Summer of Loud Review with Photos 6-28-25

Summer Of Loud Erupts in The Woodlands!
Beartooth Brings the Fire to a Monumental Night of Metal

    If Texas heat wasn’t enough, the Summer of Loud tour brought an inferno of breakdowns, growls and sweat-drenched energy to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. With eight bands spanning the spectrum of modern heavy music, the all-day festival was a thunderous celebration of metalcore, hardcore and pure sonic fury. From the underground to the elite, it was a non-stop adrenaline rush that left the crowd breathless.

TX2

    Colorado’s rising emo-punk alt-rock band TX2 hit the Summer of Loud stage early in the afternoon, but you’d never have known it was still daylight by the way they riled the crowd. Their set was a blistering reminder that you don’t need headliner status to leave a headliner-sized impact. As the house music faded and the band took their places, frontman Evan “TX2” Thomas strode onstage, exuding restless intensity. Launching straight into “Infamous,” he didn’t waste a second warming up. The opening verse detonated a surge of energy throughout the pit. The rest of the band; Cameron “Cam” Rostami – guitar and backing vocals (Thomas’s best friend and collaborator), Courtney “Corky” Howard – bass guitar and Ethan Church on drums matched the energy with grinding guitar riffs and adrenaline-pumping breakdowns. Even the sun overhead couldn’t compete with the heat TX2 generated.

    Their setlist included “Vendetta,” which saw Thomas rally the crowd into the formation of a circle pit, “HOSTAGE (they will not erase us),” with its crushing groove and melodic hooks that gave the audience a chance to catch their breath briefly as Thomas went into the photo pit to do a sing-a-along with fans. Thomas dedicated the song “So Numb” to the recent passing of Dave Shapiro who had put the Louder Than Summer tour together. Evan told the crowd during the set that their first tour ever had been through Houston 5 years ago. By the time their set closed with the explosive “I Would Hate Me Too” the pavilion felt fully awake and primed for the bigger names to come, but grateful to have witnessed a band hungry enough to play like their lives depended on it.

    TX2 may have been billed as an opener at Summer of Loud, but if this performance proved anything, it’s that their moment in the spotlight is coming fast. Keep your eye on them, they’re not just part of the scene they’re redefining it.

Alpha Wolf

    Alpha Wolf, hailing from Australia, absolutely obliterated any sense of calm around 3:40 PM. Frontman Lochie Keogh prowled the stage like a predator, delivering guttural lows backed by razor-sharp riffs that hit the pit like freight trains. Their crushing Australian metalcore ripped through the Texas humidity, whipping the crowd into a frenzy resulting in a mosh pit and crowd surfing with songs like “Mangekyō” and “Akudama.” Their set was a sonic beatdown full of guttural breakdowns and groove-heavy riffs giving the crowd their first real taste of pit warfare. Current members also include: Sabian Lynch – rhythm guitar; Scottie Simpson – lead guitar; John Arnold – bass and backing vocals; and Mitch Fogarty on drums.

The Amity Affliction

    Next up, Australia’s The Amity Affliction brought their signature blend of melody and melancholy, offering a more introspective counterbalance while still shaking the pavilion with heaviness. Tracks like “Pittsburgh” and “Death’s Hand” hit hard both musically and lyrically, with the audience singing along in unison. Their emotional choruses and powerful delivery on tracks like “Drag The Lake” and “Soak Me in Bleach” reminded fans of their enduring appeal. The Amity Affliction current members are: Joel Birch – lead vocals; Dan Brown – guitar; Joe Longobardi – drums and Jonathan “Jonny” Reeves on bass and clean/co‑lead vocals.

The Devil Wears Prada

    The Devil Wears Prada wasted no time unleashing a sonic assault. Their set was tight, punishing and polished, with the crowd feeding off both the raw power of early tracks like “Danger: Wildman” and the matured textures of newer material like “Watchtower.” The Devil Wears Prada proved their veteran status, commanding the stage with refined chaos. Their mix of metallic aggression and clean, melodic hooks had fans jumping, especially on newer tracks like “Salt”, showcasing their evolution from scene darlings to seasoned mainstays. Current members of The Devil Wears Prada consist of: Mike Hranica – lead, unclean vocals; Jeremy DePoyster – rhythm guitar, clean vocals; Kyle Sipress – lead guitar, backing vocals; Jonathan Gering – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals; Giuseppe Capolupo – drums and Mason Nagy on bass.

Parkway Drive

    Then came Parkway Drive and the energy skyrocketed. Parkway Drive brought the thunder with their signature arena-sized metalcore assault. With fireballs, synchronized lighting and Winston McCall’s larger-than-life presence, they delivered one of the most theatrical sets of the night. The Australian giants delivered a bombastic set full of massive moments including “Bottom Feeder” and “Crushed” which brought crowd surfing fans to the barricade. Songs like the newly released "Sacred" (which had only been performed about 7 times), “Vice Grip” and “Wild Eyes” turned the Pavilion into a battleground of banging heads and fists in the air. The final song of the set "Crushed," featured a rotating drumset fully engulfed in flames with Ben "Gaz" Gordon at one time stopping, suspending him upside down all the while continuing his savage attack on the drum kit. Parkway Drive's lineup consists of: Winston McCall – lead vocals; Jeff Ling – lead guitar; Luke “Pig” Kilpatrick – rhythm guitar; Ben “Gaz” Gordon – drums and Jia “Pie” O’Connor on bass.

Killswitch Engage

    Following Parkway Drive, Killswitch Engage delivered a masterclass in melodic metalcore. Jesse Leach's screams cut like a blade while Adam Dutkiewicz kept the crowd laughing between guitar heroics. Leaning into nostalgia without skipping a beat, Jesse Leach's vocals were ferocious and when the songs “The Single Fire,” “The Curse” (with Jesse singing from the barricade while crowd surfers were being handed over), “The End of Heartache” and “My Last Serenade” rang out, the crowd’s singalongs nearly drowned out the amps. It was a reminder of how foundational Killswitch is to this genre’s DNA. As a fitting final they even treated the fans to a metal rendition of the Dio classic "Holy Diver." Other members of Killswitch Engage include: Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitar, backing vocals; Mike D’Antonio – bass and Justin Foley on drums.

I Prevail

    I Prevail kept the momentum high with a genre-blending performance that fused metalcore muscle with hip-hop flair and rock festival dynamics. With visuals, energy and dual vocalists Eric Vanlerberghe and Dylan Bowman trading off screams and cleans, they brought the crowd to a fever pitch. Switching from brutal breakdowns to radio-ready choruses, they brought both chaos and polish to the stage. Eric Vanlerberghe and Dylan Bowman's dual vocal attack powered fan favorites like “Bow Down,” “Hurricane” and their loudest sing-a-along of the night, Self-Destruction." Members of I Prevail are: Eric Vanlerberghe – unclean (screamed) vocals; Steve Menoian – lead guitar; Dylan Bowman – rhythm guitar, backing & clean vocals; Gabe Helguera – drums, percussion and Jon Eberhard on bass, keyboards, percussion and backing vocals.

Beartooth

    As the night reached its climax, Beartooth stormed the stage with undeniable purpose, unleashing a headlining set that felt like a victory lap for the Ohio heavyweights. Caleb Shomo commanded every inch of the stage and was a whirlwind of energy, pouring everything into a headlining set that felt raw, real and unforgettable. From the soaring intensity of “Riptide” to the crushing weight of “Disease,” Beartooth proved they belong at the top of the scene. Anthems like “The Past Is Dead” “Riptide” and “In Between” were delivered with unrelenting passion. Their set wasn’t just a performance - it was an emotional purge that capped off a day of musical warfare, solidifying Beartooth as not just a closer but a band standing on top of the modern metalcore scene. Members of Beartooth are: Caleb Shomo – lead vocals; Zach Huston – lead guitar, backing vocals; Will Deely – rhythm guitar, backing vocals; Oshie Bichar – bass, backing vocals and Connor Denis on drums, percussion and backing vocals.

Final Verdict:

    Summer of Loud was more than a tour, it was a full-scale invasion of metalcore’s finest. With scorching performances, diverse styles and a crowd that gave everything right back to the bands, the stacked lineup with some of the most vital voices in metal today proved the genre is not just alive - it’s thriving, evolving and louder than ever.