Dee Snider recently cleared up the history behind the ‘metal horns’ hand sign after sharing a photo on X with a fan where both made the gesture. When asked about its origins, Snider explained that Ronnie James Dio popularized the sign.
“The ‘metal horns’ were started by Ronnie James Dio. His Italian grandmother used them to ward off evil (known as the Malocchio). When he joined Black Sabbath, he wanted to have a hand sign that was his. (Ozzy uses the peace sign.) So, he used the Malocchio which became the metal horns. Savvy?” he wrote.
When another user suggested that Dio used the sign as the opposite of Ozzy Osbourne’s peace sign, Snider quickly shut it down. “NO! He said he was trying to come up with a hand sign of his own. His grandmother used to throw the horns to WARD OFF EVIL so he adopted that. I’m done with this convo. I fully explained this in multiple posts.”
The ‘metal horns’ sign has been strongly linked to heavy metal culture since Dio began using it in 1979 after joining Black Sabbath. The singer never claimed to have invented the gesture but acknowledged that his frequent use made it a well-known symbol in rock and metal.
There were earlier instances of the gesture being used by other musicians. Geezer Butler was seen making the sign in a 1969 photograph. John Lennon also did the gesture in a 1967 photoshoot promoting The Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ movie. But Dio’s consistent use of the sign helped it become popular in the metal community.
In 2017, Gene Simmons from KISS tried to trademark a version of the hand gesture — thumb, index, and pinky fingers extended with the middle and ring fingers folded — which resembles the American Sign Language sign for ‘I love you.’ Simmons claimed he first used it in 1974, but his trademark application was dropped after about a week.
The “metal horns” were started by Ronnie James Dio. His Italian grandmother used them to ward off evil (known as the Malocchia). When he joined @BlackSabbath he wanted to have a hand sign that was his (Ozzy uses the peace sign), So he used the Malocchio which became the metal…
— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) March 2, 2025
NO! He said he was trying to come up with a hand sign of his own. His grandmother used to throw the horns to WARD OFF EVIL so he adopted that.
I’m done with this convo. I fully explained this in multiple posts. https://t.co/WDHKRZ5JtH
— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) March 2, 2025
