She doesn’t look away when she talks about it. That’s the feeling you get with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s newest exhibit featurette, Women In Metal: You Will Know My Name.
It opens July 10 — a space built not just to honour metal’s fiercest women, but to stand face to face with them.
This isn’t a background story. This is the moment the room turns toward the women who have been pushing metal forward from the inside out.
Spotlighting female risk-takers and genre-defining icons, the exhibit brings together artists who didn’t just enter metal — they reshaped its pressure points. According to the museum, it’s about those who push boundaries, challenge the status quo, and carve out space where none existed before.
And the language around them is just as direct as the music itself.
The artists featured in Women In Metal represent what it means to defy the typical labels of womanhood. With powerful lyrics, assertive personas, and unapologetic rage, they’ve helped drag metal into the mainstream while refusing to dilute what makes it dangerous in the first place.
The exhibit will include artifacts spanning eras and styles of metal, pulling together a cross-section of artists who changed the genre’s shape over time. Among those featured are Lita Ford, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy and Dragonforce, Taylor Momsen of the Pretty Reckless, Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox, and more. The collection is curated by Rock Hall assistant curator Haley Cronin.
“Women have been pivotal influencers and changemakers in the metal genre since its inception,” Cronin says. “We are excited to tell the stories of those women who stand firmly and courageously at the forefront of innovation and acceptance, and through their raw power pave the way for all girls who just want to rock.”
The exhibit opens to the public on July 10, launching with a live celebration featuring Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm. The pair will perform a short acoustic set on the outdoor PNC Stage, followed by performances from Storms Within, Maxilla, and Reign of Z.
Hale is clear about what this moment means.
“I’m so proud to be a part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s ‘Women In Metal’ exhibit,” she says. “I’m honored to stand next to my sisters of scream. These women have set me on fire and helped shape this genre. Together, we are creating a space to shine, be loud, and carve a path for the next generation to follow, like our foremothers inspired us. Raise your horns and come celebrate with me on July 10th!”
Tickets for the opening event are available now. The evening begins at 7:00 p.m. on the Union Home Mortgage Plaza, with admission starting at $15. An Event Plus ticket includes access to the showcase and museum touring privileges from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., which includes entry to the new exhibit featurette.
Rock and roll, at its core, has always been about collision — rhythm and blues, country, gospel — a constantly evolving force built on rebellion and connection. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame continues that tradition, telling the stories of the artists who shaped that sound and the culture around it.
So the question isn’t whether metal made room for these women. It’s whether metal would even sound like metal without them.
