![]() Halford would later be one of the first openly gay artists in the scene, but at the time it was seen as just an extension of the macho-biker image that represented the toughness of the music. While bands and fans appropriated many elements from the bondage world including leather, chains, studs, and skulls – no one associated it with the homosexual connotations it was intricately tied to. Soon every heavy metal outfit in the UK and across the pond would be sporting studs and military caps with bullwhips in hand. This would come in handy later with the development of mosh pits, where a pair of boots would double as protective gear. In the Post-Vietnam era and after Easy Rider brought biker culture to the big screen, bands like Thin Lizzy, Steppenwolf,and Motörheadadopted the biker uniform, borrowing heavily from military uniforms, including bullet belts, cut-off or “kutte vests” adorned with patches, leather pants, and motorcycle boots. While bands like Black Sabbath started out in the blues-rock fashions of bellbottoms and leather jackets, the real origins of heavy metal fashion came from biker and leather subcultures in the late 60s and 70s. Like punk, metal grew out of a rejection of the mainstream and used fashion to create a sense of identity. Has there ever been a genre of music so attuned to font and logos? Rejection of the mainstream ![]() Visual presentation ties into all musical genres, but no music scene values graphic design as much as metal bands do. From bullet belts and military garb to the studded leather, vivid imagery, and undecipherable logos – each subgenre comes with its own coded set of visual cues that act as a litmus test to bewildered outsiders. The extremity of heavy metal, both visually and as a lifestyle, both peaks curiosity and intimidates outsiders. A simple black band tee acts as an unspoken declaration of loyalty to the band and the metal scene at large. With such a polarizing genre, aesthetic is the primary way one can find others in their metal tribe.
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