The first indication the enormous campground set up outside Drumheller, Alta., this August long weekend wasn't a country music festival was the spray-painted van depicting a screaming demon's face and offering "free Slayer tickets".

For its eighth year, Loud as Hell festival brought hundreds of metalheads to the sleepy town that's mostly known for being located in one of the richest deposits of dinosaur fossils on earth.

Festival co-founder Geoff Bourrie says attendees treat the event as a "metal family reunion," as it brings them back year after year.

"A lot of people think, 'Oh, it's a metal festival, they're just going to hear screaming the whole time.' That's not it at all. We have 40 bands and not two of those bands sound the same," he said.

"People can be themselves, everybody's here for the same reason — to have a good time."

Loud as Hell metal festival brings metalheads to Drumheller, Alta., each summer. 0:35

Western Canada isn't exactly known for its metal festivals, unlike German or Scandinavian festivals which draw hundreds of thousands of attendees, but this one professes to be the loudest and is growing every year.

Bourrie said there was some skepticism when the festival first started, but locals have warmed to the event.

"It was lots of long hair, metalheads, black T-shirts, we're not sure ya know, the stigma — it's just one of those things — but they're starting to really come around and realize hey, we're just normal people."

In its entire run, he said there have been two negative incidents, both of which were drunken fistfights.

Attendee Griffin Klapak said it's the fellow fans that keep bringing him back.

"It's like one big metal community. That's why I love it," he said.

Attendees say the festival is one big heavy metal reunion. (Mike Symington/CBC)

Another attendee, Deanna Hannam, echoed that message.

"Once you get out here and you hear the music, you see the energy, everybody's amazing, they're super friendly, you'll just never turn back."

This year, more than 400 bands applied. Artists came from all over North America and from as far away as the U.K.

Adam McLaughlin, vocalist for Manitoba's Dead Ringer, said the 12-hour drive was totally worth it.

"This is an amazing experience, never would have thought we'd have the opportunity to do something like this," he said.