It’s 90 degrees with no clouds in sight, but the line outside the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, is already forming. With 25 stops in North America, the Summer of Loud Festival was reaching its end, but for Holmdel, it was just getting started.
Folks dressed in black and sporting band tees are chomping at the bit to witness the immaculate festival lineup ahead of them, myself included. The most popular band shirts supported tonight’s headliners: Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, Beartooth, and I Prevail. As a long-time fan of these bands, particularly Beartooth, I was thrilled for this day to begin.
Until then, four more bands warmed up the stage for these metal goliaths. With a can of Liquid Death in hand, I found my seat and crossed my fingers that the amphitheater’s roof would continue to shield me from the moving sun.
Dark Divine
First up, relatively newer band Dark Divine hit the stage in full faces of black and white makeup. The seven-song setlist was brought to life with flashing red lights and high energy on stage.
Despite it being 3:00 p.m. and large gaps in the seats, the early-comers got to witness an incredible show. As a frequent concert goer, it is easy to say that the first opener has the most difficult job, especially at a festival where the headliners don’t come on until 6:30 p.m.
During this tour, the band live debuted their new song “Better Start Digging.” The lead vocalist, Anthony Martinez, kept the crowd interacting with the band and taught us the callouts for this new song. The dark, theatrical aesthetic isn’t easy to pull off, but I’d say Dark Divine killed it. My favorite song from this set was “Halloweentown.”
Alpha Wolf
Cranking things up on the heavy music scale, Australia’s own Alpha Wolf was up next. Behind the band was their logo written in a neon green graffiti font. Almost immediately after taking the stage, Lochie Keogh, frontman of the band, noticed the seats in the pit were bolted to the concrete ground.
After announcing his disappointment, the amphitheater carried on. While this made moshing in the front obsolete, fans seated in the lawn section kept the movement alive. For the rest of the crowd, thrashing was contained within the confines of stationary red folding chairs. Headbanging was at an all-time high for this set, with growling and screaming coming from every corner of the theater. Continuing the trend of a seven-song setlist, my favorite was the closer, “Akudama.”
The Devil Wears Prada
While admittedly a newer fan of The Devil Wears Prada, the band’s performance made me wish I had tested the waters and listened to their 2022 album “Color Decay” when it was originally released. While half of the eight-song setlist was from that album, every song was a hit with the audience.
The unique logo for the band was displayed in white font on a red backdrop behind the drummer, Giuseppe Capolupo, who happened to have a birthday the same day! The drummer got a cupcake and an amphitheater of off-tune, but enthusiastic happy birthday singers.
The dual vocals and lively performance were something to remember. The range and versatility that goes into a Prada show is indescribable. From tragic ballets like “Chemical” to earth-shattering bridges and breakdowns in “Watchtower” (my favorite), there was a song for everyone.
The Amity Affliction
With the sun still shining, The Amity Affliction took center stage and dominated. The stage design was impeccable. PNC is a venue with a strange setup when it comes to the small, rounded front of the stage and the seats in the pit, but this band took it in stride. Their circular logo in the back, completed with a flame animation, was the perfect centerpiece to counter the six banners lined beside the drum kit. The symmetry was balanced and meticulous, while the set was powerful and commanding.
Yet another band from Australia made it difficult to stay still. With contagious choruses from songs I love like “Drag the Lake,” The Amity Affliction was beyond belief. The set was especially worth running back from concessions with a pretzel in hand when I heard the sounds of “Pittsburgh (No Intro)” fill the air.
Killswitch Engage
Four bands in, and it was finally time for the headliners to light it up. With a rotating order every night, the first for New Jersey was Killswitch Engage. The instant punch of bright green and purple strobe lights bounced off the white ceiling and red chairs, getting everyone on their feet.
The crowd roared at the sight of lead vocalist Jesse Leach, dressed in all white and ready to throw down. Mid-set, Leach mentioned that they had been a band for over 25 years and that this tour meant a lot to them. From looking around in the seats, it was easy to see that this tour meant a lot to many people there, not just the individuals who graced the stage.
However, it probably felt extra special for bassist Joel Stroetzel, who, just like Prada’s Capolupo, celebrated a birthday. As the band took shots, the well-practiced audience started to sing. The fiery antics from headliner number one set the tone for the rest of the bands yet to come. How the band avoided getting set on fire is a mystery to me, but the pyrotechnics elevated the performance to another level.
Due to the jaw-dropping insanity that Killswitch pulled out for their opening song, “Rose of Sharyn,” the bar was set high, and my favorite song of their set was claimed.
Parkway Drive
Up next was Parkway Drive, hailing from Byron Bay, Australia. The dominating vocals from Winston McCall and roars of pyrotechnics lit up the room and the sky where the sun had just set. With each new track of the eight-song setlist, the intensity grew greater. However, for a band that excels in growl-fueled rage, there were plenty of moments for reflection.
McCall took the chance to express his gratitude for everyone who showed up to give the band their time, energy, and money that night. Everyone was encouraged to sing along, whether it was lyrics, a riff, or even just a sound from this iconic band’s performance that could be replicated. While singing along with everyone was magical, getting to witness the outcome of countless planning, craft, and talent that went into the final song “Crushed” was unreal.
Every inch of the stage where the five members weren’t actively standing was seemingly grounds for fire. A foot of fire lined the front edge of the stage as gold strobe lights flashed down from above, and giant columns of fire shot up from the ground in about ten different places.
Nearing the bridge, the drummer, Ben Gordon, started to slowly spin upside down with his drumset and all, never missing a beat. When the breakdown began, so did the fire, or the new fire. The circle that Gordon was spinning in became engulfed around the perimeter. Safe to say they burned the house down.
Beartooth
As a long-time fan of Beartooth, seeing them live for the first time meant the world to me, and was the main reason I jumped on the opportunity to see this tour. As the intro to “The Lines” kicked in, it was like you were transported back to the 2015 era of the band.
The back and sides of the stage were lined with a giant snake. With the head of the snake to the right and the tail of the snake being a giant “B” in the shape of their logo to the left. Each of the twelve tracks had its own video, pattern, design, or lyrics displayed on the bright screen behind drummer Connor Dennis.
It was blatantly obvious that lead singer and frontman Caleb Shomo was having a blast. Smiling and dancing through the set, his energy was infectious. Guitar riffs cut through the air, and as the range of Shomo’s voice ripped through the amphitheater.
After having the crowd sing back and forth, Shomo had the whole place go silent so he could scream unassisted by a microphone. Even from the back, you could hear his voice echo. You can consider my ticket to their next tour already bought, especially if it means I get to witness the band play “You Never Know” again.
I Prevail
The night finished off strong with none other than I Prevail. While every headliner doused their set in flames, I Prevail didn’t come to light a few matches. The band tore through their eleven-song setlist in what felt like the blink of an eye. With the recent departure of co-vocalist Brian Burkheiser, Eric Vanlerberghe stepped into the role of the lead vocalist and was working overtime.
However, this opportunity for the audience to experience his versatility and range was astonishing. A perfect example of this was hearing two brand new songs off of their awaited album “Violent Nature.” The title track’s heavy-hitting screams contrasted greatly with the clean vocals required for “Into Hell.” Vanlerberghe didn’t miss a beat and sounded better than ever.
Not only did the band sound great, but they never stopped moving around the multi-level stage design they fashioned. With flashing lights, bursts of fire, and nasty instrumental portions, it was impossible to leave disappointed. Walking away from the set, my favorite song performed by tonight’s finale was “Violent Nature.”
The intensity generated a violent atmosphere in a room filled with the most gracious, considerate, and loud music lovers alike, on and off the stage. Left in the wake of the concert were thousands of elated fans eagerly exchanging final thoughts and feelings.
Feelings that could only be recreated at the next show held by these titans of modern metal. Eight bands, 38 musicians, countless new favorite songs, and one pretzel later, the Summer of Loud was exactly that and more.
