Megadeth's recent show at the Irving Plaza cemented their status as one of the best live bands in rock. Kicking things off with a blistering 'Sleepwalker,' Megadeth wasted no time in showing how vital they sound on their new album, the Slash-approved United Abominations. The sold-out crowd screamed every word of the chorus, and before it was over, the band was already tearing through the machine-gun guitar intro of 'Take No Prisoners,' instantly forcing the track into candidacy for greatest mosh-pit anthem ever as the fans pumped their fists and yelled back the call & response verses.
The two brutal openers set the pace for the rest of the show--several songs from the new album and the must-own Rust in Peace, peppered with metal staples and die-hard fan favorites. Newer tracks, especially Abominations standout 'Washington is Next' and 21st-century Megadeth's greatest moment, 'Kick the Chair,' all sounded strong next to classics like 'In My Darkest Hour' and 'Skin o' My Teeth,' and their sole hit ballad, 'A Tout Le Monde,' elicited as strong a response as any of the thrashers. Like most of their set, 'A Tout Le Monde,' sounded louder and faster live than it did on record, and it worked perfectly as a precursor to the blazing 'Tornado of Souls.'
Perhaps the show climaxed with their absolutely mind-blowing rendition of 'Hangar 18,' the UFO-themed epic which has recently enjoyed a Guitar Hero-inspired re-emergence in popularity. The song's bullet-paced second movement was highlighted by a series of dueling solos from Mustaine and Glen Drover, punctuated by a chugging progression which caused the crowd (this is the first time I've ever seen this happen) to chant the band's name in time over the instrumental main riff. Mustaine ended the shred-off, along with any doubts of his guitar-god status, by shredding out the piercingly high-pitched finale, bending over backwards and flailing his thick, orange-colored mane as his tremolo picking reached Eddie Van Halen territory. The band, technically some of the greatest that Mustaine has ever assembled, pushed themselves to keep up with him, and when Mustaine abruptly lept up to his full height to signal the end of the solo, one couldn't help but wonder: how bad did it get so that anyone would kick this guy out of their band?
Mustaine thanked the audience for putting up with his voice, which he claimed had been ravaged by a throat infection. Had he not said anything, no one would have been able to tell (hearing Mustaine sing with a cold is kind of like hearing Bob Dylan sing with a cold), but he probably just wanted to remind the fans that, dramatic as he may be, he wasn't about to pull a Morrissey. Whatever the case, the most damaged voices that night probably came from the audience, who screamed out the memorable choruses to 'Peace Sells' and 'Symphony of Destruction' with deafening enthusiasm. The fans' exuberance was wholly appropriate for such a remarkable metal event, and their energy level was perhaps only matched by that of the band, who were barely able to contain the excitement of taking part in one of metal's great legacies. Engaging the crowd and keeping Mustaine on his feet with their first-rate musicianship, the band made certain that as the last few words of 'Holy Wars' rang out at the Irving Plaza, everyone in the room knew that they had been part of something really great.
Openers In This Moment are notable for having a really great promoter, as the band has landed opening slots for Ozzy, Rob Zombie, and Megadeth without making any good music. The highlight of their set came when their bassist quoted a few bars of 'Symphony of Destruction.'
Megadeth have had some particularly great cinematic moments--their intelligent, thoughtful remarks and totally kick-ass music made them stars of The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years. Keep in mind that most of the movie's interviewees act more like Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P...
One of the greatest moments in TV history...
No comments:
Post a Comment