SUMMER OF LOUD
Beartooth, I Prevail, Parkway Drive, Killswitch Engage, The Amity Affliction, Alpha Wolf, and Kingdom of Giants
Great Park Live
Irvine, CA
07.05.25
LIVE REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARILYN BELL
The Summer of Loud tour stopped in Irvine for a stripped-down version of the metalcore festival. The pyro and props seen on the other stops weren’t allowed in Irvine, and The Devil Wears Prada had to pull due to illness. The monster lineup of the other seven bands made up for the losses with performances filled with pure power. The crowd matched the intensity with mosh pits, crowdsurfing, and walls of death throughout the marathon schedule.
Kicking off the day an hour late due to The Devil Wears Prada’s cancellation was Sacramento band Kingdom of Giants. The late start made for a decent crowd, and there was no easing in. They went straight into a full metalcore assault.
Keeping things going and building momentum was one of the three Australian bands on the bill, Alpha Wolf. Vocalist Lochie Keogh set the tone for the day by calling for a wall of death. The 4 p.m. sun was no match for the metalheads in attendance.
Up next was the second Australian band of the day, The Amity Affliction, with Kingdom of Giants bassist Jonny Reeves pulling double duty. The fiery LED backdrop hinted at the pyrotechnics the Irvine crowd wouldn’t see, but otherwise it was out of sight, out of mind. Every band kept bringing the heat, so it didn’t feel like anything was lacking to those who didn’t know it was.
Anchoring the lineup in the middle slot was the most veteran band, Killswitch Engage. They unleashed a blistering set of controlled chaos with the set list heavy on songs from their latest release This Consequence.
The third and final Australian band, Parkway Drive, was up next. With a lineup filled with so many bands who are headliners in their own right, it was hard to believe there were still two bands to go after this. The crowd was still going strong, as the band powered through a set of pure metal.
I Prevail continued the metal mayhem. With Eric Vanlerberghe and Dylan Bowman on vocals, departed vocalist Brian Burkheiser’s absence was barely noticeable. If the fans felt the absence, they didn’t show it with non-stop crowdsurfing and a swarm around Vanlerberghe, as he went into the crowd. This set could have been a headliner closing out the fest.
Beartooth took the stage to cooler temps as the sun went down, with frontman Caleb Shomo wearing a Black Sabbath crop top in honor of the day’s Back to the Beginning farewell concert and livestream. Not to worry though, he was 100 percent present in Irvine, and Shomo put on a mighty show for the fans with about half the set dedicated to the new stuff from The Surface. The Summer of Loud tour continues through late July.
