Summer of Loud • I Prevail • Parkway Drive • Killswitch Engage • July 8, 2025 • Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Marlo Matamoros
The Summer Of Loud tour came through Salt Lake City on the 8th of July. The Tour includes four headliners, including Beartooth, Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, and I Prevail. I haven’t been to the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre yet this year, so I was excited to be there for this show. The festival was an all-day event that took place under an over-90-degree sun.
The Amphitheatre was accommodating, allowing concertgoers to bring in water bottles, providing cups for water around the stage, and even had a refill station. When I arrived, one of the first things I noticed was how packed the show was. The parking lot was full of vehicles and had me curious to see how the Amphitheatre looked inside. I was also excited to see the renovations that had been done, such as The Backyard, which is an open-air lounge and VIP space that offers exclusive food and drink. The Amphitheatre looked great and was ready to keep everyone full and hydrated.
I Prevail
I arrived 4 songs into I Prevail’s set and missed the window to photograph from the pit. Powerful vocals and fire shooting from the stage could be heard and seen as I walked closer to the stage. I Prevail is an American Rock band from Michigan. One of the first songs that I heard from the band is their metal rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” which would later be performed in their set. The band has had huge reach via music streams and views on platforms like YouTube. They have also been nominated in the past for two Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance and Best Rock Album. After the band performed “Bad Things” lead singer, Eric Vanlerberghe would check in with the crowd to make sure everyone was staying hydrated.
I Prevail would go on to pay tribute to Dave Shapiro, who represented the band as a music agent and recently passed away. Eric asked the crowd to sing loudly for the next song so Dave could hear, wherever he is. “Hurricane” would begin to play with the lyrics – It hit me like a hurricane / It hit me like a tidal wave / And I don’t know why I drown my mind in everything they say. Their set would end with another intense song titled “Gasoline,” which is one of their most-streamed songs. They thanked Salt Lake City as they left the stage.
Parkway Drive
There was a 20-minute break in between sets before Parkway Drive hit the stage. At this time, the crowd would head out to get reenergized with water and food. Staff had water sprayers and water guns to make sure everyone stayed cool. It was time for me to head down to the pit area where I would eventually photograph the first three songs of Parkway Drive. Winston McCall, lead vocalist, would hit the stage running.
Intense vocals would sound from the speakers as I began to photograph. Fans were being carried out from the pit area who crowd surfed to the front. It was intense in the pit area with fire coming out of the stage to the energy of the crowd. After the first three songs, I was able to step back and view the stage from multiple angles. This is when I noticed a mosh pit growing and more fans trying to make their way to the front on the shoulders of others.
Throughout the set, songs such as “Sleepwalker” and “Sacred” would be performed. One of my favorite visuals for this set was the drummer who performed in a rotating cage. Winston McCall mentioned in an interview that there is a wholesomeness of metal fans and that “It’s a really loveable ball of barbed wire,” which I could see in their set. McCall would eventually tell the crowd to have a fantastic evening and to be safe. Drumsticks would fly into the crowd as the band would exit the stage. At the end of the set, I was in the lawn area, and the energy was the same as it was when I was close-up photographing. I also heard fans talking amongst themselves, saying how blown away they were by the set.
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage was the last performance of the Summer of Loud. At this point, the sky was dark, and a small breeze could be felt. I was excited to capture this set because of how dark it was, and I knew this lighting would stand out. Lead singer Jesse Leach hit the stage with the rest of the band. Intense and melodic vocals filled the Amphitheatre as they played songs such as “Rose of Sharyn”, “This Fire”, and “I Believe”.
Killswitch Engage is another Grammy-nominated group that had huge influence in the early 2000s. Their fan base screamed their lyrics as they closed the show out for the night. The headliners complemented each other and put on a show never to be forgotten. Eric Vanlerberghe from I Prevail said it best when he said this tour is going to be one that you do not want to miss, and a tour where you will be able to see the best modern metal bands share the same stage.
The first-ever Summer of Loud tour stop in Utah was a huge success. The show started in the afternoon and ended around 11 PM. Some of the biggest bands in Metal showed up. Any one of them could have closed out the show. I expect this to be a tour that happens for years to come. And I fully anticipate Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre to be one of their regular stops.