Dave Mustaine’s voice is wearing thin, but his guitar makes for one sharp ax
By Rachel Walz
On Saturday, Sept. 21, Megadeth’s Destroy All Enemies tour came to Pine Knob Music Theater, with support from All That Remains and Mudvayne.
The crowd lined up in a variety of band shirts, with Megadeth as the naturally dominant force. Some fans wore Metallica shirts, seemingly taunting Megadeth fans into reigniting the decades-old feud between the two bands. Others donned shirts of Slayer, igniting occasional cries of “Slayer!” that were met in turn with more shouts of “SLAYER!” Many attendees wore their favorite battle vests, decorated with patches from bands like Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Anthrax and Cannibal Corpse.
At 5 p.m., fans were ushered through security gates and into the grounds of Pine Knob. Wandering around various booths, attendees found plenty of drinks and snacks at exorbitant prices. A 12-ounce can of Angry Orchard cider cost $10, and a tall can of hard seltzer went for $16—a tough sell when lawn tickets were around $30. Food prices were steep as well, with nachos topped with pork costing $14.
At 6:30 p.m., All That Remains took the stage. Their metalcore sound was decent but largely forgettable. Lead singer Philip Labonte’s clean vocals fell flat compared to his harsher tones.
Around 7:30 p.m., Mudvayne came on stage with an adequate setlist. Their nu-metal style and Juggalo-esque makeup pleased their fans but alienated others who had only come to see Megadeth. Toward the end of their set, lead singer Chad Grey delivered a short speech.
“Whatever bullshit you’ve got out there; work, school, family, all that. Leave that at the door, cause you’re here to have a good time rocking out to some heavy metal, and you fuckin’ deserve it!”
While crass, it struck a chord with most of the audience.
At 9 p.m., the band everyone had been waiting for took the stage: Megadeth. Dave Mustaine, known as one of heavy metal’s best shredders, proved in an instant that he still had it. His vocals were less impressive, verging on failure. But Megadeth has never been a huge vocal force, and Mustaine had survived throat cancer. The crowd sang along to support their hero. Headbangers wrecked their necks, and moshers kicked up clouds of dust in the dirt patches of the hill.
The setlist was varied, mixing classics like “Sweating Bullets,” “Hangar 18,” and “Tornado of Souls” with lesser-known hits like “Dread and the Fugitive Mind,” “Angry Again,” and “Washington Is Next!” There were even a few surprises, including “Wake Up Dead” and “Mechanix.”
The concert’s initial ending was the classic “Peace Sells,” but two songs were conspicuously absent until the encore: “Symphony of Destruction” and “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due.” The band absolutely demolished those tracks, with Mustaine showing that while his voice is nearly shot, his guitar playing remains unmatched. Fans went home sore in the neck, drunk, tired, hungry, and incredibly happy.
Overall, the concert was a fun experience. The drinks and food were absurdly pricey, and All That Remains was largely forgettable, but Mudvayne’s showmanship and Megadeth’s raw power after nearly 40 years on the road made the show absolutely worth it.
