Huntress singer Jill Janus dies by suicide at age 43

Huntress singer Jill Janus has died. She was 43. (Getty Images)

Jill Janus, lead singer of the heavy metal band Huntress, has died.

A statement from Janus' bandmates and family released Thursday through publicist Alexandra Greenberg said Janus had long struggled with mental illness, and killed herself outside Portland, Oregon on Tuesday. She was 43.

Janus fronted Huntress from the group's inception in Los Angeles in 2009, singing on three full-length albums and on tours with bands including Motorhead and Lamb of God.

The band's sound was classic thrash-inflected metal, with Janus, one of the few female vocalists in the genre, screaming through songs like "Spell Eater" and "Sorrow."

Janus had been an advocate for mental health, and encouraged fans who were suffering to seek help. The family statement urges those considering harming themselves to call the national suicide-prevention hotline.