Despite an early curfew, and following on from two support bands, Megadeth stormed through one of the tightest and visually perfect sets to have graced the Carling Academy in a long time.
Opening the set with Sleepwalker from last year’s release United Abominations, and Wake Up Dead from the classic album Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?, Megadeth proved the old adage that less is most definitely more by just letting the guitars do all the talking.
Originally published by L.S. Media. October 1st 2010.
In 1990, a seismic shift in the world of Heavy Metal was about to happen. For the later part of the eighties the genre of big hair and exuberant stage shows had ruled over the basic down and dirty inhabitants of Heavy and Thrash.
The likes of Metallica and Slayer had gone some way to bringing the days of early Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden back but with an American twist. Among those early pioneers of Thrash Metal were Megadeth. Fronted by the Californian colossus that is Dave Mustaine, the band went through several line-up changes during the first few albums and even though each album got subsequently more interesting and better produced, there was still the thought in some critics eyes that the band were nothing more than Metallica wannabes.
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 17th 2011.
It is a sad fact, but Heavy Metal albums age quickly; they corrode and wither, some die of neglect after being hailed as the best thing to ever hit the market, some stagnate for a while before only selling to true fans of the genre. Not for them the security of say Progressive Rock’s Pink Floyds Wish You Were Here or the timeless musings of Soul legend Marvin Gaye’s seminal What’s Going On. There are so few examples of timeless quality pure Heavy or Thrash Metal albums that 25 years after the release date still sound fresh and exciting.
Originally published by L.S. Media. November 1st 2011.
L.S. Media Review *****
The number itself may unlucky for some but for Megadeth its proof, if any were needed, that they remain the best and most consistent Thrash Metal act of all time. Th1rt3en continues the excellent work by the band that in recent years has seen them deliver notable and in some cases exceptional pieces of work that to compare them to the so called appointed other Big three of Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer is to belittle the achievements of Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick.
Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Orginally published by L.S. Media. June 12th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating ****
There really is one problem when it comes to a Megadeth performance at an outdoor festival and that for the most part; their set is takes place during the day. For Megadeth, for Dave Mustaine, there is no chance, by design or by choice for the band to be one of the most electric, most atmospheric thrash metal bands of all time.