Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia On How Women Are ‘Treated Differently’ In Metal: ‘A Lady Has To Prove It’

In a candid new interview, Lacuna Coil co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia has opened up about the persistent double standards faced by women in the heavy metal scene. Speaking exclusively with the new issue of Metal Hammer, the iconic gothic metal singer stated that while she has never been “treated badly,” women are undeniably “treated differently” and have to work harder than men to be recognized as artists.

Scabbia, who has been a prominent figure in the genre since joining Lacuna Coil in 1996, described a common experience for women at concerts and festivals.

“At every gig, or at festivals, the security will think that you’re either the wife or the girlfriend of someone, or a groupie, or a production assistant,” she explained. “A guy can be a rock star just wearing skinny jeans and a jacket. A lady has to prove it.”

However, Scabbia also acknowledged that there have been certain “pros” to being a woman in a male-dominated scene, particularly when it came to media attention in the past.

“The cover of magazines was one,” she explained. “When an editor is just like, ‘OK, we have a cool picture of a pretty woman or we have another picture of a guy with a beard.’ Let’s be honest, let’s be real, I think that we got a lot of attention because of having a woman in a band.”

In the interview, Scabbia also reflected on her early days in the Italian pop and dance music scene before joining Lacuna Coil. She shared a negative experience that solidified her desire to pursue a different path in music.

“We went to a music convention… and I remember the day after, two guys separately came to me saying they were producers. They gave me their card, and they were basically trying to take me to bed,” she recalled. “And I was just like, ‘What the f**k is this? I don’t want to be part of this.’”

Cristina Scabbia‘s frank comments offer a nuanced perspective from one of the most successful and respected women in heavy metal. Her interview, featured in the latest issue of Metal Hammer, highlights both the challenges and advantages she has navigated over her nearly three-decade career.