HELL'S HEROES VIII

Another year and another Hell’s Heroes Festival is over and this year’s fest was a similar combination of old and new artists along with a mix of styles all under the heavy metal umbrella.  We were treated to everything from traditional metal all the way to black metal with a number of bands bringing some new elements to make for a concert experience that would appeal to everyone.  I had such a great time at last year's pre-party that I made it a point to attend this year's soirée, too. I was excited to see some of the bands I already knew and liked, as well as check out a few newer acts I hadn't had the chance to hear before.  I did do my usual batch of research on some of these newer artists and thank God for the internet and my ability to snap some pictures of the band’s set-lists so I could give you, my metal compadres, the most extensive review of the events that I could muster up.  Hell’s Heroes does not disappoint and it all starts with the pre-party.

 PRE-PARTY, MARCH 18

With last’s year’s pre-party line-up turned me onto a number of new bands (for me), this year was no different.  I have heard of some of them but never got a chance to catch them where they belong, on stage.  Kicking things off is the traditional metal outfit from California SERPENT RIDER.  Fronted by female vocalist R. Villar, the band ripped through a half dozen tracks with almost all of them off of their debut “The Ichor of Chimaera”.  Opening tune “Steel is the Answer” and “In Spring” were the standouts for me but their whole set was enthusiastically received by the headbangers who showed up.  If you are into traditional metal, I would definitely recommend checking out this new group.

As with last year’s event, the pre-party was located in the main building at White Oak Music Hall with the bigger stage being located downstairs and a smaller stage upstairs so the aging Colonel did a lot of climbing up and down to catch each act.  My reward for this extra workout was getting to see some really great new outfits.  I made my way upstairs for the next metal act, another California trio called GRAVE DANGER.  They are another NWOTHM band fronted by guitarist/vocalist Dominic Citrino.  I wasn’t able to catch the names of many of the tunes but I do remember ripping through their namesake track “We're All in Grave Danger”.  While only being a three piece, they managed to have a great full sound that captured the sound of early 80s metal while still giving it their own spin.

I quickly ran downstairs to score my place in front to capture pix of CLOAK.  Switching things up, both musically and geographically, this black metal group hails from Atlanta.  Adding little bits of goth into their sound, they really got the crowd going with “Ethereal Fire” and “Seven Thunders” cutting through the wall of sound this band produced.  Sticking with tracks off of "Black Flame Eternal", they did manage to sneak in “In the Darkness, the Path” off their debut full length "To Venomous Depths".  If you like your black metal with a twist of goth thrown in, then this is your band.

Back upstairs, I secured my spot in front for the apocalyptic staging of VIPERWITCH.  I love when bands go the extra mile and bring in a bit of a stage show, even if it is on a smaller budget.  Although the focal point may be guitarist/vocalist Danica "Lynx the Huntress" Minor, the other members are not merely sidemen.  This band operates like a well-oiled machine, creating a traditional metal sound that harkens back to the glory days of 80s metal.  They focused on their "Witch Hunt: Road to Vengeance" record with opener “The Huntress” and “No Gods, No Masters” being the tunes that captured my ears.  They even through in a cover of W.A.S.P.’s “Wild Child” at the end for good measure.  I give extra points to VIPERWITCH for bringing added visuals to the small stage.

Hell’s Heroes (and heavy metal in general) has evolved from just a male dominated genre to one that includes everyone into the community.  Over the years, I have seem a huge influx of bands where the women are not just part of the band but also fronting them and being the focus of the band’s image.  Hailing from our friends up north, Canada’s DIEMONDS tore up the stage for their reunion show.  Female frontwoman Priya Panda led this bunch through their first show in nine years. They pounded through set that focused on their first two long players.  Their set opened with “Loud N’ Nasty” and “Take on the Night” from the 2012’s debut "The Bad Pack".  I wasn’t familiar with them previously but many in the crowd knew every word and were very excited to finally catch this act.  Other highlights of their set included “Livin’ Tonight”, “Meet Your Maker”, and “Get the Fuck Otta Here”.  I’m not sure why they ever quit but they certainly had a very receptive mob at 2026’s version of Hell’s Heroes.

The sunshine state of Florida has been offering up a host of metal since the 80s so it is nice to see the tradition is continuing.  MIDNIGHT VICE, out of Tampa, is very new to the scene with only an E.P. and a single in their catalogue.  No matter as their performance showed plenty of promise with a tight little set that consisted of songs from the E.P. along with a cover and a sneak peek at what is in store.  “Baptized By Fire” went down a storm as did “Over the Mountain” (OZZY cover).  They did a really good job of the latter which says a lot since that is a track could easily go sideways in lesser hands.  I liked that they threw in a new song that has not been recorded yet called “Tongue of Silver” which gave me a SKID ROW vibe.  Tyler Gray has a great voice and stage presence and I hope to see more from this group in the future.

One of the bands that I was really looking forward to was up next on the bigger downstairs stage; and they needed it as the mosh pit really started with them.  I believe ONSLAUGHT was supposed to play last year but had to cancel so they certainly redeemed themselves with this year’s performance.  These thrash metal legends graced us with a purely 80s set that pulled tracks from “Power From Hell” and “The Force”.  I was never able to catch them on stage previously so it was treat to witness monster tunes like “Steel Meets Steel”, “Death Metal”, and “Thermonuclear Devastation”.  “Metal Forces” also got the crowd revved up and I haven’t seen such an active mosh pit in a long time.  If you are a fan of old-school thrash, then this was right up your alley and if you missed this show, then you really missed a special performance.

Next up was a band that took the doom metal blueprint but went and added a good amount of keyboards to give the overall sound a lighter, droning feel.  MARBLE ORCHARD hails from my state of Texas and the made the most of their time by limiting their in-between song banter and focusing on delivering a half dozen tunes that sounded very similar but each one had a slight nuance so you could tell them apart.  With only two records of material to choose from, they sandwiched “Hollow Man” and “Oils & Incense” from their 2023 release with tracks from their newest record.  I though opening up their set (and only having 30 minutes) with instrumental “Contemplating the Garden of Gethsemane” was odd but it did build the mood for the rest of their performance.  Another odd thing was they only used red lights so it was certainly a vibe they were going for.

Words can’t describe my anticipation for WARLORD’s performance.  They were another band that cancelled last year’s installment of Hell’s Heroes so I was not going to miss my chance to catch these guys on U.S. soil.  I believe this was their first show in the states so the excitement for their arrival was electric.  Anyone who was a fan of Metal Blade Records and their roster of bands in the early to mid-80s surely knew and loved their “Deliver Us” E.P. and “And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun…” record.  Of the original band, only Mark “Thunder Child” Zonder remains but he has assembled a line-up that honors the material with loving care and doesn’t deviate from the original sound.  While they performed the whole “Deliver Us” E.P., they started off with “Lucifer’s Hammer” which got things off to a nice start.  But not everything was old material as they ventured into quite a few numbers from their 2002’s “Rising Out of the Ashes”.  Songs like “Battle of the Living Dead” and “War in Heaven” fit nicely alongside “Black Mass” and “Mrs. Victoria”.  WARLORD put in a powerful performance that while lasting a hour, seemed to go by very quickly.  While William Tsamis is sadly no longer with us, Giles Lavery does a great job of carrying on his legacy and helping the band move forward.

Last band on the small stage was another California band, BLADE KILLER; there must be something in the water because they keep churning out some killer music.  These guys have this awesome early IRON MAIDEN sound with material that could have easily appeared on the first two Di’Anno releases.  They played most of their first record "High Risk" and ended their show with “On the Attack” and “Made of Steel” from the "On the Attack" E.P.  “Midnight Sinner” and “Lost Angels” also drew healthy cheers from the metal hordes in attendance.  If you like early MAIDEN, then I whole-heartedly recommend getting their disk and catching them live.  They are a great band I have to thank Hell’s Heroes from bring them to my attention.  One of the standout surprises of the evening.

Sadly, the pre-party was coming to a close but not before CIRITH UNGOL unleashed a dozen doom metal gems on us.  While they stuck to a mostly 80s set, they did sneak in some newer material.  Opening up with “Atom Smasher” is always a good idea because the crowd was primed for something old.   I was pleasantly surprised at how many young fans knew the words and sang along to the material.  “Black Machine” and “I'm Alive” were huge hits with the crowd, but even the newer songs, “Sailor on the Seas of Fate” and “Looking Glass,” received an equally enthusiastic response.  Tim Baker still sounds great and his commanding stage presence had the metal legions eating out of his hands.  Although I saw CIRITH UNGOLl during a different iteration of the fest, they are still a great addition to any festival line-up.

DAY ONE, MARCH 19

Now that I got a little bit of sleep and gave my ears some time to heal, I was ready for the proper even to start.  Hometown heroes LABYRINTH opened up the festivities with a short but sweet set of thrash that got the crowd warmed up for the day.  Even though the band have only released an E.P., they performed five songs with such energy and quality that they completely held my attention and also impressed the audience.  “Questionable Ethics” and new demo “Monolith” were the two tracks that stood out and I’m already looking forward to their first full length.

Now that the fest has started, the acts were performing at either the downstairs indoor venue or the large outdoor stage.  Thankfully, the Houston weather cooperated during the whole festival and there was nothing but sunny days and warm weather.  Kicking things off outside were perennial favorites HELSTAR.  Modern day vampire James Rivera and his band of metal cohorts performed a shot set that drew on many of the records.  Thankfully they didn’t ignore their excellent new album "The Devil's Masquerade" and managed to squeeze in “Carcass for a King”.  Aside from that new piece, the rest consisted of purely 80s material with set opener “Baptized in Blood” and “Run with the Pack” bookending the brief performance.  Even though they have been at each of the Hell’s Heroes I’ve attended, they are still a great band and they change up the set list so you don’t know quite what you’ll get.

Next up was a band that was the most unique during the whole three days.  Their name is MELDAMOR and they consisted of a female vocalist and male drummer that played electronic drums along to recorded music.  It was heavy but with a huge amount of techno making it border on dance music.  I wasn’t able to research much on them beforehand and I wasn’t able to find much after their performance either.  It was not my cup of tea but the crowd seemed to get into them so that just goes to show you what I know.

Back outside, things were more to my liking.  LEATHER LEONE kicked off a set that focused on CHASTAIN material.  “Ruler of the Wasteland” started off her show and quite honestly, it was pure metal magic from that point on.  “Black Knight” and “Angel of Mercy” were other highpoints of the set but I’m hard pressed to find fault with any of the material of the overall performance.  LEATHER's voice remains in great shape, and her band does an excellent job of bringing these classic songs to life.  The only deviation from the purely CHASTAIN set was the title track from her "We Are the Chosen" solo effort.  This performance alone made me go through my record collect and helped me rediscover these old gems.

I left LEATHERs set a little early so that I could catch the next act on the indoor stage.  Traveling all the way from Lafayette, VOID is a great thrash band that came on the scene about five years ago.  I read about them and heard some good things so I wanted to make sure to catch them.  It seems in this day and age, many bands are releasing singles along with full length disk and these guys are doing the same.  While most of the songs played were culled from their latest disk "Forbidden Morals", most notably the title track and “Nine Blood Moons”, they did pull out the singles “Return of the Phantom” and “Silent Onslaught”.  This is a promising new band that people should pay attention to, and I'm glad they were included in this year's festival lineup.

The next band outside on the big stage was a band that needed no introduction.  It has been a couple of decades since I have seen them on stage but JAG PANZER played like no time had passed.  This was a special set where the band performed their debut record "Ample Destruction" from start to finish and in order.  Harry Conklin, along with Mark Briody and John Tetley, recreated the album perfectly and it brought back many memories of listening to tracks like “Warfare”, “Symphony of Terror” and “The Crucifix” on my old record player.  There seemed to be a bit of a mix-up as they though they had more time to do an additional song but alas, it was not meant to be.  No matter, the record and the band still stands the test of time and this performance was not to be missed.

On the inside stage, ONE OF NINE delivered a set of black metal that showed that you can sprinkle melody in the tunes and still be heavy and evil.  This North Carolina bunch came out wearing hooded robes and reminded me of the nameless ghouls from GHOST.  Most of the songs were from their latest disk with “Age of Chains” and “Quest of the Silmaril” cutting through as the best part s of the performance.  Although the band was clearly black metal, they also incorporated melodic keyboard parts that made the songs more memorable and surprisingly catchy.

Keeping with the black metal theme and making their U.S. debut, HELLBUTCHER flew in from Sweden to play Hell’s Heroes and they were greeted like metal kings.  Like JAG PANZER, they played their entire one and only record, in order.  Since it is only a little over a half an hour in length, they were able to add a couple of cover tracks at the end.  The IRON MAIDEN instrumental “Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)” and VENOM’s “Black Metal” closed their set but the crowd’s reaction to their own material like “Death's Rider” and “The Sword of Wrath” was equally enthusiastic.  They were visually a cool band and I would love to see them headline here once they have a couple of records under their belt.

Unfortunately IRONSWORD was unable to make the fest so local metal band LEATHER CHURCH filled in.  I don’t know much about these guys but they put on a blistering set of speed metal with a heavy dose of black metal style vocals on top.  They did play a familiar piece which was “The Hellion” but I was unfamiliar with the rest of the set.  I had been looking forward to seeing IRONSWORD, so I came away somewhat disappointed.  Still, I'd like to give these guys another chance in a different setting as they may change my mind.

Canada’s 3 INCHES OF BLOOD improved my mood as they put on one hell of a show with a nice mosh pit going on in the lawn area.  “Battles and Brotherhood” started things off and they were relentless throughout their forty-five minute set.  Songs from "Fire Up the Blades" were played more than any other album, and “Forest King” and “God of the Cold White Silence” were especially powerful and particularly lethal.  Cam Pipes' vocals were excellent, and the sound engineer did a great job of balancing the mix so that each instrument stood out properly.  When the band finished with “The Goatriders Horde”, they left the crowd (and me) wanting more but that is how festivals are run.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge W.A.S.P. fan so it was great that I got a chance to see CHRIS HOLMES doing those songs again.  I will also say that I was happy he brought along a great band with a vocalist who handled almost all of the material.  All of the W.A.S.P. tunes were from the first three records so you couldn’t go wrong with any of the songs.  They naturally played "Blind in Texas" but "Sleeping (In the Fire)" and "9.5.-N.A.S.T.Y." were the highlights for me.  That first record is an important part of my childhood and CHRIS HOLMES and company captured some of that magic at Hell’s Heroes.  My only complaint would be that he ended his set with singing the NEIL YOUNG song "Rockin' in the Free World".  There were other W.A.S.P. songs he could have played and he should really leave the singing to someone else.  Aside from that, he and his band put on a great performance and he showed the crowd that there is still plenty of gas left in the tank.

Headlining day one of Hell’s Heroes was none other than DORO.  She is just a ball of energy and while I won’t divulge her age (a gentlemen, even a heavy metal one, still needs manners), she rocked every inch of the stage giving younger musician a run for their money.  The set was mostly WARLOCK material (as advertised) and she delivered a virtual “best of” from that band.  Opening with “Earthshaker Rock” and quickly launching into “I Rule the Ruins” set the tone for her performance.  “Hell Racer”, “Hellbound” and “True As Steel” all made the set list as the crowd pleasing “All We Are”.  They did throw in a couple of solo songs namely “Raise Your Fist in the Air” and “Time for Justice” which fit in nicely with the rest of the material.  Paying homage to friend Lemmy, DORO and company (which included Chris Caffery of SAVATAGE fame) ended their show with a rousing rendition of MOTORHEAD’s “Ace of Spades”.  It was a great way to cap off day one and DORO proved that she is worthy of headlining status.

I normally don’t stay for the after-parties but the good doctor (Wormwood’s own Dr. Abner Mality) suggested I catch ANTAGONIZOR and boy, was I glad.  Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Sarah, this band of devilish misfits capture the raw power of VENOM and MOTORHEAD.  Like those bands, they are a no nonsense power trio that delivers metal mayhem in the form of “Born to Rock”, “BDSM”, and “Edgelords from Hell”.  Even though they played the small room in the venue, they got the crowd moshing and body surfing from the opening tune.  Be sure to catch them on stage where they seem to shine.

DAY TWO, MARCH 20

In my advanced age, I definitely feel the effects of the heavy metal lifestyle even after just one day.  But some creaking bones and ringing ears wouldn’t keep me away from tackling this whole fest.  There were plenty more band and music to be enjoyed so off to the venue I went.  On this day, the performances started on the big outdoor stage and first up was another Canadian band SPELL.  They are a really cool band that straddles the line between hard rock and heavy metal, taking the best of both and blending it into a riff heavy melodic sound.  Songs like “Ultraviolent” and groove heavy “Lilac” are great examples of their sound and luckily, both were performed on that day.  They ended their show with the title track of their latest release "Wretched Heart".  I was glad I did my pre-game research because this was one of the bands I was turned onto and I was glad I got there early enough to catch their whole set.

Next up was CAPE OF BATS and for a band that has been around for twenty-six years, they only have one full length record (and a live record but I’m not counting that) and a whole host of demos and split releases (that’s an album where half is one band and the other half is a different band).  These black metalers gave a reasonably good performance, but I didn't know any of the songs they played. Since I wasn't a fan of the band beforehand, the show didn't do enough to change my opinion of them.

TOXIC HOLOCAUST was back on the outside stage and this was more to my liking.  These thrash merchants have been around for over two decades and they gave a performance like a well-oiled machine.  They touched upon each of their records except their last one from back in 2019.  I really like that they gave this Houston crowd a good mix of old and new with almost half the set being derived from the "An Overdose of Death…" album.  Songs like “Gravelord” and “Wild Dogs” are especially well suited to for the stage and the band played them with even more intensity and excitement than on the recordings.  “666” and “Death Brings Death” were additional highlights to their performance but quite frankly, their whole set was a whirlwind of thrash classics after thrash classics.  They were a great addition to the Hell’s Heroes line-up.

Back on the inside stage, BATTLE RUINS unleashed their brand of hardcore metal with some slight elements of NWOBHM.  They were not easy to find much information on so I went into their set basically blind.  After a few tunes, I found myself really digging this act and I feel that the NWOBHM influences smooth out some of the rough edges of the main hardcore template.  Songs like “Slaughtering the Wolves Like Sheep” and “Martyr’s Victory” went over really well and I found myself banging my head throughout their short set.  BATTLE RUINS was another band that if not for this festival, they would probably never have been on my radar so that is why events like Hell’s Heroes is so important for these types of bands.

My weary body was starting to show signs of fatigue but I carried on ventured into the outside sun to catch Norway’s AURA NOIR.  Sticking with a thrash sound, they incorporated black metal into the mix blurring the lines a bit between these two sub-genres.  Their performance was weighted heavily on their first record with “Conqueror”, “Fighting for Hell” and set opening title track making the biggest impact during their forty-five minute set.  Other notable tunes performed were “Gaping Grave Awaits” and “Unleash the Demon”.  The crowd really got into AURA NOIR and moshed and body surfed but then again, this crowd would have acted the same during an AIR SUPPLY show.  The Houston metal legions were out to have a good time and AURA NOIR were happy to oblige.

Christian Larson (the man behind Hell’s Heroes) performed with one of his many bands, this year it was NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRE.  Each of his bands is different and this one is a great mix of goth and metal.  Like a few of the other bands, they set the stage, so to speak, with some visuals; a coffin, arched windows, and roses strewn about.  The band played the song “Cry Little Sister (Theme from The Lost Boys)” before they came on stage, and it created exactly the right atmosphere for their opening song, “Eternal Night”.  Although I wasn't familiar with the songs before the concert (and needed the setlist to identify them), I quickly found myself enjoying “Chasing Shadows in an Ocean of Time” and “Forbidden Spells.”  So far I have seen three of Christian’s bands and all three have been excellent.

It has been about twenty years since I last saw VOIVOD and each time I see them, I forget how great they are live.  For this concert, they promised an all 80s set and they stuck to that promise.  Opening the show, the band launched into “The Unknown Knows” and the crowd gave them a hero’s welcome (pun intended).  In my book, they could do no wrong but when you add in that the songs will be all the old tunes from my childhood, then you just elevated the performance.  It has been almost thirty years since they performed “War and Pain” so that was another reason that made this particular show special.  Snake was as animated as ever and he kept the crowd entertained while the rest of the band played their unique brand of metal.  There is no one like them and they continue to stretch the limits of metal.

After a performance like that, it was going to be hard to follow but Mexico’s PHANTOM did an admirable job of thrashing us all.  Formed in 2022, they have amassed quite a number of releases and they gave us a nice sampling of their catalogue.  The songs that stood out most from their short set were “Thunderbeast” and “Transylvanian Nightmare” but all six tunes were well executed thrashers.

Back outside, MIDNIGHT performing during daylight was a travesty but you get what you get.  Musically, they sounded fantastic and they performed their "Satanic Royalty" record in its entirety and in order (I’m sensing a theme here).  “Rip This Hell”, “Violence on Violence”, and “Savage Dominance” never sounded better as this is a band that needs the interaction between the fans to energize the material even more.  I realize that Athenar is “the band” in the studio but live, the other members help bring his vision to life.  I've only seen this band perform live twice, but on both occasions they proved that they deserve a place at any music festival.

Hell's Heroes likes to keep the lineup diverse, so the next act was LEGENDRY, a power metal band known for its epic style of power metal.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a peek at the set lists so I don’t know what tunes they played but this Pittsburgh power trio really impressed me. Their music was both powerful and at times heavy but there were many subtle nuances to each of the songs that kept it interesting.  So far, they have released four albums in their short decade long career (I’m sure all of the material was from those records) and my only wish was to have known more about them before the show.  Here is another band that Hell’ Heroes introduced to me that I will be purchasing their CDs.

Keeping with the theme that many bands have adopted for this fest, SANCTUARY came out and played their "Refuge Denied" record.  I like how bands are almost recreating the listening experience by doing the tracks in order.  There is a certain comfort with the familiarity of the material.  Joseph Michael does a great job of handling the vocals of Warrel Dane who sadly is no longer with us.  Although the material at times is vocally challenging, he managed to honor the original performance while still adding a little of his own voice into the tunes.  Since "Refuge Denied" is shorter than their set time, they also added "Taste Revenge" from the excellent "Into the Mirror Black" album at the end.

As I walk back to the indoor stage, I see a healthy crowd gathering for the next act POWER FROM HELLl.  They too are set to perform their "The True Metal" record from start to finish.  Given the short nature of that album, they did tack on a medley of additional material at the end.  The best way I can describe this black metal outfit is they are heavily influenced by BATHORY.  I’m not a huge fan of BATHORY but I do remember those records early on in my foray into harder and more evil music.  These Brazilian black metalers got the crowd pumped up and songs like “Prostitute of Satan” and “Bestial Times” sounded much better than their studio counterparts.  All in all, not one of my favorites on day two but definitely worth checking out if you are into old-school black metal.

LOUDNESS was supposed to be the headliner for this night but they cancelled (As per usual--Dr. M) and the line-up was rearranged at the last minute.  UDO extended his set and became the headliner while they brought in local (somewhat...hey, Austin is close enough) group ETERNAL CHAMPION.  I saw these guys last year and they are an excellent metal band that brings a large dose of epic themes along the way.  They performed ten songs and split them evenly between their two records.  Staring off with “Skullseeker” and “Worms of the Earth”, they then went into a five song mini set from their first record "The Armor of Ire" with “The Last King of Pictdom” coming off extra special.  To close off their show, they bookended things with a few tracks from their latest "Ravening Iron".  ETERNAL CHAMPION deserve a lot of praise for being a last minute addition and they played like they have already been on tour for months.

I have been hearing a lot about BAT in recent years so I was looking forward to finally checking them out.  For this who don’t know about them, they are a kind of a speed/thrash metal band that has all the fire and primal fury of VENOM and MOTORHEAD.  While the songs are simple in nature, there is an awesome groove that many in the same genre lack.  Songs like “Rite for Exorcism” and “Bloodhounds” add that extra element of horror to their music which is right up my alley. There is an 80s vibe about them which brings me back to when all of this was new and fresh.  If you get a chance to catch them on a tour, and you’re my age, don’t miss them as they will bring you back to when you were young.

As mentioned earlier, UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER was not meant to be headliner but a cancellation promoted him to that status, and quite frankly, he should have been the headliner all along.  He is a metal legend and he shows no sign of slowing down.  Since many of the bands were performing a classic album from their catalogue, UDO wasn’t going to pass up the chance to play "Balls to the Wall" (the album and not just the title track).  The familiar intro to “Fast as a Shark” ushered in the band as they ripped through that classic.  Without wasting a beat, they went into “Living for Tonite” and “Midnight Mover” in quick succession.  At this point, the "Balls to the Wall" album featured in order.  The opening riff brought the largest cheers from this rabid Houston crowd and we all went along for the ride down memory lane.  Songs like “London Leatherboys”, “Love Child” and “Guardian of the Night” sound just as good today as they did back in 1983.  It was also great to see Peter Baltes alongside his metal brother to celebrate this record.  They finish off the set with “Princess of the Dawn” and “Burning”.  UDO was always headliner worthy and this performance proved it.  And then it was a quick trip home to rest my weary body (and ears) and get ready for the final day of Hell’s Heroes.

DAY THREE, MARCH 21

If I thought that the final day would ease me into the black/speed metal until later in the day, I was completely wrong.  Opener INTERCEPTOR walloped my eardrums with their hard charging set.  This South Carolina bunch played material from their two albums with “Wehrmacht” and “Witch’s Dance” standing out most to me. But, it was the set closer that had me banging me head the most.  INTERCEPTOR finished off their time with a cover of TANK’s “Shell Shock” which made it the highlight for me.

Back on the inside, female fronted ANGEL FURY slowed things down with a good old-fashioned set of traditional metal.  During the show, Luna Salvaje mentioned that they will be releasing their first album proper and previewed “The Iron Priest” to the Houston crowd.  Although they don’t have any full length records yet, they do have a demo and an E.P. out so most of the set consisted of that material.  They started off with basically the whole "Majic Eyes" E.P. and then delved into other material towards the end.  Salvaje’s voice is a little rougher around the edges which fits their brand of metal perfectly.  Can’t wait to see what they have in store next.

Hot on the heels of ANGEL FURY, we slide back into some 80s thrash with WHIPLASH.  For Hell’s Heroes, they focused on their first two records but they did slip in the more recent single “Sword Meet Skull, Skull Meet Sword”.  They started with “Last Man Alive” and crushed us throughout their brief set.  “Spit on Your Grave” and “Power Thrashing Death” hyped us the crowd and proved that these older bands still resonate with not only us old fans but with the younger generation of metal junkies. Even though the band is basically just Tony Portaro and a couple of new guys, it’s the songs that hold the whole together and that’s all we really need.

You would expect a metal outfit named DEMON BITCH to have a female singer but alas, my preconceived notions are incorrect.  Hailing from the motor city, this five piece performed their NWOBHM inspired metal with a good helping of falsetto vocals courtesy of Logon Saton.  Pulling from their latest disk, “Protector and the Horse” and “Into the Archway” sounded much better on stage than their studio counterparts which kind of tells me that many of these bands can’t seem to capture the energy of their live performances.  Either way, DEMON BITCH put on a good show and they are another one for me to monitor and keep on my radar.

It’s hard to believe that VIRGIN STEELE has been around for over four decades unleashing their metal (bordering on power metal) without really having any significant gaps in their career.  David DeFeis has been there from the beginning and his vocal talents have not diminished one bit.  I’ll be honest with you, once Jack Starr left early on, I lost interest until I got a hold of their "The Passion of Dionysus" record for review.  That rekindled my interest in the band I started checking out their older catalogue.  Sadly, they didn’t play anything off their 2023 release but other tunes like “Invictus”, “Through Blood and Fire”, and “The Burning of Rome (Cry for Pompeii)” showed me that I have been missing out other great material from this bunch.  I walked into their show being ambivalent but walked out being really impressed with the quality of their performance.

After VIRGIN STEELE’s set, STEEL BEARING HAND’s set was a bit of a letdown.  They are a thrash band from my home state of Texas but they will need more than that to grab my attention.  Although the vocals are definitely black metal, musically they try to capture some of the charm of latter day thrash but it all comes off as sounding one-note.  Each of the tunes flowed into one another without any of them standing out.  So far, they have been the only disappointment of the day.

I have been a fan of GRAND MAGUS ever since a friend of mine turned me onto them in 2009 when they just released "Hammer of the North".  I’m not sure if they have ever played in the United States but I was not going to miss their set for nothing.  Not all doom metal is equal and GRAND MAGUS is up there with the cream of the crop.  “I, the Jury” is the perfect opener with its hard thumping rhythm but for my money it is “Steel Versus Steel” that really captures this outfit at their best.  Other highlights for me included “Sunraven”, “Untamed” and “Hammer of the North” but in reality, their whole performance was awesome and I wish they would tour here more often.

BUTCHER was next on the bill and while they were labeled as black metal through my research, they turned out to be a great metal band with some speed metal attributes but mostly traditional metal.  R Hellshrieker has a great voice and is perfectly suited for this style of metal.  “666 Goats Carry My Chariot” sounded powerful without losing all the subtle guitar work that lies underneath but if you want speed metal, then look no further than “Iron Bitch (Unholy Wielder of the Blade)”.  That one will have you banging your head before the first guitar chord is over.  BUTCHER was another surprise act during the four days of Hell’s Heroes and this is precisely why these fests are so important.

Last minute addition to replace the MANILLA ROAD Tribute was Houston’s very own IMPRECATION.  I’m sorry to say that I know nothing about this local outfit but their performance was not something that would get me too excited.  The crowd loved them but I found their death metal songs stock and they didn’t have anything that separated them from the whole host of other black metal acts out there.  Next!

I am a huge fan of prog metal but when mixed with black metal, it just falls short for me.  Which brings me to the next band ENSLAVED, who have forged a career spanning more than thirty years.  I have never been into them but I was certainly in the minority as the crowd gave them a (hell’s) heroes welcome.  In line with the festival's theme, the band presented a special performance of their debut album, playing every song in the exact order it appears on the record.  There were bit and pieces here and there that I enjoyed but overall, this was not one of my favorite moments of the fest. (In the Dr.'s opinion, they might be the best prog metal band on the planet.--Dr. M)

The last of the official bands on the inside stage was WHITE WIZZARD (yep, with two double “z”).  They were debuting their new line-up and while I’m not familiar with their material, they put on an energetic performance.  They are traditional metal band that has been around for a little less than two decades but seems to change members often.  Previous versions had James-Paul Luna who is now in Intranced but their newest singer is just as good.  While I didn’t know the songs, they were all really good and there was no bad spots in their show.

As I walked towards the barricade to get into the photo pit to take shots of the festival headliner BLOOD FIRE DEATH, I was turned away as they were not allowing photographer in due to pyro.  A special apology to my metal compadres for not getting any snaps of this black metal super group performing the music of BATHORY.  As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a fan of BATHORY and as much as tried, I never got them.  I sometimes think that the mystery surrounding the band (basically Quorthon) gave them this aura of being something special.  Anyway, this supergroup consisted of members of some of the other bands and I guess they honored the memory of Quorthon by paying homage to a whole host of his BATHORY material but I found the performance to be boring.  Again, I seemed to be one of the few people not into it because the crowd was lapping it up from the very first note of “A Fine Day to Die”.  Oh well, there were other great bands that I enjoyed.

Well there ya go folks.  Four days of metal mayhem and overall it was a blast.  Sure my ears are ringing and my bones are creaking but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Like the previous years, there were a lot of bands that turned me into a fan with their performances and I walked away with a list of new artists to spend my money on.  Hell’s Heroes has proved yet again that they are the premier metal festival in the states and I can’t wait for what they have in store for us in 2027!