Metal Meltdown: Why we Still Recognize Diversity in Metal

I’ve heard a few folks posing this line of questioning over the years in the metal community: “Why is it necessary to point out ‘women in metal’ or ‘queerness in metal’ or ‘Blackness in metal?’ Isn’t it better to invite everyone in, move past tokenizing and minority counting, and just celebrate good music?”

Even if you’re not familiar with the metal subgenre, this line of thinking is by no means new. It is well-intentioned, for sure, but often spoken by those in more places of privilege who miss the nuance behind what they’re actually saying. 

This is where we are in 2022: I, a uterus-having nonbinary woman, do not have the same rights as my two bandmates, who are cis men. While I’m lucky enough to live in a state that protects my right to terminate a pregnancy, the U.S. no longer protects those rights. My bandmates have bodily autonomy, while I do not. 

And this is just one example: Being queer and Black in metal carries just as heavy a weight. So the biggest answer to that question is, our experience is inherently different than that of a cis, straight white man. It is going to inform our lyrics, how we think, what we dream about, the way in which we show up in the world, so of course it is going to impact our art, and it should be considered beyond just who checks what boxes in which band. 

Not to mention, navigating the world as a person with marginalization makes lived experience completely different. I have to consider my femmeness, my queerness, my place in this world, every time I show up at a venue, talk to a new person online, reach out ot a promoter, agree to work with a band or PR person as a metal writer. Is it safe to talk to this person as a woman? Can I let them know I’m queer? Will there be confusion, or even worse, anger and frustration, when a metalhead named Addison shows up in person and is not, in fact, a cis, straight man? This is an experience folks who lack marginalization simply do not have. 

So, with all this in mind, my answer to those who wish we could move past pointing out marginalization in metal is this: We can do that when the marginalization ceases to be an issue. Until then, it is still a massive part of our lived experience, and as such, a massive part of our lives as metalheads and musical creators.