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Concert Review – Megadeth (FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, ON, 05/08/2023)

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The unstoppable MegaDave and his henchmen crushed “the Hammer” in another night of first-class Thrash and Speed Metal.

OPENING ACTS: ONI and Bullet For My Valentine

Known to locals as “the Hammer” or “Hammertown” due to its industrial roots, the city of Hamilton has always been a mandatory stop for countless metal bands form all over the world. Names like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead and so on have played at least once in their careers in such important city for the Canadian industry, and one of the bands that always returns to Hamilton to kick some serious ass is of course our beloved Megadeth. That’s exactly what happened last night at FirstOntario Centre when guests ONI and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, together of course with the one and only MEGADETH, took the Hammer by storm as one of the Canadian stops of their Crush the World Tour 2023, and I must say it was indeed another memorable night of heavy music for the thousands of fans at the venue.

The first band to hit the stage, precisely at 7pm, was Windsor, Ontario-based Progressive Metalcore/Djent act ONI, and although there was still a lot of people outdoors those guys put on an excellent concert, properly warming up the fans of both Bullet For My Valentine and Megadeth with their harsh and clean vocals, thunderous and intricate bass lines, sharp riffs and headbanging drums. Still promoting their 2022 album Loathing Light, the band spearheaded by frontman Jake Oni, who’s by the way a fantastic vocalist capable of switching from demonic growls to stylish clean vocals without any actual effort, put everyone to jump up and down with them during their short and sweet performance, already igniting some fun mosh pits for the delight of lovers of such unique sport. I’m definitely going to take a more detailed listen at their music on Spotify, and you should do the same to get to know more about such interesting band of the current Canadian scene.

Setlist
Alone
Chasing Ecstasy
Silhouette
Cyanide
Heart to Stone
The Lie
Secrets

Band members
Jake Oni – vocals
Brandon White – guitars
Martin Andres – guitars
Johnny DeAngelis – xylosynth
Chase Bryant – bass
Joe Greulich – drums

After ONI finished their solid performance, and after a quick bathroom/beer/merch break, it was time for Welsh Melodic Metalcore icons BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE (or just BFMV, if you prefer) to begin their incendiary performance for their several fans at the venue, and I must admit there was a huge chunk of the audience that was there to see BFMV first and Megadeth as a bonus, and not the opposite. Despite not being my cup of tea, I had a good time watching Matthew “Matt” Tuck, Michael “Padge” Paget, Jamie Mathias and Jason Bowld delivering a solid show on stage, mixing their classics with newer songs from their 2021 self-titled album. Songs like Waking the Demon, Knives and the closer Scream Aim Fire worked really well last night while the band had a strong chemistry with the audience during their entire set, and of course although the mosh pits (full of young kids) were not as violent as the ones from Immolation and Obituary the night before, they were still decent enough for a band that lots of people don’t consider metal.

Setlist
Your Betrayal
Waking the Demon
Piece of Me
4 Words (to Choke Upon)
You Want a Battle? (Here’s a War)
Knives
Over It
Shatter
Tears Don’t Fall
Scream Aim Fire

Band members
Matthew “Matt” Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Michael “Padge” Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals
Jamie Mathias – bass, backing vocals
Jason Bowld – drums, percussion

MEGADETH

The moment most fans in Hammertown were waiting for finally arrived at 9:15pm, when one of the most important names in the history of heavy music, Mr. Dave Mustaine, supported by his henchmen Kiko Loureiro on the guitars, Steve Di Giorgio on bass and Dirk Verbeuren on drums, collectively known as American Thrash/Speed Metal institution MEGADETH, kicked off their performance overflowing classics, heaviness and speed, all spearheaded by our beloved “MegaDave” as usual. The last time Megadeth played in Hamilton was 11 years ago, during their Gigantour 2012, and one of the bands that night was the unparalleled Motörhead, which is why I think the band’s diehard fans ignored ONI and BFMV yesterday and spent all the time prior to Megadeth outside smoking and having some beers.

Anyway, back to the concert, it was simply electrifying from the very first notes of Hangar 18, with flammable hits the likes of Sweating Bullets, She-Wolf, Trust and Tornado of Souls, plus newer songs like Dystopia, inspiring us all to scream the lyrics together with Dave, banging our heads and raising our horns nonstop, and even venturing inside the sick mosh pits formed in the centre of the floor section. I also loved the fact they played Dread and the Fugitive Mind, a very underrated metal classic in my opinion, and I wish they had kept Angry Again in their setlist, but overall it was a lecture in heavy music by Megadeth, with kudos to Kiko once again for revitalizing the band and bringing so much energy, charisma and intricacy to their studio albums and live performances. In other words, Dave knew exactly what he was doing when he invited one of the best metal guitarists of the past 20 years to be part of the Megadeth family.

However, it was when Dave gave a short speech about how Covid-19 and his cancer delayed the release of the breathtaking The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! (and he received a huge shout and a round of applauses from his fans when he proudly said he beat cancer) before playing the incendiary We’ll Be Back, when Vic Rattlehead joined the band onstage during the hard-hitting classic Peace Sells, plus of course his all-time masterpiece Holy Wars… The Punishment Due, that drove all fans mental at the venue, creating a beautiful connection between the band and the crowd. Needless to say, I don’t care if the play in Hammertown, in Toronto or anywhere else in the area, I’ll be there, and based on Dave’s final words they’ll be back to this part of the world sooner than you can say “Wake up dead! You die!”

Setlist
Prince of Darkness
Hangar 18
Wake Up Dead
Dread and the Fugitive Mind
Sweating Bullets
A Tout Le Monde
She-Wolf
We’ll Be Back
Trust
Conquer or Die!
Dystopia
Tornado of Souls
Symphony of Destruction
Peace Sells
Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
Silent Scorn

Band members
Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
Kiko Loureiro – lead guitar, backing vocals
Steve Di Giorgio – bass
Dirk Verbeuren – drums

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Album Review – Megadeth / The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! (2022)

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The sick, the dying… and the Megadeth!

Marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band’s career since their 2016 release Dystopia, the excellent The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! is not only the sixteenth studio album by American Thrash/Speed Metal icons Megadeth, but a bold statement that the unrelenting Mr. Dave Mustaine and his henchmen are far from calling it quits, offering us all a lecture in thrash, speed and technique split into 12 incendiary songs. Produced by Dave Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw, mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, mixed by Josh Wilbur, displaying a classic cover art by Brent Elliott White, and with artwork, layout and design by Josh Graham at Suspended In Light, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! is the first Megadeth album to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren and the second to feature guitarist Kiko Loureiro, with the bass parts originally recorded by founding bassist David Ellefson being re-recorded by Steve Di Giorgio of Testament (although the band’s current bassist is James LoMenzo) after David was dismissed from the band due to a sex scandal during the album’s recording.

Showcasing an intro inspired by the classic scene “Bring Out Your Dead” from the 1975 cult movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the title-track The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! Quickly morphs into pure Megadeth to the stunning riffs by Dave and Kiko, being also perfect for screaming “Die! Die! Die!” together with “MegaDave”. Then we have Life in Hell, sounding fast and furious just the way we like it in Speed Metal with its lyrics being acid and fun at the same time (“Busted, caught red-handed again / You can’t be trusted, born to lose, you’ll never win / You’re so corrupted, you stand before us condemned / So maladjusted to the world we’re living and dying in”), not to mention how thunderous Dirk sounds on drums; followed by Night Stalkers, another one of my favorites where the band puts the pedal to the metal with Dave and Kiko being on fire with their wicked riffs, accompanied by Steve’s rumbling bass and Dirk’s pulverizing beats, all of course spiced up by a spot-on guest appearance by the one and only Ice-T, the man behind Body Count. In Dogs of Chernobyl a heavy and dark start gradually evolves into another metallic feast by Dave & Co., with its second part setting fire to the atmosphere with its razor-edged riffs, solos and beats, whereas Sacrifice sounds very similar to some of the songs from Dystopia, being very melodic and sharp and with Dave’s raspy voice being nicely supported by all backing vocals. And more of their undisputed fusion of Thrash and Speed Metal is offered to us all in Junkie, with Dave kicking some serious ass as usual with both his unique vocals and trademark riffs and solos.

After the tribalistic interlude Psychopathy, it’s time for Dave to distill his venom in Killing Time, showcasing lyrics that seem to be directed to the band’s former bassist Dave Ellefson (“Some people look at you and feel sorry / They see your beady eyes and a soul that is black / It’s clear to see, you’re a pathological liar / And your alibi was a lie, it was all just an act, and that’s a fact”); followed by Soldier On!, a headbanging extravaganza that transpires Megadeth where Dave leads his horde flawlessly, with “The Marching Metal Bastards” part at the end being ridiculously funny. Célebutante is another old school, straightforward tune by the band where Dirk and Steve are in absolute sync from start to finish, albeit presenting some really weird lyrics, while in Mission to Mars the lyrics are even weirder but for a good reason (they’re meant to be cheesy), also displaying excellent instrumental parts including its striking guitar solos. Then the incendiary shredding by Dave and Kiko ignite the closing tune We’ll Be Back, which was curiously the first single released, sounding technical, violent, fast and acid just the way we love it, or in other words, it’s simply flawless until the very end. Moreover, depending on the version of the album you acquire, there are some amazing bonus tracks waiting for you, with the best one being by far This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell), originally recorded by Sammy Hagar on his 1979 album Street Machine (listen to the original version HERE), and featuring Sammy Hagar himself on vocals together with MegaDave.

You can enjoy the album in its entirety on Spotify, where by the way you’ll find the best bonus tracks in my humble opinion, but if you’re a loyal member of Megadeth’s Cyber Army you should definitely purchase your favorite version of the album by clicking HERE or HERE, always keeping an eye on the band’s official Facebook and Instagram for news, tour dates and other fun stuff by Dave and his crew. In a nutshell, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! couldn’t have sounded more Megadeth than this, staying loyal to the band’s original Speed Metal infused with Thrash Metal, while at the same time containing elements from all phases of their undisputed career, putting a huge smile on the faces of their old school fans and of newcomers to their metal realm. It’s an album for all of us, for all diehard metalheads out there, inspiring us to raise our horns to the sick, the dying… and the Megadeth!

Best moments of the album: The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, Life in Hell, Night Stalkers, Mission to Mars and We’ll Be Back.

Worst moments of the album: Célebutante.

Released in 2022 Universal Music

Track listing
1. The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! 5:04
2. Life in Hell 4:12
3. Night Stalkers 6:38
4. Dogs of Chernobyl 6:14
5. Sacrifice 4:08
6. Junkie 3:39
7. Psychopathy 1:20
8. Killing Time 5:13
9. Soldier On! 4:54
10. Célebutante 3:51
11. Mission to Mars 5:24
12. We’ll Be Back 4:29

Digital Edition bonus tracks
13. Police Truck (Dead Kennedys cover) 2:29
14. This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell) (Sammy Hagar cover) 5:04

EMP Exclusive CD bonus tracks
13. This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell) (Sammy Hagar cover) 5:04
14. Take No Prisoners (live) 3:29

Target Exclusive CD bonus tracks
13. This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell) (Sammy Hagar cover) 5:04
14. The Conjuring (live)* 5:49

*Mislabeled as “Dystopia” on the album track listing.

Band members
Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, additional bass
Kiko Loureiro – lead guitar, backing vocals, flute on “Night Stalkers”
Dirk Verbeuren – drums

Guest musician
Steve Di Giorgio – bass (session)
Ice-T – vocals on “Night Stalkers”
Sammy Hagar – vocals on “This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell)”
Brandon Ray – additional vocals
Eric Darken – percussion
Roger Lima – keyboards, effects
Luliia Tikhomirova – narration on “Dogs of Chernobyl”
Bill Elliot – voices on “Junkie”
John Clement – voices on “Soldier On!”
The Marching Metal Bastards – voices on “Soldier On!”
Maila Kaarina Rantanen – voices on “Mission to Mars”
Clint Underwood – voices on “Mission to Mars”