As the metal world gears up for one of the most monumental events in music history—BLACK SABBATH’s final-ever show on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham—HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale is preparing for a moment that feels deeply personal, powerful, and full circle.
In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Lzzy opened up about the lifelong influence that SABBATH has had on her, and how growing up as a female metalhead shaped her in ways that set her apart from her peers—and even from her male counterparts.
“There is something different about a woman who grew up on BLACK SABBATH versus a man who did,” Lzzy reflects. “It was more accepted at the time to be a heavy metal fan if you were a boy, versus being a girl.”
For Lzzy, discovering SABBATH as a teenager was more than just a musical awakening—it was a declaration of identity. While her classmates were tuned into the glossy sounds of Mariah Carey and the BACKSTREET BOYS, Lzzy was diving into the dark, heavy world of Tony Iommi riffs and Ozzy’s eerie vocals. That difference didn’t go unnoticed—and it didn’t come easy.
“I would be trying to convince my friends, who are all listening to Mariah Carey and BACKSTREET BOYS, to listen to BLACK SABBATH,” she recalls. “And they’re like, ‘No, that’s my dad’s music!’ and all of this. So I would tell my dad, and he’s like, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ And I’m like, ‘Why, dad? No one’s ever gonna like me! I don’t have any friends because they don’t like my music.’ He’s like, ‘No, you love BLACK SABBATH just because you love BLACK SABBATH, not because it’s popular on the radio right now, not because your friends are listening to it, because it’s a part of you. That’s an incredible thing.’
Now an icon in her own right, Lzzy is the only woman on the lineup for SABBATH’s epic farewell performance—a bill stacked with metal giants like METALLICA, PANTERA, GUNS N’ ROSES, TOOL, SLAYER, and GOJIRA. For her, it’s not just a show. It’s a tribute to the band that lit her pat.
“I wouldn’t be the singer I am today, I wouldn’t be the guitar player I am today, I wouldn’t be the rocker I am today without these men,” she says with reverence. “I just can’t wait to celebrate them, honour them, and wish them farewell.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.