A lot of the best ones have already been mentioned.
Ray Alder(I am simply floored that somebody could hate him), Roy Khan, Arno Menses, Bruce Dickinson, Geddy Lee, Damian Wilson, Floor Jansen, Christina Scabbia, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Robert Plant,................................
Russell Allen simply has no equal.
But many other phenomenal ones have not yet been mentioned:
Roberto Tiranti aka Rob Tyrant(Labyrinth)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9raQ...2F968645C&playnext_from=PL&playnext=7&index=6
David Byron(ex-Uriah Heep)
Kari Rueslatten(ex-The 3rd & The Mortal)
Pat Benatar(maybe not metal; but her extreme range of octaves simply cannot be denied and her pop "hits" simply don't do her justice)
Lana Lane(ex-Ayreon)
Midnight(ex-Crimson Glory)
Randy Jackson(Zebra)
Ann/Nancy Wilson(Heart)
Steve Walsh(Kansas)
Shiralee Morgan(Chalice)- sadly this magnificent Australian prog metal band have disbanded
If I
had to pick a female vocalist who's the equivalent to Russell Allen; someone who had loads of range and passion, versatility, depth, and a proclivity for amazing melody it would have to be
Sandi Saraya.
And super sadly, Saraya only released 2 albums. Had they not come out at the
end of the 80's, I think they would have been at the forefront of female hard rock/metal and enjoyed a longer career.
But she can do it all; blues, metal, AOR- you name it. Anyway, here's a classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEb5...&p=BE0F7532F968645C&playnext_from=PL&index=36