Hell’s Heroes Day 1

Mar 28

Written By Sam

HOUSTON, TX | WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL | 03.19-03.21.2025

Leather, Frost & Mayhem

Day 1

March in Houston isn’t just about bluebonnets and barbecue smoke—it’s the sacred kickoff of Festival Season, and nothing screams “spring has sprung” louder than Hell’s Heroes. For three glorious days White Oak Music Hall mutates into a chrome‑fortified Valhalla: three stages (one outdoor, two sweat‑fogged indoor), full of thrash riffs, denim vests, and day‑old Lone Star. Festival mastermind Christian Larson (yes, that riff‑summoning wizard from Necrofier and Night Cobra) curates the lineup like a demented sommelier pairing rare vintages of face‑melting heavy metal with subtle notes of tinnitus.

Day 1 detonated when Norwegian ice‑lord ABBATH lumbered onstage, delivering an IMMORTAL‑stuffed set so frosty the beer froze mid‑mosh. D.R.I. circle‑pitted us back to 1987, Castle Rat brought medieval doom complete with rodent regalia, and Hirax’s Katon crowd surfed mid-performance.

Think that was it? Please. Once the main gates closed, a hush fell—then a coffin appeared, hoisted by solemn pallbearers, one of whom was none other than Daniel Dekay. South Florida’s swamp‑phantoms WORM burst out of the casket, splattering sludge riffs across the after‑show like gator guts at a Gallagher gig.

March isn’t spring—it’s steel‑bloom season, and Hell’s Heroes is the fertilizer for metalheads everywhere.Hydrate, hail the riff, and remember: sunscreen is for the weak, but deodorant is communal mercy.