LOUD AS HELL – METAL FESTIVAL
If you’ve heard of Drumheller, Alberta you probably know it as the place with the huge collection of dinosaur bones, the giant model trex with a lookout deck in it’s mouth, and those really weird mushroom looking rocks. What you may not be aware of is that it’s also the home of Loud As Hell.
‘What is Loud As Hell cause it sounds awesome’ you may be thinking. Well let me introduce you to one of the top underground metal festivals in Canada. Starting in 2012, this metal gathering is now well into it’s pre-teens and keeps growing every year. Hundreds of bands have graced their stage from Protest the Hero, Goatwhore, and Fit for an Autopsy. The very reasonably priced weekend passes include camping along with the three days of headbang worthy bands.
I was thrilled to tag along with Thunderor last year as they made the pilgrimage from Toronto to the Dinosaur Downs Stampede Grounds for the big 10 year celebration of Loud As Hell. Driving through the badlands towards the festival felt like an adventure in itself and arriving at the gates we were greeted by loud music, happy (slightly sunburnt) faces, and good vibes. That was the one thing I kept finding myself thinking during this weekend, everyone was so happy!
We were hungry from our journey so we checked out the food situation, the Chef Scotian truck. Featuring amazing grub from the East Coast, there were a lot of tasty dishes to choose from. (I loved the fish tacos!) They had something for all dietary needs which was great, as the Thunderor guitarist is vegan. And that donair sauce! Mmm. The one downside, the truck ran out to food a few hours before the curtains closed on the last day of the weekend. (But that’s why your tent should always be full of emergency snacks.) For early risers, there is also a free pancake breakfast! You may be surprised with some cupcakes too or a hot sauce competition (major regret not doing this.) The Loud As Hell branded beer was a nice photo worthy touch.
Like a lot of outdoor festivals, it was HOT. Sooo hot. And shade? Very limited and crowded, everyone squeezing in for some sweet, sweet relief. Thankfully we had a galloon of sunscreen and hats with us. One thing we didn’t have, was a face covering of some sort. Not because of illnesses, but the ground was so dry that once the pit formed, so did the dust clouds. To be expected, we were just ill prepared. What we didn’t expect, was the epic storm that passed through. We’re talking crazy lightning and wind gusts so strong several vendor tents took flight! The staff and crew were so on top of things however, and after a short delay, the festival carried on. There’s no stopping the metal.
Speaking of the staff/crew, they were amazing. Especially the volunteers, busting their butts to help with transporting tired Torontonians to the airport, selling merch, and everything in between. All while smiling, even during the storm madness. I’ve attended and worked a lot of festivals, and the people behind this one are top notch. (Extra shoutout to Sheldon, you rock!) I totally understand why the call it the metal family reunion.
Speaking of merch, there was lots of it! The staff took turns slinging shirts and trinkets for all the bands on a longgg merch table. Loud As Hell had their own gear for sale as well, from hilarious t-shirts to beer koozies. I reallllly wanted one of the brightly coloured “Loud As Hell Drunk As Fuck” shirts but sadly waited too long and they only had large sizes left. Buy early! In addition to the music merch were several vendors selling local ware. We were big fans of the Beyond Hot Sauce tent (we ended up buying several bottles, good sauce!) and the super cool weaponry from The Axeman.
And of course the main event, the bands. With over 40 bands over the three days there was a lot of live music to experience! I checked out many acts throughout the festival, some I knew, most I did not. Which is something I love that about these festivals, getting a chance to discover a lot of up and coming bands that may not have crossed my radar otherwise. Last year my favourite (besides Thunderor of course!) was probably W.M.D, an awesome three piece thrash metal band I hadn’t heard of prior and they kicked ass. Other notable mentions last year include Neck of the Woods and headliner act Angelmaker. Covering various genres and musicians from multiple countries, there is definitely something for everyone at Loud As Hell.
My weekend at Loud As Hell was an awesome time and something I’m super glad I got to experience (and hopefully will get to again!). It was also a good warmup as we flew directly from here to Germany for Wacken (blog post to come on that!).
This year will mark Loud As Hell’s eleventh edition taking place in the Alberta badlands over the August Long Weekend July 31-Aug 2. Passes are $150 and can be purchased here. I definitely recommend checking it out if you can. And if you do, remember this, whenever someone yells “LOUD AS HELL” the response correct response is “DRUNK AS FUCK!”
