FEMALE METALHEADS: TAKING A STAND

The year was 1970 and Black Sabbath’s debut album, Black Sabbath, was fresh out of the studio (Christe 1). Alongside Black Sabbath was Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, who helped define what we know today as heavy metal. The interesting aspect here is that there is one sole thing that all of these bands share (besides their love for and dedication to their music) -- it is that every single one of their members has been male. This theme of male dominance was a common reoccurence, and almost staple foundation, in the early years of the formation of the heavy metal subculture. Women did not participate in the playing of music, production, or writing of anything concerning this genre of music. They were merely groupies who waited around backstage in the hopes of being noticed by the famous bands, or sexualized objects for advertisement and popularity. At the time, it seemed almost impossible that women were ever going to have their voices heard. Time and time again, women fought against their sexuality so that, maybe one day, they would be seen as no different than men.

 

In the years before women finally made their breakthrough their hardest challenge was only being seen as a sex object. Women often described the scene as being very intimidating as they would walk into a concert or bar and it would be full of guys with long hair wearing all black. They felt as if they were gazed at like an animal in a zoo. It was hard for women to be seen as equals because they stood out so much. They were either oversexualized on cover art are talked as if they were objects in songs. In order to be seen as more of an equal in the metal community changes had to be made. Women began by relying on a male partner or by going to metal events in groups (Krenske and McKay 272-73). Eventually these changes led to women being more noticed and accepted within the metal community.