Metal Took over New Jersey at Summer of Loud in Holmdel

On July 24th, Summer of Loud brought their killer metal festival to the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. The insane lineup for this show included Dark Divine, Alpha Wolf, The Devil Wears Prada, The Amity Affliction, Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, Beartooth, and I Prevail. These bands battled the heat and humidity with crazy breakdowns and energy.

The first band up was Dark Divine, who really set the tone for what was in store for the rest of the day. Even though their set was short, they made a lasting impact on the crowd. Next up was Alpha Wolf, who continued to bring the energy to Holmdel.

The Devil Wears Prada kept the festival going with their heavy metal sound. They proved to the audience that they are seasoned vets in the metal scene. Amity Affliction kept the crowd ready and riled up for what some of the later bands had in store for the amphitheater, that kept getting more and more packed after each set.

Killswitch Engage was one of the best sets of the night, in my opinion. They commanded the stage with their songs, and even some mosh pits started to form in the lawn area. As someone who only knew their song "My Curse" prior to the show, their set made me an instant fan.

After Killswitch Engage, I wondered how the next band could possibly get any better, and Parkway Drive definitely knew how to captivate the crowd. Not only did they have great music, but their set design and pyrotechnics were incredible. Their drummer, Ben Gordon, was drumming while spinning him to the point where he was upside down! To top it off, the spinning rig was on fire. Honestly, that moment is now in my top 5 concert moments ever.

As the sun was finally set, Beartooth took the stage. Their energy commanded the now packed amphitheater. Everyone was out of their seats instantly. Within the first song, lead singer Caleb Shomo was already standing on the barricade singing with fans. All of Beartooth gave that performance all they had. At the end of the last song, "In Between," Shomo went a cappella and mic-less and let out an incredible scream that was echoed by the crowd.

The very last set of the night was I Prevail. The screams of Eric Vanlerberghe and clean vocals of Dylan Bowman went together perfectly. The stage was taken over by incredible set design and pyrotechnics. Both I Prevail and the crowd were giving their all during this last set. I Prevail surprised the crowd with their metal cover of "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift, and honestly, I think that might have been the loudest the crowd had been all night. While I only knew the band from friends, their set made me want to dive deeper into their music.

While Summer of Loud is now over, I am super excited to see if they bring it back in 2026 and to see who will be on the lineup. If it does come back, it will certainly not be one to miss.