you your new favourite band. Are you into alternative rock, heavy metal seasoned with prog/math rock influences? Do you like female vocals and symphonic metal elements? What about a healthy dose of radio-friendliness? If all your answers are yes, then you will love Rouge Awakening. This 5 piece living between Eastbourne, Brighton and London have been making a blissful racket since 2022 and they are getting more and more recognition for their eclectic, melodic yet thunderous output. With fantastic references from the BBC Introducing, Rouge Awakening is coming out of the shadows, into the spotlight and we are here to write a few words about it.
Single cover
Official bio: Rogue Awakening are a hard rock/alt metal band from Horsham, West Sussex. Their sound heavy but melodic, with crunchy, thick guitar riffs and epic, soaring female vocals. The band unites lots of different musical backgrounds and tastes from indie to death metal. When fused together, this creates a melting pot of fast flowing bass riffs, shredding guitars, hammering drums and powerful vocal hooks with a symphonic edge.
The first thing you notice when you look at Rouge Awakening single covers or promotional pictures is their vocalist, Kimberley Voice. With her bright red hair, elaborate, fantasy inspired outfits and enigmatic laced face mask, she looks more like a mage from the Witcher saga than a contemporary metal musician. Kimberley couldn’t have a more fitting last name either. She is THE VOICE – powerful, emotionally charged, raw. There are many bands with female vocalists on the market and Rouge Awakening can compete with the greatest of them: Nightwish, Within Temptation or Evanescence.
Rouge Awakening by Lee London
What makes Kimberley stand out is her timbre and register. Majority of symphonic metal bands normally use two vocalists: a male one (for growling) and lyrical soprano (feminine high pitched vocals) going for the classical angel/demon or beauty and the beast combo. Kimberley is the primary vocalist in Rouge Awakening and she is a mezzo soprano by my (un)trained ear. As strange as it may sound, female singers of the middle ranges (mezzo soprano, alto) are rare in the symphonic metal genre with the notable exceptions for maybe The Warning’s Daniela Villarreal, known for her rich, lower tones. Kimberley is probably the only front woman on an independent circuit I know of who sings in her natural range without being pushed to do soprano parts. Again, this is not common knowledge, but having spent years singing in church choirs, I can assure you there is just one alto for at least 3 sopranos, they are in huge demand and low supply! Kimberley’s voice is warm, melodic, direct at times and soft when it needs to be.
Rouge Awakening are a prima sorte noise makers. They have been called “absolutely amazing” (Novacaine Mag), “explosive” (All About The Rock) and “hauntingly beautiful” (Metal Rose Media). Their music brings many genres together, mainly hard rock, prog rock, heavy metal and symphonic metal, creating something that I would like to call an avantgarde prog metal. Those who are fond of eclectic and diverse styles should truly pay attention – we do not have many bands melting artful prog aesthetic with primal force of metal. What I truly like about the band is that they skilfully managed to weave the progressive rock tempo changes and complex structures into the simplistic frame of heavy metal. I’m writing this as a compliment. Heavy metal, as a genre, is known (and universally loved) for its elementary and inclusive form. All you need are three chords, lots of power and minimal technical set up. The ability to successfully fuse very technical, demanding and ambitious arrangements with a style that’s intuitive and straightforward is a skill of its own.
“Remain Untamed” is towering, wild and very radio friendly in its delivery. Nearly four minutes of true metal magic, with a strong feminist message. The song was written by Kimberley as a rallying cry for all women who are sick and tired of being mistreated and forcefully confined to narrow societal expectations and conservative norms. The song comes with a very cool video that was shot in Brighton with some very skilled pole dancers. It has this 70’s/80’s vibe that reminds me of very early German metal videos of Halloween, Scorpions or Accept.
Rouge Awakening is getting better and better and they are touring more often.
We can’t wait to be able to see them playing live. For now, enjoy the song, hopefully as much as we are.
Support Rouge Awakening online:
https://www.facebook.com/rogueawakeningofficial
https://www.instagram.com/rogueawakeningofficial/
https://www.tiktok.com/@rogueawakening0
https://x.com/rogueawakening1
https://linktr.ee/rogueawakeningofficial
https://www.youtube.com/@rogueawakeningofficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0GPqtnKh8oInJFojUmcgt0
Further reading: Rita Dabrowicz
https://www.moshville.co.uk/feature/botd/2025/05/headline-act-rogue-awakening/
https://gigradar.uk/2025/06/09/newbandoftheweek-rogueawakening/
https://www.novacaine.co.uk/post/rogue-awakening-remain-untamed
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 