HELL'S HEROES

It has been many, many years since I went to a heavy metal festival and this is going back to Milwaukee Metalfest in the 90s.  This is most certainly the first multi-day event that I have attended in Texas and after reading the line-up from last year’s fest, there was no way I was going to miss the 2024 version.  The White Oak Music Hall is a great place to see an event like this as it has a large outdoor stage and a smaller indoor stage to accommodate the many different acts that would be playing over the three days.  The only issue is that you are at the mercy of the weather and unfortunately, the first day had a little bit of that to contend with.  Aside from that, the Hell’s Heroes promoters did a great job of making sure that that almost all of the set times did not overlap giving the fans a chance to see all of the acts without having to sacrifice a band because another band is on at the same time on a different stage.  I, your humble metal scribe did miss the very ends of some sets as I was racing to get pictures of the next band on the other stage but all in all, I was able to see forty bands over the three days.

Now, before I go any further, I thought about how I was going to review a fest like this and I came to the conclusion that I was just going to start at the very beginning and work my way to the very last band on Saturday.  There were bands on the bill that I have beena long-time fan of and some that I knew but wasn’t that familiar with and then there were a bunch that I was just hearing them for the first time.  I was lucky enough to get set list information on most of the bands so that helped me with the ones that were new to me.  So without further ado, here we go!

DAY ONE

The first band to kick things off on Thursday was Massachusetts’ very own power metal ADAMANTIS.  I had not heard of them but one of my metal friends told me they were not to be missed.  Boy was he right!  These guys really tore things up right from the start and singer Jeff Stark really shined throughout their thirty minute performance.  The song that really stood out was “Fire and Brimstone”.  Their sound was definitely more on the power metal side of the genre but they had enough of the traditional metal elements that kept me bangin’ my head.  For those of you that have not read my previous reviews, I’m not much of a power metal fan but when it is done right, I get hooked really quickly and ADAMANTIS is one of those bands.

Sadly, the next band was on the outdoor stage and that pesky weather issue reared its ugly head and it was raining.  I may be metal but I’m not “stand in the rain” metal so I did miss ACERO LETAL and instead waited inside for SAVAGE OATH to hit the stage.  I did a little research beforehand on these guys and I’m glad I go to see their whole, albeit short, set.  Unlike ADAMANTIS who were more in the power metal side of things, SAVAGE OATH’s performance was more traditional metal with small parts of power metal thrown in for added effect.  With only two releases, their five song set made the most of both with songs from their E.P. getting played along with set opener “Knight of the Night”, “Wings of Vengeance”, and “On the March” from their “Divine Battle” record making the set.  This is what I love about fests like this; you get exposed to new bands that you might not get exposure to otherwise.  So far, I’m digging both these new bands.

Now that the rain had subsided a bit, I made my way to the outdoor stage to catch the first ladies of metal GIRLSCHOOL.  Even though I read about them for many, many years in the pages of Kerrang! magazine, this was the first time I got to see them live.  For a band that is embarking on their last tour, they showed us that they still have “it” and the rocked us out with an old school set.  The majority of the tunes performed were from their 1980 “Demolition” and 1981 “Hit and Run” records.   They started their set with the first track off their debut album “Demolition Boys” and continued with four tunes in a row off “Hit and Run”.  “The Hunter” and “Kick it Down” sounded as fresh as they did over four decades ago and the crowd lapped it up from start to finish.  They did pay respects to their latest disk “WTFortyfive?” by playing the single "It is What it Is” but the best part was when they paid homage to Lemmy and company with a rousing version of “Bomber”.  This may be last time they tour but the crowd (along with myself) felt there is still plenty of gas still in the tank. 

Back inside for occult metal ANCIENT VVISDOM.  This is a hard band to pin down as I would expect them to be full on barrage of devil noise yet, their acoustic guitar driven sound has a lot of nuance.  The lyrics are full of satanic reference and oddly, even though the acoustic guitar is prominent, the music is still somehow heavy.  The frontman wore a hood for the show which, along with the lighting, made it difficult to see his face while the other guitarist had some corpse paint.  With the music, the lyrics, and the visuals all different, somehow these guys make it all work.   “Alter Reality” really set the mood for the show with “Devil Brain” and “Sold My Soul To Satan” standing out as being the highlights of the set for me.  They finished their slot with a cover of W.A.S.P.’s “Sleeping (in the Fire)” which fit nicely with their own material.

HELSTAR was the next act to perform on the larger outside stage and according to the press, it was going to be a “Nosferatu” set.  Now, to be fair, James Rivera and crew also included just as much material from “Vampiro” but all in all it was a set filled with vampire lore from start to finish.  “Awaken Unto Darkness” started things off with Rivera in full vampire regalia including realistic fangs.  Sipping occasionally from a chalice (filled with blood of course), the band made sure to make good on the press with “To Sleep, Per Chance to Scream”, “Harker's Tale (Mass of Death)”, and finishing off the set with “Baptized in Blood”.  Add in “Black Cathedral”, “To Their Death Beds They Fell”, and 2020’s single “Black Wings of Solitude” and you have a great set by an often overlooked band.  I’ve always liked HELSTAR and in particular the “Nosferatu” and “Vampiro” albums so for me, this was the best of the best of HELSTAR.

Canadian black metalers OCCULT BURIAL kicked off their set back on the smaller indoor stage with “Hades Son”.  Full disclosure, I’m not that big a fan of black metal and it is mainly the vocals. Musically, OCCULT BURIAL is an awesome thrash band with plenty of musical chops and groove for days.  Songs like “Jackal Head” and “A Witch Shall Be Born (Daughter of Darkness)” would all benefit from a different vocalist or a different vocal style.  The crowd loved them so maybe I’m the one who doesn’t know what I’m talking about but this was the first act of the day that didn’t do it for me.

Metal queen and vocal powerhouse DORO hit the stage like a conquering hero (Hell’s Hero perhaps).  It has been quite a few years since I saw her live and she has lost none of her vocal abilities and charming stage presence.  She banged her head with the whole crowd and seemed to really appreciate the warm Houston welcome she received.  “Triumph and Tragedy” was always a favorite of mine from her catalogue so it was nice to get a few tracks form that release but quite honestly I can’t imagine her dropping “I Rule the Ruins”, “East Meets West”, and “All We Are” from her shows.  What made this particular show special was that DORO was going to focus a lot of it on WARLOCK material and she stayed true to her word.  There were quite a few songs that I have never seen her perform like the frantic rocker “Metal Racer”.  Even though the whole set was great, “Earthshaker Rock”, “Hellbound”, and fist pumping metal anthem “Fight For Rock” were a few that really stood out.  I was also happy that she snuck in a couple of her solo efforts in the mix with “Time for Justice” from her latest record fitting in nicely with the old school set.  I, and based on crowd reaction, only I could have done without a cover of JUDAS PRIEST’s “Breaking the Law”.  To be honest, I don’t need to see JUDAS PRIEST play that tune ever again but to be fair, she did a great version and the crowd lover every note.  She definitely had a large number of fans in attendance and based on the response, plenty of new fans too.

At this point the weather was getting a sketchy but I wanted to catch DESTRUCTOR as my friend told me that they were a really good band.  They hit the stage with “Tear Down the Heavens” and right away I was hooked with their blend of thrash, power, and traditional metal.  Even though they sound nothing like RIOT, they remind of them in that they just go out there and bash it out without any gimmicks.  Just good old fashioned metal.  I only wish I would have known their material better as I only researched their latest record and half the set was culled from their debut release “Maximum Destruction”.  “Pounding Evil” and “Sonic Bullet’ were great and based on this performance, I’ll be getting acquainted with their whole catalogue.

As I was heading out to catch the next act, I was told by security that there was lightning and hail on the way so they asked us to leave and go back to our cars.  Being an outdoor event, they didn’t want to risk our safety so I complied and missed NIGHT DEMON who I was looking forward to catching.  The bad weather also forced AUTOPSY to start late and perform a shorter set.  Musically, AUTOPSY are a great tight thrash/death metal band.  My issue here again is the vocal and while Chris Reifert’s vocal style fits the music, it just isn’t my cup of tea.  But I will say, even with a shorter set, the band crushed it with “Gasping for Air” and “Ridden with Disease”.  The music was tight and what I like about them is that they do time and tempo changes within all of their tunes so even though they are clearly death metal, they have a small kernel of prog metal in there.  Making its live debut, “Impending Dread” just put the icing on the cake.  I just wish the vocals were better but as I mentioned earlier, I’m in the minority so I’ll just enjoy what it is. (A band like this would never work with clean vocals—Dr. M)

Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS  headlined the first day and they did not disappoint.  Promoted as a “Nightfall” set, the band basically played that whole record aside from instrumentals “Gothic Stone”, “Black Candles”, and the Chopin cover.  Songs like “Samarithan” and “Dark Are The Veils Of Death” sounded as heavy and menacing as when I first heard them on vinyl back in the latter part of the 80s.  Although Johan Langquist has only returned to the band in 2019, his mesmerizing performance stood out as he ventured out on the protruding speaker cabinets and greeted fans.  His vocals were spot on and visually acted out the lyrics in the same way Ronnie James Dio used to do.  The lead track off of “Ancient Dreams” “Mirror Mirror” followed the Nightfall portion of their show and then it was back to the very beginning with tracks from “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus”.  They managed to get “Crystal Ball”, and the heavy as all hell “Solitude” in the set but they were stopped after just a small portion of “Under the Oak”.  The weather and a strict 10:00pm noise curfew prevented CANDLEMASS from performing their complete set which is such a shame as the band and audience were firing on all cylinders.  These guys are legends and even their truncated set was full of doom metal masterpieces.  I hope they make their way back to the states (to Houston in particular) and grace us with a full set.

DAY TWO

The weather cooperated for both Friday and Saturday so the latter two days of the Hell’s Heroes fest ran like a German train schedule.  These next two days, the festivities started on the outdoor stage and Friday’s opening act was NITE.  These Californian mix traditional metal with some black metal vocal stylings.  I’m sure the music might have been a little more suited for a dark indoor venue but they were still great in the mid-day sunshine.  The put in a short but powerful set that was bookended with a couple of track from their debut, namely “Ezelia” and “Night Terrors”.  I particularly enjoyed the opener “Ezelia” with its heavy groove laden riffs and although I’m not into black metal vocals,  Van Labrakis has a style that reminds me of the early black metal releases so I’m OK with them.  To add a little special-ness to the performance, they played a song that will be on their third album called “Crow (Fear the Night)” which if that is any indication of the whole record, fans of the band will definitely be more than happy with this yet untitled release.

Back inside, I was blown away with this new band (for me anyway) called INTRANCED.  They are a great L.A. band that captures that 80s metal scene perfectly.  Opener “Dream Lover” just hits you right between the eyes with its frantic pace and great vocal harmonies.  Their next few songs had Spanish titles like “Reyes de Las Tinieblas” and “Muerte y Metal” but that didn’t matter to me (or the rest of the crowd) as we were rocking through every note.  The latter is especially a very infectious anthem that will have you humming it for days.  The ended the performance with their namesake track off their E.P. and I wholeheartedly recommend INTRANCED for anyone who loves 80s California metal.  I most certainly will keep these guys on my radar from now on. 

I love old school thrash so MORBID SAINT hits all the marks and they were the band that got the crowd-surfing started on Friday.  “Lock Up Your Children” off their debut was the perfect opener to get the crowd going and following up with “Bleed Them Dry” was the one-two punch I was expecting from this Midwest bunch.  The latter wasn’t the only song that they plucked off their last record.  They also played the title track and “Fuck Them All” with singer Pat Lind having that sentiment emblazoned on a cowboy hat.  The finished off their show with “Damien” off their debut and it all went by so fast that I didn’t realize they gave us six thrashing tunes at warp speed.

As I mentioned earlier, there were a number of bands that I had no clue who they were or what they sounded like and NUBIVAGANT was one of them.  They are different band that consisted of just a guitarist and drummer.  They kind of had a droning quality about their sound and while I wasn’t too into it, the crowd seemed to like them.  The singer wore a hood and he sang with a clean vocal...ultimately they were forgettable.  Not awful or anything but I won’t be looking into them anytime soon.

After that performance, I was craving something a bit more memorable and familiar and OMEN brought both in spades.  Opening their set with “Death Rider” had the crowd pumping their fists in the air and the crowd-surfing continued (like it should).  While the band got forty minutes to perform, they definitely sent old school and stuck to a set of songs that didn’t venture past 1986 with “Teeth of the Hydra” off the “The Curse”.  They kept the set full of tunes off "Battle Cry" and "Warning of Danger" which are classics.  The former was an album that I wore the grooves off my vinyl copy so I was happy to get “The Axeman” , “In the Arena” and the title track all in the same set.  Add in “Hell’s Gate”. “March On” and “Warning of Danger” and you have a near perfect OMEN show.  It was also great to see that so many in the crowd, some older but many of the younger metal fans getting into OMEN.  It gives me hope in the youth of today.

My editor, the one and only Dr. Mality, suggested I catch STYGIAN CROWN and like the good scribe that I am, I did some pre-game research on this Cali bunch.  The good Dr. was right as they were another band that landed in my “gotta get more music from these guys” list that Hell’s Heroes provided.  The band hit the stage with the instrumental “Funeral for a King” before vocal powerhouse Melissa Pinion ran onstage wearing a devil mask.  She quickly pulling it off to deliver the first lyrics of “Bushido” and right off the bat, she commanded the stage like a metal veteran.  Her vocals were powerful and clear throughout the short set which consisted of material solely from their latest disk.  The plodding and heavy “The Bargain” stood out along with the galloping MAIDEN-esqe “Strait of Messina”.  Seeing a great band like this is what made Hell’s Heroes a success in my mind.  I might not have ever run into this band if it were not for this concert but now, I’m going to actively go out and buy their albums.

I had to quickly run to get in the photo pit for HELSTAR (again) as AGENT STEEL cancelled.  Thankfully, James Rivera and HELSTAR became the true Hell’s Heroes by stepping in and saving the day.  Still in his vampire garb, Rivera was carried onto the stage in a coffin where he rose from his slumber to kick things off with “Conquest” and “Evil Reign” from “Remnants of War”.  Although they keep things mainly in the 80s material, they did squeeze in “The King of Hell” from 2008’s record of the same name.  The band sounded great and the crowd loved every minute banging their head and crowd surfing.  Their set ended with some great surprises.  They performed as yet unreleased song called” Seek Out Your Sins” and “Burning Star” off their debut.  Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, HELSTAR  brought out guitarist Juan Garcia (previously with AGENT STEEL) to be a part of their rendition of the thrash-tastic “Agents of SteeL”.  It was great that they were able to incorporate a song for those of us who were hoping to see AGENT STEEL  and having a former member play along just made this event that much morte special.

Canada’s own CAUCHEMAR were the next band on the inside stage and I had no idea who this metal outfit was before they hit the stage.  I was definitely in the minority as the venue was packed and many in the crowd knew this band.  Annick Giroux is the vocalist (along with playing keyboards) who helmed this metal bunch wearing a very witch-like outfit.  She certainly cast a spell on all in attendance and even though she sang in a different language (I assume French based on the set list and they’re from Canada), the crowd hung on every word.  With only thirty minutes to play, they stayed away from stage banter and focused on songs.  Show opener “Notre-Dame-sous-Terre” set the mood and Cauchemar continued to hit us with their slightly doomy NWOBHM sound all the way through to their last tune “Le Voile d'Isis”.  I really liked this band as well and although there was a language barrier with the lyrics, they still managed to convert me to a fan.

WATCHTOWER was next and I have been waiting to see them ever since Hell’s Heroes announced they were part of the line-up.  I will admit, I was late the game when it came to become a fan of these prog metal underground legends.  With only two full length albums that were released over thirty years ago, the band ran through eight songs with four from each of the albums.  “Asylum”, “Tyrants in Distress”, “Meltdown” and “Energetic Disassembly” were all performed from their first album.  Their second record got the same treatment with “The Eldrich”, “Control and Resistance”, “The Fall of Reason” and my personal favorite “Instruments of Random Murder”.  While I have admit, WATCHTOWER did not quite fit with the rest of the Hell’s Heroes line-up, the crowd still enjoyed the set and I did see many people carrying around their vinyl releases.  Jason McMaster was in fine form vocally and engaged with the crowd between tracks.  Being that this was the first time I got to see this prog bunch live, they did not disappoint and while they don’t tour often, they are worth catching one of their concerts.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, MALEFICENT were full on black metal both visually and sonically.  It’s not a genre that I normally listen to but somehow in a live setting, they captured my attention along with the packed crowd.  I don’t know any of their music but judging by this thirty minute set, they aren’t much for subtleties as it is a full on barrage of black metal from start to finish.  Truth be told, a lot of it sounded the same to me but again, since this isn’t my thing, I would be a bad judge of this kind of music.  Visually, the band went with the usual corpse paint and spiked garb and the dark lighting (along with a ton of fog) gave the band a more sinister look which fit perfectly with their tunes.

ETERNAL CHAMPION is another band that I discovered from my pre-fest research that fit my style of metal perfectly.  Hailing from the great state of Texas, this crew fit the Hell’s Heroes line-up perfectly with their brand of epic metal.  Sticking with the new disk Ravening Iron completely, they played the whole album in order except for the instrumental “The Godblade”.  The galloping title track and “Banners of Arhai” (complete with singer Jason Tarpey donning a chainmail hood) were the standouts of their set.  The Houston metal community gave them a warm welcome and since they are local, I’m sure I will be seeing more of them in the future.

Some of the bands on the bill were hard to research and LAMP OF MURMUUR was one that I didn’t get much info on before catching their set.  I may have been oblivious to this band but the packed venue tells me that they have quite the following.  This black metal group were a little more musical (to my ears at least) than MALEFICENT as they had some slight elements that resembled VENOM.  Visually, they went with hooded cloaks and the lead singer had chainmail covering his face.  I liked these guys in the same way that I like MIDNIGHT  They might have this black metal gimmick but underneath it all, they have some good music chops and each song had its own character.  I wasn’t able to catch their whole set as I needed to make my way to the main stage to catch the next band but I would like to see a full show of theirs as they definitely left a mark on my metal mind.

Texas doom metalers SOLITUDE AETURNUS took to the main stage with a couple of tracks form their debut record “In The Depths of Sorrow”.  “Opaque Divinity” and “Dream of Immortality” sounds just as good when I first heard these tracks back in the early 90s.  Robert Lowe is a commanding frontman who kept the crowd engaged while the band pounded our eardrums with their epic riffing.  Their set mainly focused on their first three disks with highlights being “The Hourglass”, “Black Castle”, and “Eternal (Dreams Part II)”.  Keeping the inbetween song banter to a minimum, the band kept the momentum going throughout show (there was also a pretty good mosh-pit going during parts of their set) with songs from all of their albums except “Downfall”.  Their last couple of records just got one song each; namely “Days of Prayer” and “Sightless”.  All in all, SOLITUDE AETURNUS delivered a heavy doom-laden show that had the crowd wanting more.

There must be something in the water up in Canada because CAULDRON is my new favorite trio from up north.  With bands like RUSH, TRIUMPH, and EXCITER (and don’t forget ANVIL!--Dr. M), Canada has had a steady number of power trios that deliver quality rock and metal.  CAULDRON definitely fall into the metal side of things and my only complaint was that their set overlapped Friday night’s headliners and I wasn’t able to see their full show.  The previous bands on the indoor stage had a stage show whereas CAULDRON just came out and rocked up out without anything but the music to rely on.   I got to see the set list before the performance and they pretty much touched on every record although I only got to see the first twenty-five minutes.  What I saw was well worth every second as the band plowed through metal cuts like “Prisoner of the Past”, “Outrance” and the one-two punch of “Miss You to Death” and “All or Nothing”.  I really enjoyed their set and was sorry to miss part of their show but I was off to see the mighty QUEENSRYCHE.

DAY THREE

All of this brings us to the final day, my trusty metalhead readers.  As with the previous day, the festivities began on the outdoor stage with TRAVELER.  I was turned on to these guys by a friend a couple of years ago and I have been enjoying their traditional metal sound ever since.  They bookended their show with a couple of tracks from their self-titled debut with “Starbreaker” kicking things off and “Street Machine” closing things out.  The rest of their set showcased their newest album and of the four tracks played, the energetic “Heavy Hearts” and catchy “”Rebels of the Earth” stood out.  This was the first time I got to see TRAVELER and I’m hoping I get a chance to see a headlining set from these guys.

EARLY MOODS was another band that I was told not to miss and I’m so glad I caught this band.  Singer Alberto Alcaraz announced that they were “from Los Angeles, California and fuck yeah Houston” right before they launched into “The Last Hour”.  That heavy riff laden tune was the perfect opening tune to showcase to everyone what they are all about.  “Blood Offerings” was next before they returned to their debut with “Return to Salem’s Gate”.  That song has this great SABBATH-y gallop and with Alcaraz’s vocals on top of that, it’s no wonder that tit is was a single off their first disk.  Their show continued with “A Sinner's Past” off their newest record before finishing off with another one from their debut “Damnation”.  These guys were so good that I wished their stage time was longer because it went by so fast.

I barely made it through the crowd to get in the photo pit for SUMERLANDS.  This was a surprise band for me because I knew nothing about them but I sure as heck with go digging deep into their catalogue.  Lucky for me, they are only two albums deep into their career so catching up will be fairly easy.  SUMERLANDS is just pure traditional metal with great vocals from Brendan Radigan.  Since I wasn’t familiar with their material beforehand, I was happy Radigan announced a couple of titles.  They performed ‘Dreamkiller” which was announced as “Dream Fuckin’ Killer” and “Blind” form their debut effort.  As I mentioned earlier, fests like this are a great way to get exposed to new band that you might not otherwise see and SUMERLANDS was a great example of that. Like EARLY MOODS, this was another band that I will add to my already crowded list of bands that I need to follow.

Relative newcomers to the scene BLOODSTAR put on a great set on the inside stage.  The crowd definitely knew who this female fronted outfit as they were given a great response.  Although they only have one full length album of material, they did manage to finish off their show with “The Fear” which is where it all began for them back in 2020.  All of the other tracks performed were off the “First Sighting” effort from last year and none of them stood out more than “Cold Moon”.  “All or Nothing” and “Fearless Priestess” were great as well but “Cold Moon” is the track I would recommend to anyone unfamiliar with this band.  Madeline Smith has a great voice that rides majestically over their galloping metal riffs and all of their songs showcase both aspects of those sounds.  I needed to leave half way through “The Fear” to catch what is probably the last time I will get to see CIRITH UNGOLbut I would like to see more of this band and hopefully they will tour the Houston area soon.

I read that CIRITH UNGOL is planning on retiring from touring so I am glad Hell’s Heroes brought them out to Houston one last time.  These doom metal legends certainly played a role in my formative metal years and although I may have moved onto other bands, those first couple of albums should be in every metalhead’s collection.  Thankfully, most of their set was culled from those albums and I (and the crowd) couldn’t be happier.  I really like Tim Baker’s voice which has held up incredibly well and it fits the music perfectly (along with bringing back so many fond memories).  While I can say that every song was a highlight of their performance, truth is their older material is what really brought down the house.  Songs like “Atom Smasher” and “Master of the Pit” won over everyone with ease and it was awesome see young metal fans get into music that was released before they were born.  The band played a couple of new track off their last record with “Velocity (S.E.P.)” and “Sailor on the Seas of Fate” being the only “new” material but it was songs like “I’m Alive”, ”Frost and Fire”, and “King of the Dead” that made the show.  If this is their last tour, they definitely are going out on top.

Houston’s very own NECROFIER hit the inside stage with “The Black Flame Burns” off the first record.  I wasn’t familiar with them (shame on me for not knowing this local metal band) but a few weeks before this event, I looked them up and got familiar with their albums.  This metal foursome is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Christian Larson(I believe he's also the creator and curator of Hell’s Heroes—Know-it-all Mality) and while the focus is on black metal, they throw in a quite a bit of melody to smooth out the wall of sound that blasted out eardrums.  While they only have two records, the focus was slightly geared towards their latest album “Burning Shadows in the Southern Light”.  “On Wings of Death We Burn the Sky” and “Forbidden Light of the Black Moon” were exceptionally powerful live and their stage show complete with candelabras and a skull adorned mike stand add to overall presentation.  The music may be heavy on disk but bands like NECROFIER are much more crushing live and that is how I recommend you catch this Houston metal crew.

When I was a young metalhead, I had my eyes glued to the pages of Kerrang! magazine and that was my education in all thing music related.  I bought TANK records just because those journalists recommended this MOTORHEAD-ish bunch and their early works are beyond special.  Algy Ward may not be with us any longer but his spirit and his music still lives on.  The Hell’s Heroes promo material stated a “Classic Set” from TANK and they weren’t kidding.  Their nine song set could have easily been a show from 1983/4 as every songs performed was four decades old.  But like fine wine, their music has aged well and even the younger fans got into it with crowd surfing gusto.  Right from the start, the band hit us with a pounding “Shellshock” and they didn’t let up until the very end of “(He Fell in Love with a) Stormtrooper”. Singer Marcus von Boisman whipped up the crowd and kept the sing-a-longs going.  As a bit of a surprise for me, Karl Wilcox from DIAMOND HEAD was behind the drums which brings some more NWOBHM credibility to the current line-up.  I felt as though Algy Ward was smiling down on the whole proceeding loving that his music is still bringing such joy to the fans.  He would have been proud hearing the crowd sing-a-long to “Blood, Guts, and Beer” as it was a magical moment.

I missed the very beginning of DARVAZA because I was not going to miss one second of TANK and I weaved through the throngs of metalheads, I was pummeled by a black metal wall of sound.  At first, I didn’t think much of this bunch but as the show progressed, I started to get into some of their songs (but I couldn’t tell you what tracks they performed).  While they didn’t have the same glimmer of melody that NECROFIER has, they mix their sound between pummeling and slower groove riffing.  The other things I noticed was that the guitarist in DARVAZA was from the previous day’s NUBIVAGANT. After the set, a fan mentioned to me that this was their first performance in the United States which is just another bonus that make festivals like this special.

Maniac thrashers DEMOLITION HAMMER took to the main stage with “Skull Fracturing Nightmare” and with that they created the craziest mosh-pit so far (one metalhead even crowd surfed into the photo pit in a garbage can).  I didn’t get into this east coast crew until well into the 2000s when I caught the thrash bug again.  I was surprised that the band decided to ignore their last record “Time Bomb” completely but truth be told, I like their first two releases better anyway.  How can you go wrong with “Infectious Hospital Waste”, “Envenomed”, or my personal fave “.44 Caliber Brain Surgery” which ended the their set in thrash-tastic fashion. 

Switching musical gears a bit, DAWNBRINGER was the next band on the inside stage and for those of you who don’t know who they are, they are yet another band by multi-musician Chris Black.  I don’t know when this guy sleeps because he is also the mastermind behind AKTOR and HIGH SPIRITS which are the two bands I am more familiar with.  DAWNBRINGER is a new one for me and just like the two other bands mentioned previously, they are unique in that they have a heavier element to them.  Some after the fact research led me to the fact that "Into the Lair of the Sun God" was the opening tune and it a lot of the traditional NWOBHM sounds thrown together with piece of MOTÖRHEAD and IRON MAIDEN put in for good measure.  I will chalk this as another one of Chris Black’s bands I will need to follow and due to some set time overlaps, I missed the last couple of songs from their set.  I heard that this particular band doesn’t tour that often so I was happy to catch them as part of this fest.

Another band that has recently reformed made its way onto the Hell’s Heroes line-up and that band is none other than bay area thrashers FORBIDDEN.  I had never gotten to see them live so I made sure I gave myself enough time to reach the outdoor stage for their set.  And what a great set it was with the band focusing their show on their first two records.  There is no way you can’t headband to classics like “Twisted Into Form” or “Step by Step” and even their newest material “Adapt of Die” off “Omega Wave” fit into this classic set perfectly.  I liked the song selection and the way they started the show with material off the first two records and ended their show the same way.  The trifecta of “Off the Edge”, “Through Eyes of Glass”, and techno-thrasher “Chalice of Blood” ended the show and I hope this won’t be the last we see of FORBIDDEN.  If you haven’t seen them lately (or in a long time), catch them while you can.

I literally raced to the indoor stage to catch this band that everyone was buzzing over.  Someone mentioned that this was their first show in the states so I wasn’t about to miss an event like that.  WYTCH HAZEL is out of the UK and they are definitely in the minority compared this Hell’s Heroes line-up.  They come out all in white and are more Christian leaning but have a great hard rock sound like BLUE OYSTER CULT mixed with KANSAS.  The catchy “The Fire’s Control” off their latest disk started the show and they had the crowd in the palm of their hands.  It was odd that the same crowd that was into the black metal bands beforehand was now rocking out to a completely opposite group with a totally different message.  They played songs off of all four of their albums but “Dry Bones” and the THIN LIZZY inspired “Angel of Light” were the highlights of the set.  Unfortunately, in an effort to cover all the bands, I missed their last couple of songs but make no mistake, I will not be missing any of their shows in the future. 

Confession time here, I am not a fan of ROTTING CHRIST.  I have seen them a number of times and while they are good at what they do, their music just never connected with me.  This particular performance is being touted as an “Old School Set” so I thought I would give them another shot.  After all, I just left WYTCH HAZEL (who I thought were great) to see if these Greek black metal can win me over.  I will admit that I did enjoy “Fgmenth, Thy Gift” and “The Fifth Illusion” but overall, their show didn’t really change my mind on their material.  Again, these guys are good at what they do and they have the musical chops but ultimately I’m still not a fan.

Back inside, I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to be a part of a ritual or if I was going to see a metal band.  I didn’t get a chance to research ATTIC at all and now I wish I had.  This metal bunch from Germany is the second coming of MERCYFUL FATE (even though MERCYFUL FATE is still active).  Even frontman Meister Cagliostro does his best to pay homage to KING DIAMONDwithout being a copy.  They set the stage with backdrops, candelabras, and a small altar in front of the drums with incense burning.  Being a huge MERCYFUL FATE fan, I really got into the metal that ATTIC was serving.  I have no idea what songs they performed but each one was a mini epic that featured many different part and tempos.  Due to some more set overlaps, I only caught the first half hour or so and what I did catch let a huge mark on me.  Remember the name ATTIC as I feel these guys will be gaining momentum my hope is that they tour the states again.

Speaking of German metal bands, Saturday night’s headliner is none other than German metal thrash pioneers SODOM.  As much as I was enjoying ATTIC, I was not going to miss one minute of SODOM.  They haven’t toured the US in a while and I’m glad the Hell’s Heroes festival organizers were able to secure a spot for these metal legends.  During the show Tom Angelripper announced that it has been 42 years since they played Texas so to say it was long overdue would be an understatement.  Some of the bands on the Hell’s Heroes line-up went with “old school” sets but SODOM decide to present to us a well-rounded show by touching on many of their records.  To mighty applause, the band launched into “Among the Weirdcong” from their “M-16” disk.  The crowd surfing started almost immediately and the crowd was whipped into a thrashing frenzy.  Things did not slow down one bit as they quickly went into “Jabba the Hut”, “The Crippler”, and “Sodomized”.  Some of the highlights for were “The Saw is the Law”, the VENOM cover of “Leave Me in Hell”, and a mini-set of “Agent Orange” material ("Ausgebombt", "Remember the Fallen" and the title track).  That was such a important record for me growing up and it was amazing to finally see them play those tracks live.  Their show, along with the Hell’s Heroes festival, ended with “Bombenhagel”.

Whew!  So there you have it my metal friends – a complete rundown of the festival.  There were a few surprise after-party bands that played on the indoor stage each day but I reached my quota of ear splitting metal so I dragged my weary body back home.  The organizers did an amazing job of gathering the best of the best to this premier metal festival.  There were many fans that I spoke with who traveled from other states and a few from Canada which just goes to show you the dedication of metalheads.  Aside from the weather (which is no one fault), this was an amazing event and I am already looking forward to next year’s version.