ALL THE METALCORE THAT IRVINE COULD HANDLE: PRESENTING THE SUMMER OF LOUD TOUR 2025
WORDS BY CHARLIE BODHI. PHOTOS BY STEPHEN BROWNLEE.
When I first heard there was going to be a mini-festival dedicated entirely to metalcore, I was thrilled. Don’t get me wrong — I love a multi-genre lineup like Lollapalooza or Bonnaroo. But there’s something uniquely satisfying about immersing yourself in one genre you love, surrounded by like-minded fans screaming the same lyrics. Summer of Loud in Irvine delivered exactly that.
Sacramento’s own Kingdom of Giants kicked things off with a high-energy set that immediately set the tone for the day. Frontman Dana Willax even called for a Wall of Death at 3:00 PM under the scorching 90-degree sun — a bold move, but the crowd rose to the occasion. No wasted space. Just pure chaos.
Up next were Alpha Wolf, and while I wasn’t super familiar with them going in, I learned everything I needed to know in their seven-song set: they’re loud, they’re heavy, and they mean business. A total sonic gut punch in the best way.
The Amity Affliction followed and made every minute of their 40-minute set count. The crowd around me was instantly singing along, and you could see the band feeding off that energy. In fact, frontman Joel Birch went so hard he took a gnarly spill toward the end of the set. He had to be helped off afterward — looked like an ankle injury? Either way, the man finished the set. That’s metal as hell.
Then came the first of four co-headliners: Killswitch Engage. I’ve seen them plenty of times before, but I was still looking forward to their set the most. They were my entry point into metalcore 23 years ago, and they’ve remained one of my all-time favorite bands. They ran through crowd favorites like “Rose of Sharyn,” “The End of Heartache,” and “My Last Serenade.” They even dropped “This Fire,” much to the delight of all the CM Punk shirts in the crowd. Adam D’s wild energy balanced perfectly with Jesse Leach’s sincerity — a dynamic that never gets old. Killswitch is on the Mount Rushmore of metalcore, and I won’t hear otherwise.
Parkway Drive followed, and the Australian veterans proved why they’ve been a force for over two decades. Their sound was tight, their energy unmatched, and the sunset behind the stage gave their set an almost cinematic feel. They played fan favorites alongside their latest track “Sacred,” and while they might be underrated in the broader scene, their fans knew every damn word.
I Prevail took the stage next. I’ll be honest — they weren’t really on my radar before this show. I’ve heard their Taylor Swift cover, sure, but hadn’t dug into their original material. That said, they went over huge with the crowd, and they’ve clearly got the chops to stand on their own. Their set didn’t hit me as hard as some others did, but I’m open to diving deeper into their catalog.
Closing out the night was Beartooth, who got the advantage of playing after sunset — no sunburn, just pure nighttime energy. Like I Prevail, I wasn’t super familiar with their full history, but what I’ve heard so far is promising. They closed the festival with authority, and while I was hoping to hear “Bad Listener,” their set was packed with bangers that had the crowd singing to the very end.
Unfortunately, The Devil Wears Prada had to cancel due to illness, which was a definite loss for the day, but every band on the lineup brought the heat and made the most of their time.
The Summer of Loud was an undeniable success. Great Park Live proved to be the perfect venue — spacious, great sound, and just enough vendors to keep things interesting without overwhelming the music.
Here’s hoping this becomes an annual tradition, rotating a fresh crop of metalcore bands each year. Because if this fest proved anything, it’s that there’s still a thriving, passionate community hungry for breakdowns, screams, and unity through heavy music.
BEARTOOTH
I PREVAIL
PARKWAY DRIVE
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
AMITY AFFLICTION
ALPHA WOLF
KINGDOM OF GIANTS
SUMMER OF LOUD 2025
