Budweiser Stage Went Full Mosh for Summer of Loud in Toronto’s Hottest Metal Night

The sky above Toronto simmered like an oven set to broil as the Summer of Loud Tour arrived at Budweiser Stage on July 15, 2025. Getting there was a journey in itself, with Exhibition Place barricaded for Indy race preparations, fans navigated a maze of detours, turning the walk from Medieval Times into a sweaty pre-show pilgrimage. But all that was forgotten the moment we passed through the security gates. Budweiser Stage is one of my favorite venues and it always feels like coming home.

Kingdom of Giants, the Northern California metalcore force, opened the gates with “Burner,” literally — their vocalist climbed the barricade, igniting the crowd. Riding the momentum of their Bleeding Star EP, released last September, the band fueled the frenzy. Fans began surfing to “Wayfinder,” setting the tone for the chaos to come. And that chaos only accelerated.

Hailing from Tasmania, Australia, Alpha Wolf was surgical and savage, cutting clean through the venue with precision-heavy breakdowns and beast-mode vocal delivery. Riding high on their third studio album Half Living Things, released April 5, 2024, they came ready for blood. “Akudama” left no eardrum untested.

Then came The Devil Wears Prada, hailing from Dayton, Ohio — a band whose emotional force meets mathematical violence. “Salt” poured over the crowd like acid rain — cleansing, but destructive. Fans lifted their hands like it was gospel. And when “Chemical” hit, it was as if the entire front pit exhaled decades of suppressed rage. With a new album confirmed for late 2025, vocalist Mike Hranica has already warned fans: it’ll be “as sad as ever” — they tried writing happier songs, but it’s just not in their DNA.

By the time The Amity Affliction, from Gympie, Queensland, Australia, took the stage, the venue was molten. Joel Birch, recovering from a foot fracture and wearing a boot, didn’t miss a beat. “It’s Hell Down Here” had fans surging over the barricades, including a pint-sized metalhead — rocking ear muffs and guarded like a festival dignitary. Birch noticed. He closed the set with “Soak Me in Bleach” and dedicated it to them. Their newest single, “All That I Remember”, released on May 28, 2025, proves the band shows no signs of slowing down.

As the sun dipped, I Prevail summoned thunder. Budweiser Stage transformed with smoke machines, flame projectors, and blinding LED storms. With the title track “Violent Nature” and follow-up single “Into Hell,” the Michigan powerhouse baptized the crowd in fire. Their cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” became a war cry. No one sat down. No one even blinked. The band’s upcoming album, Violent Nature, arrives September 19, 2025

And then came Parkway Drive, the powerhouse from Byron Bay, Australia — coming on strong and leaving no doubt who was in control. When “Glitch” and “Carrion” hit back-to-back, the crowd at Budweiser Stage ignited. Out on the sun-soaked lawn, fans tore it open with a pit of their own. The band noticed and fed off it. Their new single “Sacred,” released May 7, 2025, marked their first new track since the 2022 album Darker Still. Parkway Drive was a full-on pyrotechnic spectacle of flames, with drummer Ben Gordon’s kit spinning upside down while engulfed in fire during “Crushed.”

Beartooth — the five-piece from Columbus, Ohio — hit the stage in front of their massive cobra backdrop and wasted no time setting things off. Caleb Shomo charged through “Doubt Me” and “Sunshine!” like he had something to prove, stalking every inch of the stage. But it was “In Between” that gave the crowd a real moment: Shomo led a call-and-response with the fans, and then ditched his mic entirely, shouting into the night as thousands shouted back. It brought to mind Freddie Mercury — not as a tribute, but in the way great frontmen know how to hold a crowd in the palm of their hand.

Killswitch Engage, the metalcore legends from Westfield, Massachusetts, closed the night with a masterclass in metal legacy. Their set, a blend of new blood and timeless brutality, included “My Curse,” “Rose of Sharyn,” and the eternal “Holy Diver.” But the band wasn’t here just to play — they were here to honor. Multiple bands spoke of Shapiro’s impact, of his spirit in the tour’s DNA. The final flames of their set weren’t just pyrotechnics — they were tribute. Currently touring in support of their latest album, This Consequence, released February 21, 2025, Killswitch Engage delivered a night to remember.

In the end, Toronto was a mosh pit — if Dave Shapiro was watching, he saw a crowd he helped create: unbreakable, unstoppable, unforgettable.

A big thank you to Taylor Palmby at Atom Splitter PR and Mahlet Sintayehu at Live Nation for making this coverage possible — your support means everything.

Killswitch Engage

Beartooth

Parkway Drive

I Prevail

The Amity Affliction

The Devil Wears Prada

Alpha Wolf

Kingdom of Giants

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Drew Osborne

I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.