Heavy Diversity

Metal – that’s men in black clothes who don't have much to do with equality, LGBTQ+ and diversity. Or what?

In an on-stage interview with Norwegian black metal icon Gaahl (known as the lead singer of Gorgoroth) and a panel discussion with the exceptional Danish drummer Sara Gacic (Ivy Crown) and the Swedish metal all-rounder Linnea Olsson (Maggot Heart) we explore, how diverse (or stereotypical) the metal scene really is. Moderated by TV journalist Andreas Krieger, well known for his documentary »Heavy Metal Saved My Life« (ARD).

Kristian Eivind Espedal, better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegian vocalist, best known as the former leadsinger of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. He is also the founder and frontman of Trelldom and Gaahlskagg. In 2008, he was one of the first musicians from the genre who came out as homosexual. Apart from his impressive musical career, Gaahl works as a painter and produces his own wine. In Andreas Krieger's documentary »Heavy Metal Saved my Life«, Gaahl appears in the second episode, ›Queer‹.

Generally, Gaahl can be called »one of the most iconic figures to have emerged from the extreme metal underground«, to quote loudersound.com regarding his role in the metal world.

Sara Gacic is drummer and songwriter in the Copenhagen-based melodic metalcoreband Ivy Crown which she founded 2017 together with Natasja. Ivy Crown published their debut album »Echo« in October 2019. A fourth band member and a new album are coming up this spring.

Sara engages in diversity by being – among other activities – an instructor at the »pop-pilot-camps« as well as the Copenhell Rock Academy, both initiatives striving to increase gender diversity in the Danish music scene.

Metal Hammer UK wrote about »Echo«: »This melodic metalcore crew have tackled some hard-hitting issues on one of the year’s most promising debuts.«

Linnéa Olsson is a Swedish musician and journalist. As a journalist, Linnéa has covered rock and metal primarily for Swedish and international music magazines and newspapers. She has also worked as a rock biography translator. Simultaneously, she pursued her musical career, playing guitar and writing songs for bands like Beastmilk/Grave Pleasures, The Oath, and her own band Maggot Heart since 2016. Linnéa relocated from Stockholm to Berlin in 2012 and co-founded Rapid Eye Records in 2020. She is a member of Music Women Germany, an organization and network dedicated to promoting diversity in the music scene.

Andreas Krieger is a German TV journalist. In 2022, he made the multi-part documentary »Heavy Metal Saved My Life« for Hessischer Rundfunk (hr). In intimate interviews, the documentary tells the story of people who were almost broken in their lives, but who have picked themselves up again, with the help of metal music.

Gaahl | Foto: Frank Schwichtenberg