There's a different kind of March Madness that descends upon the greater Houston-area of Texas around this time every year. Since its 2018 inception, Hell's Heroes has sought to shine a light on the timeless, cult-classic category of extreme music with a level of curation most festivals - big or small - really couldn't touch.
Creating the kind of experience in line with more of the international festival landscape, Christian Larson, who also fronts Night Cobra, forged Hell's Heroes with the kind of attention and discerning level of care that most obsessives build their record collection. Encompassing three revelrous days, across outdoor and indoor stages, the weekend-long congregation has since become tradition for fans that would have normally had to travel abroad to see this kind of assembly.
For the 2025 edition, Hell's Heroes again proved to be a shining speciality among the domestic U.S. festival calendar. Touting curated sets like Cavalera playing the Third World Trilogy - first three Sepultura albums set, Abbath taking on a classic Immortal set, Saxon blaring an The Eagle Has Landed set as well as highly-anticipated appearances from the likes of Hellripper, Castle Rat, ABSU, Savage Master, Crypt Sermon and the first-ever US set for Departure Chandelier - Hell's Heroes again jockeyed for position as one of the best festival experiences in the game.
Compiling a three-day line-up of artists that all are wildly varied from one another and yet compliment one another so well, creates the kind of continuity that most festivals could only dream of. For the battle vest, denim-clad, bullet belt contingent in heavy music, every March means a visit to Houston and the White Oak Music Hall.
See the gallery of images from all three days of Hell's Heroes 2025 from photographer Maurice Nunez.
ABBATH
BEWITCHER
SAVAGE MASTER
ENFORCER
HIRAX
CASTLE RAT
CRIMSON GLORY
CAVALERA
ABSU
SADISTIC INTENT
HULDER
Photos by Sam James ***
HAUNT
SAXON
PRIMORDIAL
HELLRIPPER
SPECTURAL WOUND
SAMAEL
NIGHT COBRA
SA SLAYER
JOHN CHRIST
GOATWHORE
