Under ordinary circumstances, a tour featuring Megadeth, Lamb Of God, Trivium and Hatebreed would be on most metalheads’ nominations list for “Metal Tour of the Year.” Toss in a global pandemic going on 18-plus months that shut down live music for the majority of that time, and that moniker turns into a slam dunk as concerts trickle back into our conscience.
But even if things had been normal and if some considered “Metal Tour of the Year” to be a brandishing of bravado, that likely would have met with a collective, “Yeah it’s a bit brash. So what?” Besides, any tour that incites moshing in near 100-degree temperatures on asphalt based on the music alone deserves such a lofty perch.
These four heavyweights have persevered through their own trials and tribulations and continue to stand tall in the scene. So it was only fitting they kick off their tour — yes, the metal tour of the year — Friday in Austin at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater and racetrack grounds.
There was Megadeth and frontman Dave Mustaine, the one-time Texas resident who continues to defy his 2019 throat cancer diagnosis whenever he performs. Megadeth also had to contend with the recent embarrassing but self-admittance of original bassist David Ellefson, who engaged in virtual sexual activity with a woman other than his wife during a Zoom meeting roughly three weeks after being interviewed by yours truly, eventually leading to his firing by Mustaine. His replacement, at least on tour — James Lomenzo — made his second-stint live debut with Megadeth on this night. Lomenzo, ironically, had been replaced by Ellefson in 2010 after a five-year tenure and may be remembered by many as the original bassist of White Lion.
On a clear moonlit night with heat indexes approaching and possibly surpassing triple digits, the tour’s biggest crime was that Megadeth and Lamb Of God were only afforded an hour and five minutes each, with Trivium and Hatebreed receiving only 40 and 35 minutes, respectively. Also, in an era where many are still struggling financially as a result of Covid-19, band T-shirts increased from the usual $25 or $30 to $40, with special tour editions going for $45.
All that aside, Mustaine and Lomenzo, guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren tore through staples such as opener “Hangar 18”, “Tornado of Souls” and “Sweating Bullets.” Mustaine mentioned a new album is on the way, which reportedly necessitated having Ellefson’s bass parts scrapped, as Megadeth offered up tracks from previous album Dystopia such as “The Threat Is Real” and the title track.
While it would’ve been nice to see Megadeth give “Trust” a rest from the setlist, mandatory tracks such as “Symphony of Destruction” and “Peace Sells” never disappoint. Watch ATM’s Facebook LIve footage of both here.
Rare these days is the performance of anything from 1985 debut Killing Is My Business . . . And Business Is Good, but Mustaine threw a pleasant curve ball of sorts with a blistering version of “Mechanix.” For the mega-uneducated when it comes to Mustaine and Megadeth, the song is the original version of what Metallica turned into “The Four Horsemen” in 1983 after they had reworked “The Mechanix” onto their No Life Till Leather demo. Watch ATM footage here.
Mustaine’s defiance continued in reference to the state of our world when he asked the crowd to do him a favor by turning “to the person next to you and tell them, ‘They’re not taking this shit away from us!’ “ And really, all bands on the bill were living proof.
Lamb Of God arguably stole the show, aided by an ungodly amount of pyro. The Richmond, Virginia, natives were the only group to peruse the flames of death, which is what they felt like, muggy conditions notwithstanding. Lamb Of God made the night even hotter with a rousing rendition of opener “Memento Mori” as vocalist D. Randall Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell and drummer Art Cruz finally were able to tour in support of their self-titled album that dropped June 2020 after it had been pushed back due to the lack of touring.
Lamb Of God played on the same day it released the 15th anniversary deluxe edition of Sacrament, not to mention the same night an LOG tribute band was playing Fitzgerald’s in San Antonio. You know, just in case you weren’t able to sweat it out in Austin with the real thing. Blythe and the band were on fire throughout their set (thank goodness not literally, although virtually any moment during their set could’ve resulted in such a calamity). Cruz, formerly of Prong, has stepped in seamlessly after the departure a couple years back of longtime drummer Chris Adler, whose brother Willie Adler continues to churn out riffs on guitar along with Morton.
Blythe referenced his roughly five-week Czech Republic incarceration in 2012-13 for allegedly causing a concertgoer to lose his life after allegedly pushing him off the stage during a 2010 gig upon introducing “512”. The band also shined, in the city sporting the area code of the same number, on “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For,” finale “Redneck” and staple “Laid to Rest” which gave way to the live debut of fellow 2004 track “Remorse Is For the Dead” (ATM footage of the last two here).
Blythe, incidentally, more than dabbles in photography himself and may even appreciate the 145-photo slideshow below. If not, at least you can partake in the gallery as well.
Trivium delivered the goods as the second band on the bill, led as always by singer/guitarist Matt Heafy. The group will drop In the Court of the Dragon on Oct. 8 and offered up first single “Feast of Fire” along with other recent tracks “What the Dead Men Say” and “The Heart From Your Hate.” With guitarist Corey Beaulieu frequently swinging his mane to his riffs, former Battlecross drummer Alex Bent pounding the kit and bassist Paolo Gregoletto manning the four-string, Trivium was a force to be reckoned with in getting the crowd extra amped for the bands to come.
Hatebreed had the honor of opening the festivities. Even though the band that has been around since 1994 was only given 35 minutes, they were fortunate to be on this tour in the first place. Original opener In Flames was confined to its native Sweden due to visa issues, and that fact was not lost on vocalist Jamey Jasta.
The former host of MTV’s “Headbangers Ball 2” who has collaborated with Blythe on the former’s solo records, Jasta fully acknowledged In Flames’ absence and wished them well. But as he concluded: “When you get the call from Megadeth, you drop what you’re doing and get on the bus.” Hatebreed made the most of the opportunity, as evidenced on ATM’s footage of “Tear It Down” and “I Will Be Heard.”
No matter which band was your favorite, no matter the personal and collective bouts of adversity overcome by the artists, the collection of musicians and fans at the G.I.A. in the midst of a pandemic was a victory in and of itself. So after urging fans to be strong and defiant in not allowing the privilege “to be taken away from us,” the final word of the night goes to the Megadeth master himself:
“You may notice I don’t talk much during our shows,” Miustaine said. “I just shut up and play my fucking guitar.” And with that, Megadeth launched into closer “Holy Wars . . . The Punishment Due,” putting a headbanging wrap on what undoubtedly was one of the most mega-fun days any metalhead has had in a year and a half.
Metal Tour of the Year indeed.
