The heat did not keep fans away from PNC Music Pavilion on Sunday for the final show of The Summer of Loud Festival. For those who may have missed the announcement, Summer of Loud featured a STACKED line-up featuring Dark Divine, Alpha Wolf, The Amity Affliction, The Devil Wears Prada, I Prevail, Killswitch Engaged, Parkway Drive, and Beartooth. What truly made Summer of Loud so unique is that fans got 4 headlining sets each night. That’s right, I Prevail, Killswitch Engaged, Parkway Drive, and Beartooth all played a headlining set, and each night rotated who was playing in what order.
Dark Divine
Kicking things off was none other than Orlando, Florida, natives Dark Divine. This was my second time seeing Dark Divine in recent months. The first was on their Co-Headliner with The Funeral Portrait back at the end of 2024. I was very interested in seeing them go from a headlining club set to an opening spot on a festival, and let me tell you, these boys did not disappoint. Being the opener for any tour is tough, but being the opener on one of the biggest metal tours of the year and performing at 3:00 in the afternoon is even harder. Dark Divine took the stage and proved they earned their spot on the tour. Give fans a quick 7-song set, and they set the bar for the energy level for the day. The band put on such a great performance, even a black butterfly wanted to join in on the fun, you can see that in the photos below. Check out their song “Better Start Digging” below.
Dark Divine Photo Gallery
Alpha Wolf
Following Dark Divine was the Australian Metalcore outfit Alpha Wolf. If I were to describe their set in 1 word, it would be CHAOS, and I mean that in the best way possible. Alpha Wolf to the energy brought by Dark Divine and sent it straight through the roof. Alpha Wolf also played a 7-song set, spanning all three of the band’s releases. In those 7 songs, Alpha Wolf demanded crowd interaction, and fans gave it to them. From high-energy pits and crowd surfers to beach balls, both Alpha Wolf and the fans fed off each other’s energy
Alpha Wolf Photo Gallery
The Amity Affliction
If I had to describe this band’s set, I would say dedication. Singer Joel Birch had broken 2 bones in his foot earlier in the tour, and he still powered through every show for the remainder of the tour. You can see in the photos below Birch wearing a boot on his foot, which did not keep him from giving fans the show they deserved. Amity played a 9-song set featuring songs from their entire catalog, including the band’s new single All That I Remember. Check out our full photo gallery below.
The Amity Affliction Photo Gallery
The Devil Wears Prada
There are very few bands that I’ve had the privilege of watching grow up from being a young band trying to make it, to being one of the biggest names in Metalcore. However, The Devil Wears Prada is one of those bands. The year was 2007, and Plagues had been released earlier that year. A young The Devil Wears Prada was the opener for Emery, Chiodos, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and Pierce The Veil, performing at a 1,000-capacity Tremont Music Hall just down the road from PNC Music Pavilion. Fast forward to 2025, and they’re now a household name in the metal community. The Devil Wears Prada performed an 8-song set that included fan favorites from Color Decay, The Act, and With Roots Above and Branches Below, as well as 2 off their upcoming release Flowers, due out later this year. Though the lineup has changed somewhat over the years, and the venues have grown, one thing remains true for The Devil Wears Prada, and that’s the band’s energy and passion for what they do. Prada still goes out every night and gives 110% and leaves nothing in the tank. Their new album, Flowers, is due out on November 14th. Make sure you check that out
The Devil Wears Prada Photo Gallery
Finally, the moment came for the Headliners to start. The Summer of Loud was a unique experience because concertgoers got a treat of 4 headlining sets from Beartooth, Parkway Drive, Killswitch Engage, and I Prevail. Each night was a different order, so you didn’t know till the day of what order they would be playing.
I Prevail
Kicking off the headlining sets for Charlotte was I Prevail. The band was back with a vengeance and had a score to settle from their last time in Charlotte, and their set got canceled due to the weather. Well, they made up for it, playing an 11-song set, full of headbanging and pyrotechnics. Yes, for those of you who were unable to make it to a date on the Summer of Loud festival, all headliners had MASSIVE Pyro setups, and yes, it made the 108 degrees EVEN HOTTER. I Prevail kept the energy up, kicking their set off with Bow Down, followed by Bodybag. For me personally, one of the highlights of the night was seeing them perform Hurricane off their 2019 release, Trauma, and dedicate it to the late Dave Shapiro, who had passed away earlier that Summer. After hearing Prada vocalist Mike Hranica get emotional at the end of their set over the loss of their former drummer Daniel Williams, who passed on the same day as Dave, you could tell both Prada and I Prevail were on this tour to honor the memories of their late friends. Check out the video of Hurricane below, and most importantly, make sure you pick up Violent Nature on September 19th.
I Prevail Photo Gallery
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage has always been one of my favorite bands, and this sadly was the first time I’ve ever seen them live. Killswitch was just fun, again, they had massive pyro like I Prevail, they played a 12-song set, and when I say fun, I don’t mean lots of circle pits, crowd surfers, etc. Trust me, there was plenty of those. I’m talking about how vocalist Jesse Leach was singing/screaming and dancing on the stage, coming out into the crowd, and taking selfies with fans. Then, guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz was having the time of his life, jogging in place, running across the stage, playing his Pizza Guitar. His “I’m with Stupid T-shirt”, and let’s not forget his Whistle! Again, Killswitch Engage played a massive 12-song set spanning both Leach’s and Jones’ tenure as frontman. Check out our live videos of The End of Heartache and Holy Diver below.
Killswitch Engage Photo Gallery
Parkway Drive
Now, I’m going to be honest, Parkway was THE band for me on Summer of Loud. I was excited for everyone, but I was really excited for Parkway Drive. They’re another band I’ve followed for a long time and have been covering for a long time. From their early days at Warped Tour at the same venue, to headlining shows at The Fillmore in Uptown Charlotte. Parkway was able to fit fan favorites from Ire, Reverence, Atlas, Darker Still, Deep Blue, and their latest single, Sacred. However, Bottom Feeder was cut short when frontman Winston McCall noticed a fan in distress. Winston quickly stopped the show, making sure to get medical staff to them, to get water, and got fans to give them some space to get some air. It was at this moment that Winston took the time to lead the crowd into some deep breathing exercises, encouraging everyone to stay hydrated due to the heat. After giving fans a moment, the band picked back up with Wild Eyes and wrapped things up with Crush. Check out our live video of Wild Eyes below
Parkway Drive Photo Gallery
Beartooth
Sadly, by the time Beartooth took the stage, my camera batteries had died after a long day of shooting; however, that did not keep me from enjoying the show in the suite. Beartooth kicked things off by taking fans but to 2014 with The Lines, from their album Disgusting, and kept the energy pumping, jumping to 2021, with The Past is Dead from their release Below. Beartooth fans a set spanning their entire catalog, building on the energy that was started many hours before with Dark Divine. Beartooth is another band I’ve been able to watch grow, from their early days at Warped Tour, and they’re a band that’s only gotten better with age. They’ve always been a band of high energy; however, since Caleb began his health journey, it’s only improved their live show. Beartooth played a 12-song set, closing out Summer of Loud, giving fans all 6 singles off their latest release, The Surface, and bookending their set with 2 from 2014.
In conclusion, the Summer of Loud is just what we as music lovers need. With the absence of Warped Tour, and with some not able to attend the bigger multi-day festivals like Welcome To Rockville or Louder Than Life, this is a GREAT alternative. Summer of Loud makes for a perfect festival experience, being held on 1 day, with 1 stage, allowing fans to stay in one spot and enjoy the entire show. It takes the chaos out of planning your day, and having to decide which bands you’re going to see and who you’re going to miss because overlap. Other than the heat, Summer of Loud was a 10 out of 10 for me. So if it returns for 2026, make sure you make your way to the closest date to you.
