As the seasons turn over to spring, the Texas heat ruthlessly begins to blaze. But the heat won’t stop metalheads from congregating in Houston for some heavy metal. A small two-day festival in late march – the aptly named Hell’s Heroes – trudges on for the fifth year running. Y’all have no fuckin idea how excited I was for this festival. The promo poster for the festival came across my Facebook dashboard and, almost immediately, I was intrigued. Hands down, the second I saw Brocas Helm on the bill, I knew I wanted to go. A friend of mine had also seen the promo and was interested in going. So, he and I decided we’d go together. It’d be our first big festival of the year.
Houston and the Venue
My friend and I flew down to Houston and managed to get a hotel in the city center. We luckily were able to take Uber to the venue. Hell, we even got there about 30-45 minutes early, which made us one of the first in line. Hell’s Heroes takes place at White Oak Music Hall in Houston, which we were completely fine with.
White Oak Music Hall is a decently sized venue. I think the best aspect of it was its size. The venue is only a few acres large, with two stages. However, this made figuring out where things are much easier. The festival had about 30 bands performing in total. So, for a bill that size, this venue works fantastically. I do have some additional comments to make. But, I think those are best saved for the end.
Day 1
So, Day 1 rolled around, and my friend and I got there early. And believe me, he and I were elated to have gotten there when we did. The first band we got to see is one of my friend’s favorites.
Midnight Dice
Formed from the ashes of Satan’s Hollow is Midnight Dice, from Chicago. So, I’m not the most familiar with Midnight Dice’s material. Most of what I know about them is their material from Satan’s Hollow. But, that didn’t prevent me or my friend from enjoying their set. Admittedly, I think it would’ve been cool to hear some Satan’s Hollow material from them. But, hearing Midnight Dice’s material at Hell’s Heroes was a great introduction to their new material. And honestly, they were a great way to kick things off for the day on the lawn stage.
Visigoth
Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, Hell’s Heroes had Visigoth take to the stage. I’ve talked once before about their 2019 EP, but this was the first time I’d gotten to see them live. And, honestly, they did not fuckin disappoint. Visigoth is so energetic in their performance that it’s hard not to get involved in the crowd chants. And what made their set even cooler was that they performed “Abysswalker”, one of my favorite tracks of theirs. So, if you haven’t already, go check these guys out immediately. They are damn well worth it!
Brocas Helm
So after Visigoth, I went and got a shirt for them (obviously) and got some food. And luckily I made it back to the lawn stage to see Brocas Helm. If you’ve read my review of Defender of the Crown, you can imagine just how excited for their set I was. But finally, after all this time, I got to see one of my favorite bands! And it was well worth the wait! I was singing along with every song and banging my head. Their set, just like their album, was fun from start to finish! Hell, I even got to crowd surf during “Time of the Dark”. Hands down, I think this was one of the best sets of the festival. Although I might be a bit biased in saying that – just a little.
Luckily, I noticed that “Defender of the Crown” was on sale at the merch table. So, I snagged a copy of it. After 10 years of searching for that album, I finally had a copy of it. Y’all have no idea how happy I was when I finally bought that CD.
Exciter
After Brocas Helm was Exciter, a Canadian speed metal trio. I had no idea who these guys were prior to this festival. But, I was willing to give them a go. Honestly, I don’t remember much from their set. From what I do remember, it was just okay. Quite literally, that’s all I got on them. I vaguely recall that my friend and I left their set early. But then again, I was more interested in seeing the next band.
Spell
The first indoor show that my friend and I went to was Spell, a Canadian duo that brings on touring musicians. Spell is a rather interesting group. They don’t necessarily fall into one genre or another, which makes them unique. If I had to describe their sound, it’d be something between Rush and Accept. Quite the odd combo right? But, for me, that’s what their sound was like, and it was fun! On top of that, getting to hear songs from their album “Tragic Magic” was terrific! Hell’s Heroes is the perfect kind of festival for a group like theirs. I hope that they can do a few more shows in the US soon.
Liege Lord
After Spell, my friend and I got some merch and made our way back to the lawn for Liege Lord. The power/speed group from Connecticut was relatively unknown to me. If I’m correct, they ended up on the bill due to NWOBHM act Demon having to drop. However, I was welcoming of the change. Their set was pretty good, even if I don’t remember much of what they played. I did notice that my friend was pretty interested in checking out more of their material. So, I’m glad that he found a new band to dig deeper on. Hell, they only have three full-lengths out. Maybe I’ll do the same.
Possessed
Rounding out the night was Possessed, the progenitors of death metal. Getting to see a living legend like Jeff Becerra was incredible! They performed songs from throughout their discography, opening with songs from their 2019 full-length. On top of that, the mosh pit for their set was awesome! However, I was just worn out by this point. The Texas heat is fuckin brutal, and it got to me – someone from up north. I was simply exhausted by the time their set started. All the more reason to see them again right? Hopefully next time it’ll be somewhere cooler.
Day 2
After a much-needed good night’s sleep, my friend and I went back to the venue for the next day of the festival. Once again, we got there early so we could see the opener. And we both are glad we did. Because we got barricade viewing for one of our favorite acts of the festival.
Riot City
Hailing from Calgary, Riot City is what you want in an opener. Energetic and fast-paced, their set was unrelenting in its intensity! And even better, the crowd got really involved too! Everyone, my friend and I included, were signing along as best as we could. As Riot City closed out their set with “Tyrant”, people began crowd-surfing like crazy! It was fun from start to finish. Admittedly, my friend and I both wished their set could go on for a little longer. He and I both think that Riot City could handle a 45-minute time slot for a festival like this. But we were happy enough getting to see them here with the time they had.
Unto Others
After Riot City was Unto Others, from Portland. This was my second time seeing Unto Others, but my friend’s first. Hell’s Heroes seemed like a perfect venue for these guys. However, beyond this one shot, my friend and I were off to the side. We were eating and trying our best to stay hydrated, keen on the fact that there were no clouds in the sky. So, I didn’t get to see much of their set. Ultimately, it was a smart decision. Heat stroke is no laughing matter.
Tower
Around the time Unto Others wrapped up, Tower was getting ready to lay waste on the indoor stage. Another friend of mine in attendance suggested I check them out at the festival, and my friend and I obliged. It turned out to be a fantastic decision. Their set was powerful, energetic, and fun! I got a bit of an Iron Maiden vibe from their sound, which made their set even more enjoyable. For a 30-minute set, it was hard not to have fun! Hell, I even decided to snag their 2021 album after their set. Do not sleep on Tower! Quite honestly, they were one of the most surprising acts of Hell’s Heroes (for me at least).
Night Cobra
So after Tower, my friend and I walked around and eventually went back to the indoor stage. We next saw Night Cobra, a local Houston act. Honestly, I was not the most thrilled with their set. I felt it was a bit standard, with little to make them stand out. And I don’t think I was alone in thinking that. People watching their set were relatively quiet and didn’t seem that interested. It might not be fair to compare them, but Tower’s set was very active, as was the crowd. Maybe it was some kind of fatigue? Honestly, I don’t know.
Satan
One of the bands I was really looking forward to at Hell’s Heroes was Satan. Having missed out on seeing them at Wacken, I was damn sure I’m not missing their set a second time. And it was worth pushing for a good spot. They played “Twenty Twenty Five”, “Into the Mouth of Eternity”, and “Alone in the Dock”, all of which I like. I do wish that they could’ve played “Death Knell for a King”, but hey I’m glad I got what I did. It’s a bit rare that you get to see an underrated NWOBHM act like them.
There was another thing about their set that stood out. People began moshing and crowd-surfing, as metalheads do. Vocalist Brian Ross noticed this and had some words to say about it. He just wasn’t having it. Normally that kind of thing is something of a compliment to the band. It was a little strange. Ironically, there was this one dude in a yellow shirt that went crowd-surfing maybe 8 times during their set alone.
Haunt
My friend and I decided to go see Haunt after Satan, getting a spot behind the soundboard. Now, I’ve talked about Haunt once before on my blog. And if you’ve read that post, you’ll know I’m not the biggest fan of them anymore. But, I thought to myself, “maybe they’ll be different live”. And uh… well…
My friend and I got in about halfway through their set. When we got in, Haunt was having technical difficulties. And as their set carried on, the technical problems didn’t go away. They sounded muffled and unbalanced (bands live or die by their sound guy). Hell, I even had to take my earplugs out a few times just to confirm it was hearing things correctly. It begs the question of how they sounded before we got in. But what I did hear, like “Hearts on Fire”, just sounded off.
I’ll give Trevor some credit – he was fairly energetic despite the technical difficulties. However, my stance on Haunt remains the same, even after this festival.
Razor
One of the bigger names for Hell’s Heroes this year was Canada’s Razor. My friend and I got the best spot we could, as Razor’s set was already starting as Haunt wrapped up. They played songs from throughout their discography, which was cool. To make it even better, the mosh pit for Razor was massive! Sadly, Razor also experienced some technical difficulties. So, Razor had to rush their set a bit. I hope that Razor can come back another year and perform again. Hopefully without the technical difficulties.
Triptykon
And to close out the festival was Triptykon, performing early Celtic Frost. I was lucky to have seen Tom G. Warrior and Triptykon at death fest last year. However, that was a set focused on Hellhammer. This would be my first time seeing him perform Celtic Frost. For my friend, this would be his first time seeing Tom G. Warrior ever! So, this was going to be pretty fuckin sick!
If I remember correctly, Triptykon performed “To Mega Therion” in its entirety. Maybe a song or two from “Into the Pandemonium” were included. I vividly recall Triptykon closing out their set with “Necromantical Screams”. I also vividly recall joining in the mosh pit and crowd surfing once during their set. Hands down, they were the best way to close out the festival.
Conclusion and Comments
So that wraps up Hell’s Heroes V. Hands down, this was one of the best festivals of the year. With the lineup and the energy, it was a ton of fun for everyone! My friend and I would love to go back again someday. However, I do have some things I’d like to see change. These are all purely my opinion and are said with the intent of helping to improve the festival:
- The venue could use some more shade. I get that it’s hot in Texas, but some of us are coming from out of state. What family I have in Texas has echoed the same point: “It takes about a year to adjust to the Texas heat”. People probably can’t adjust quickly enough to the heat if they are coming from out of state, especially if they are only there for, at most, a weekend.
- The after-party was held at The Raven Tower, just down the road. I think the festival could benefit from expanding to have a third stage at The Raven Tower. That way, Hell’s Heroes could host more bands and have a bit more breathing room.
- On a similar note, now that Hell’s Heroes would be going into its sixth year, maybe the festival could expand to three days. I understand that would mean a potential increase in the ticket price. But, as long as it’s a reasonable increase, I don’t think people will mind all that much. Besides, I doubt metalheads would complain about an additional day of headbanging fun!
Those are just a few suggestions from me. Regardless, Hell’s Heroes this year was a fuck ton of fun! I hope to be back next year! (Hopefully, Hell’s Heroes can get Ripperwolf (Ecuador), The Night Eternal (Germany), and Belushi Speed Ball (Kentucky, USA) for next year! Hey, one can hope.)