There’s something inspiring about seeing a group of people trying to better the world, despite all the odds stacked against them.
Fire in the Mountains has always bucked tradition, even when it was nothing more than a bunch of friends playing music for each other in the Wyoming wilderness. But since its move to the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, the festival has taken on an even loftier goal of leaving a community better than they found it.
For the second year, Fire in the Mountains returns to the gorgeous Red Eagle Campground, just east of Glacier National Park. It’s one of the few open-air extreme metal festivals in the United States, and boasts a diverse lineup of black metal, sludge Americana, folk and heavy metal.
The festival organizers also work hand-in-hand with the Blackfeet community, Browning educators and the Firekeepers Alliance nonprofit to address the alarming suicide rates among indigenous communities.
With no corporate sponsors and no alcohol sales, the festival truly adopts a DIY ethos to bring heavy music to a remote corner of the country, giving the local youth an event to look forward to, all while bridging cultural gaps and dismantling stigma against discussions on suicide.
If you’ve been on the fence on whether to pick up a ticket, here are several reasons why you shouldn’t wait any longer.
The Location
Not many festivals, if any, can boast of the natural, scenic beauty like Fire in the Mountains.
Red Eagle Campground sits just next to the entrance of Glacier National Park. Mountains surround every inch of the horizon, towering in the distance behind the stages. Evergreens envelope the concert bowl, providing a natural and organic curtain to catch the sound. It borders Lower Two Medicine Lake, whose waters are sacred to the Piikani people. But they don’t hesitate to invite campers to enjoy a swim during the hot afternoons.
The jaw-dropping vistas alone are worth a weekend at Red Eagle. But thankfully, there’s an entire program loaded with bands.
READ THE KNOTFEST.com COVERAGE FROM FIRE IN MOUNTAINS 2025
The Lineup
Since its inception, Fire in the Mountains has curated a unique blend of extreme, traditional doom and black metal bands, while also leaving room for atmospheric, acoustic and folk oriented projects. The bands are united in spirit and ethos more than sound; those whose emotional weight are palpable with every note.
That sort of musical diversity is on display more so than ever this year. Headlined by reunited gothic country pioneers Sixteen Horsepower one night, while another sees the triumphant return of Neurosis, presented by the Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit who aims to prevent suicide among indigenous youth.
Enslaved and Borknagar each offer their own brand of folk-tinged epic Norwegian black metal, to go with a 20th anniversary set of Between Two Worlds, featuring Abbath (ex-Immortal) Ice Dale (Enslaved) and Armagedda (ex-Gorgoroth).
Progressive sludge rock titans Baroness get to bring their multi-colored discography to Montana, and murderfolk troubadour Amigo the Devil will break up the metal with his emotionally charged songs about death, life, and bingo.
There are also exclusive sets from The Ruins of Beverast and a reunited SubRosa, in addition Agalloch performing Ashes Against the Grain, Sigh, Wayfarer, Sumerlands, Old Man Gloom, Midwife, Raven Chacon & Iggor Cavalera, Dreadnought and the Firekeeper Alliance presenting performances from Yob and Full of Hell.
The Mission & The Cause
Fire in the Mountains has always been about using the power of music and nature to reconnect with your community. While that’s still a major part, its ultimate goal changed when it came to Montana in 2025.
Now, in partnership with the Firekeeper Alliance, its mission aims to prevent suicide in indigenous communities, particularly among the disenfranchised youth. They’ve partnered with Browning’s Buffalo Hide Academy’s Heavy Metal Symposium to set up internships, design flyers and merch, learn production, stage management and anything else that gets them interested.
The Workshops & Discussions
Before the music really cranks up, several panels are held throughout the day to open a dialogue with the local community and the visiting attendees. The idea is to break down barriers on topics such as indigenous sovereignty, protecting teens from suicide, and the history of the Blackfeet people and their land.There are also discussions with performing artists about the healing power of music, the relationship nature has with heavy metal, lyrics and vocals, as well as some artist demonstrations or clinics.
It’s a Dry Festival
Because of the havoc that alcohol has wreaked through indigenous communities, there is no alcohol sold or allowed at the festival.
While for some the prospect of a sober festival might seem off-putting, enjoying the location and the music with a clear mind certainly adds to the experience. It’s also quite a bonus to not be hungover every morning. You’ll actually leave feeling refreshed and recharged, rather than broken down.
If you absolutely have no idea what to do with your hands while watching music, there are plenty of non-alcoholic beers and cocktails throughout the grounds.
(Pro tip: Find a local vendor and ask for a Lotus, a plant-based energy drink flavored with various syrups. It’ll change your life.)
The Experience
Put everything together, and Fire in the Mountains combines for an experience that just can’t be created or replicated anywhere else.
It’s rare to leave a festival with more energy than you came with. But sleeping under the stars, listening to emotionally moving bands, and making tangible connections with people that understand fill each attendee with such a gratitude, you wish weekends like this could happen every month.
Fire in the Mountains takes place from July 23 to July 26 at Montana’s Red Eagle Campground. Find out more info or purchase tickets here.
