Heavy riffs, constant energy, and all of the pyro you can imagine – this was the Summer of Loud festival. On July 19th, I had the privilege to attend The Summer of Loud Festival at The York State Fair. Eight bands, four headliners, and unforgettable moments. This amazing festival featured Dark Divine, Alpha Wolf, The Devil Wears Prada, The Amity Affliction, I Prevail, Beartooth, Killswitch Engage, and Parkway Drive. This dream lineup destroyed the York State Fair and I am so glad I was able to witness it.
Anyway, continue reading below for more photos of The Summer of Loud festival and my full review of the show. Be sure to check out The Summer of Loud Official Website for music, lineups, news, and tickets for all upcoming tour dates. Images are taken and provided by John Krebs, Carpe Tempus Photography, © All rights reserved.
The first band to take the stage was Dark Divine. The Orlando based metalcore band performed a tight seven song setlist featuring their hits “The Reaper,” “Dancing Dead,” “Better Start Digging,” and “Halloweentown.” Dark Divine did a phenomenal job getting the crowd moving and warmed up for the rest of the day. The constant crowd interactions, especially when playing their new single “Better Start Digging,” was outstanding. Dark Divine was just the appetizer for the rest of the show.
The next band to take the stage was Alpha Wolf, a metalcore band from Australia. They continued to up the energy with their performance and stage presence. Within the first song,”Mangekyō,” they had to stop because the crowd got riled up and someone went down in the pit. After all was clear, the band restarted their set and continued their seven song set. Lochie Keogh, their front man, stomped, head banged, and jumped around the stage, keeping the crowd moving with his energy. This was my first time seeing Alpha Wolf and I am definitely adding them to my music rotation.
Next on the lineup was the legendary The Devil Wears Prada. Out of all of the bands performing, The Devil Wears Prada is the band I have seen the most and they never disappoint. Some highlight songs they played were “Salt” and “Chemical,” which are some of my favorite songs that just hit you emotionally. While they featured most of their newer material, they played “Danger: Wildman” and dedicated it to Daniel Williams, their former drummer who unexpectedly died in a plane crash earlier this year. I do not think there was anyone in attendance who was not moving and moshing, myself included!
The Amity Affliction took the stage after The Devil Wears Prada. The Australian giants started their set with “Pittsburgh” and the crowd sang along with every word. Their set was stacked with other hits like “Drag the Lake,” “All My Friends are Dead,” “I See Dead People,” and finishing with “Soak Me in Bleach.” Joel Birch, lead vocals, broke his foot earlier in the tour and this hasn’t slowed him down. Even while performing in a boot, he gave it everything. This was my first time seeing them with new singer and bassist Jonny Reeves (Kingdom of Giants) and he did a fantastic job. The clean sections of Amity songs hit hard and Reeves’ sound fits right in. I am excited to see what the future holds for The Amity Affliction.
After the four openers, it was time for the four headliners: I Prevail, Beartooth, Killswitch Engage, and Parkway Drive. Each band performed a tight 50 minute set. The first headliner to perform was I Prevail. They took the stage fully donned in face paint courtesy of the state fair. It was wild seeing this crossover of Mike Tyson, Insane Clown Posse, Spiderman, and various animals. They started off their set with “Bow Down,” “Body Bag,” and “Self-Destruction.” I Prevail’s performance marked the beginning of non-stop pyro. Flames shot into the air as the breakdown of “Bow Down” hit and I don’t think it stopped until they left the stage. A touching moment was when I Prevail dedicated their song “Hurricane” to David Shapiro, a top tier music executive that is responsible for the success of countless bands, who also died earlier this year in the plane crash mentioned earlier. I Prevail rocked the stage and set the bar high for the remaining headliners.
Beartooth was up next and the crowd legitimately exploded when Caleb Shomo took the stage with “The Lines.” I do not think the crowd was ready for the energy that Shomo was giving out. Between him jumping, thrashing, and head banging, he was a spectacle to watch! Their set was filled with many hits including “Sunshine!,” “Disease,” “I Was Alive,” “Riptide,” and “In Between.” The only time I have seen Beartooth live was back in 2014 at Vans Warped Tour and I am so glad I finally saw them as a headliner! They did not disappoint! I personally loved at the very end when Caleb stood on the very edge of the stage and belted the notes of “In Between,” without a microphone, and the crowd sung along the responses.
Killswitch Engage was the next band to take the stage and upon the first note of “Rose of Sharyn” the stage ignited and the band tore up the stage. Their set was action packed filled with their hits “The Fire,” “My Curse,” “End of Heartache,” The Signal Fire,” and finishing off with their cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver.” Everyone in the crowd was jumping and belting the lyrics to these memorable songs. Memorable moments were created by guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz as he ran around the stage in his “I’m with stupid” shit and beer headband, did little bunny hops, and even called out a giant red solo cup snake in the pit. His jovial spirit was infectious! Everyone was having a phenomenal time!
The last band to take the stage was Parkway Drive. This band was the epitome of “save the best for last.” Parkway Drive are known for their energetic performance, non-stop pyro, and their drummer strapped into a cage that rotates on fire; what is there not to love? As they performed, you could tell Winston McCall was enjoying every second of the crowd with a smile that never left his face. Some highlights of their set were “Glitch,” “Prey,” “Vice Grip,” “Wild Eyes,” and finishing with “Crushed.” I was excited to see Parkway Drive perform their new single “Sacred” which blends their many styles and has one of the sickest “Bleghs” I have ever heard. Parkway Drive are natural performers and a memorable moment always happens when they get the crowd to sing along to the opening riff of “Wild Eyes.” It united the crowd in song and sent shivers down my spine.
The Summer of Loud festival was an amazing event! I hope this becomes an annual tour because I will go every single year! There are a few dates left so if this tour is coming to your area, you need to go. Below are more images of The Summer of Loud Festival at The York State Fair in York, PA on 7/19/2025. Images are taken and provided by John Krebs, Carpe Tempus Photography, © All rights reserved. Enjoy!!!
