Jill Janus, the lead singer of the rock bank Huntress, died by suicide on Aug. 14. She was 43.

Jill Janus is perhaps best known as the incendiary lead singer of the progressive thrash metal group Huntress. For years, Huntress, which Janus describes as an “occult” band, has combined its intense sound with themes of fantasy to convey the band’s message.

All the while, however, Janus was confronting the all-too-real experience of not only mental illness, in the form of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder and alcoholism, but also physical illness in the form of cancer.

She has bravely chosen to share her story and message that one can recover from illness, and have a “new beginning.”

Janus has received several diagnoses over the years. The first she recalls was bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by a persistently elevated or irritated mood that lasts for at least a week. Many people with bipolar disorder describe the experience as a surge of energy that seems to have no origin. During this time, people can often become very grandiose, feel like they are racing and get involved in either highly productive activities or destructive activities, such as spending sprees or other risky behaviors.

Janus described when she first noticed changes during adolescence. “At the age of 14, my family noticed a shift in my moods,” she told me. “I was very active as a performer, had a strong sense of purpose and was almost too self-confident. I developed a superiority complex and started having fist fights at school, mostly with boys. The violence was explosive. Then I’d sink into depression. I experienced rapid cycling between the two modes.”

“I attempted suicide for the first time at the age of 16 with a pair of scissors. I was getting mandatory counseling at school but didn’t see a psychiatrist until I was 20. I was then diagnosed manic-depressive and participated in a medical study at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.”

Janus also describes psychotic symptoms, and was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and then later schizophrenia. Both schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are characterized by “psychotic” symptoms, which could include hallucinations — that is, having sensory experiences that are assessed as not “real” or as delusional. One major difference between the diagnoses is that schizoaffective disorder includes a combination of psychotic symptoms and mood symptoms such as mania, whereas schizophrenia is diagnosed based on the presence of psychotic symptoms alone.

Janus describes the aspects of her experience that were diagnosed as psychotic.

“I’ve always seen and heard things others couldn’t. Many visions or dreams would manifest into reality, which my family and friends described as my ‘psychic ability,’” she explained.

“This caused more drama at school, being called a ‘freak’ and getting beaten up. When I was 17, the visions and encounters with ‘other-worldly creatures’ was almost a daily occurrence.”

Janus’ band confirmed the news on their Facebook page on Thursday in which they wrote she “took her own life outside of Portland, Oregon.”

“It is with crushed hearts that we announce that Jill Janus — frontwoman for the California heavy metal band Huntress — passed away on Tuesday, August. 14,” the band wrote. “A long-time sufferer of mental illness, she took her own life outside of Portland, Oregon.”

“Janus spoke publicly about these challenges in hopes of guiding others to address and overcome their mental illness,” the post continued.

The band celebrated Janus’ talent as well as her collaborations with female hard rock cover bands such as The Starbreakers and Chelsea Girls.

Janus also worked as a “co-composer and creator of an upcoming rock opera with Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Angus Clark and had a decade-long career as NYC DJ Penelope Tuesdae.”

“Beyond her accomplishments in the music world and her advocacy for mental health issues, she was a beautiful person passionate about her family, animal rescue and the world of natural medicine,” the band wrote. “She will be missed more than she could have ever known.”

Several of Janus’ friends mourned the singer’s death on social media, including Lizzy Hale of Halestorm.

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Hale shared a photo of herself with Janus on Instagram in which she also wrote about the Huntress singer’s “struggles with mental health and addiction.”

“It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to one of our peers. Jill Janus, has died today. Jill was very open about her struggles with mental health and addiction,” Hale wrote. “Now, more than ever, spanning across Every age group, the suicide rate is extremely high.”

“I’d like to take a moment to state again how important it is to talk about mental health, and remind all of you out there battling demons that you are not alone,” she wrote. “I have to navigate my own dark labyrinth and I turn to music and writing for my lifeline. I want to encourage you to keep searching for Your lifeline, something that makes You happy.”

“It doesn’t matter if no one gets it but you…that’s ok! We need to Stop trying to live up to expectations that society places in front of us to make us feel Unworthy of love, beauty and success,” she continued.

“We need to stop comparing ourselves to others. We need to stop trying to be ‘normal.’ And we need to stop being quiet about our mental wellbeing. Asking for help doesn’t mean your broken,” Hale added. “And if you don’t know how to ask for help that’s ok too, those of us who have a shoulder will let you lean on it!”

She also had a special message to Janus.

“To Jill, My sister of scream, I hope wherever you are you have found the peace that you couldn’t here,” Hale wrote. “My deepest sympathy’s go out to Jill’s Family and her band Huntress during this time.”

Janus’ former Huntress bandmate, Casey Wood, also shared his grief on social media with a touching post on Facebook.

“I’m in shock and can’t stop crying. My ex-band mate singer has left the world. She was the biggest sweetheart and I hope that her Legacy lives on as it should!” He wrote. “You were supposed to be on your way back here Jill Janus. I love you I miss you, and my door is still open for you always. Rest in peace my sister.”

Huntress is an American heavy metal band. It was founded in the underground of Highland Park, California when lead vocalist Jill Janus moved to Los Angeles where she met an underground metal band called ‘Professor’ in 2009. Huntress was signed by Napalm Records in November 2011. A debut EP Off with Her Head was released in 2010.[1] On December 27, 2011, they released their first single, “Eight of Swords”, to promote their debut album, Spell Eater.

In October 2015, Janus posted a now-deleted note on Facebook announcing the band would finish its activities, but that she would continue to make music. Lead guitarist Blake Meahl, however, dismissed her statement as a consequence of her health and mental issues, and said the band would continue to perform.

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On August 14, 2018, vocalist Jill Janus committed suicide outside of Portland, Oregon. The future of the band is currently unknown.

In an interview with Revolver magazine (and obtained by Loudwire) in July 2015, she opened up about her numerous struggles with mental health, revealing she had Bipolar disorder — a diagnosis she received when she was 20.

“I started to show signs of it when I was 13, though, and I struggled with it through high school,” she said at the time. “It started to get dangerous in my early teens. By the time I was 20 and living in Manhattan, it was very, very difficult for me.”

She continued, “That’s when I was admitted into a mental health facility and was diagnosed bipolar with schizoaffective disorder, which progressed into schizophrenia and dissociative disorder.”

Janus revealed she’d always struggled with suicidal thoughts, describing herself as “very suicidal” in her early years, which turned into “full-blown mania” which resulted in her losing some memories.

“I lost my long-term memory and can’t remember names, faces, or even places,” she said.

Janus was also diagnosed with cancer in 2015.

“When we were on tour with Amon Amarth, I started to bleed heavily between my periods,” she recalled. “I had a procedure, and my doctor found early stages of cancer in my uterus.”

According to Loudwire, Janus had a hysterectomy in June 2015.