LIVE IN CONCERT!

MEGADETH

Reviewed By Trey Parks House Of Blues New Orleans, LA 4/2/98

As the stage was being set up for "Megadeth," fans at House of Blues were treated to the sounds of a very familiar album. It was also a very fitting album: "Back in Black," by "AC/DC." On this night, "Megadeth" was back! Back to rescue metal fans (both in New Orleans, and around the world, since the concert was simulcast on the internet) from a two year dearth of real metal music. Back to recapture the spirit and fire that have been the trademark of their music. Back to collectively kick the asses of everyone at House of Blues. In the middle of "Hell's Bells," the music stopped. The lights went out. Without warning, fans were thrust into the maelstrom that is a "Megadeth" concert. They opened up the set with "Disintegrators" and "Mastermind," two dizzyingly fast songs from their latest album, "Cryptic Writings." From the start, the band seemed relaxed and confident, like they were back in their element. Bassist and band co-founder Dave Ellefson pumped his fist in the air, exhorting the fans to try and match the band's frenzied pace. The first part of the show was spent on songs from their new album (with one from "Youthanasia" thrown in). The crowd seemed to be as familiar with the new stuff as with the older stuff, and the band seemed to feed off of their energy and enthusiasm. Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman are the best twin lead guitar players in rock and roll today, and at times during the concert it was almost as if they were playing with the same fingers. (Picture the old twin leads of the "Allman Brothers" after a heavy dose of rocket fuel.)

The crowd was allowed to catch their breath briefly after the opening two songs, before "Megadeth" launched into "A Secret Place." This was clearly a crowd favorite among songs from the new album, and their excitement at hearing it was obvious. (At this point, the reviewer was alternately singing along and debating whether or not to attempt body-surfing while holding a camera.) Other highlights among the new songs included: "Almost Honest," "I'll Get Even," "Use the Man" and "Trust." Dave Mustaine prefaced the "I'll Get Even" song by saying "This is the song about revenge." This song conveys universal feelings, and I'm sure people as far away as Pat O'Brien's heard the combined voices of the band and the crowd on the chorus "I'll get even with you....." "Use the Man" was probably the most moving song of the entire show. It's a powerful song about the effects of addiction, and is very personal to Dave Mustaine who had to overcome the effects of his own drug addiction. He began the song by strolling onstage by himself with an acoustic guitar, and singing the first verse. As other members of the band joined him onstage, it changed moods. What began as a somber, sorrowful song swelled into the angry song that it should be. Fans responded by more than doubling the decibel level in the club.

The audience was treated to solos by all the band members, and a drum solo by Nick Menza that led into a short jam between him and Ellefson. Ellefson also played a short bass solo that led into the band's most well-known song from the new album, "Trust." Audience members obviously recognized and approved of the song, as even the body surfers riding above the crowd could be seen singing along.

Then, the band kicked it up a notch. They left the stage briefly, and Mustaine strolled back on stage alone. He walked up to the microphone and asked the audience "Anyone here ever talk to themselves?" Fans, picking up on the reference to the band's classic song "Sweating Bullets," went nuts. Mustaine finished his monologue, flashed his trademark evil grin, and then the band launched into a blistering performance of "Sweating Bullets." They followed this up with two other classics, "Symphony of Destruction" and "Peace Sells (But Who's Buying?)." In both songs, Mustaine and Friedman dazzled the crowd with their tandem guitar fireworks, matching each other note for note as they first played the same notes, and then would split into parallel phrases. The floor of House of Blues became a seething cohabitation of headbangers, moshers and body-surfers. The excitement had built to a feverish pitch as they left the stage. The crowd began to chant "Megadeth....Megadeth...", and after a good five minutes, Dave Mustaine once again walked onstage alone. He began talking about the band's recent trip to Boise. He told fans of how the mayor in Idaho tried to stop the band from playing because he felt "Megadeth" was a bad influence, and how Boise's mayor had gone so far as to call him the devil. Then, in a tribute to the great one, he said "Let's get one thing straight. I'm not the devil. Ozzy is the devil." The fans enjoyed this, and began screaming wildly. He then said "If you remember anything I've said tonight, remember this: I'm not the devil." He grinned and continued "But I may be an anti-christ." Then the band exploded into what has become their traditional closing song "Anarchy in the U.K." They played with seemingly newfound vigor, and Mustaine encouraged the audience to sing along, which they did gladly. As the band exited the stage, Mustaine told the crowd: "Thanks. You guys are great. And we're Megadeth." As the lights came up in House of Blues, people picked themselves up from the tangle of bodies and sweat that was the mosh pit. Deth had come. Comments ranged from "They were awesome!" to "That really rocked!" - usually followed by "What? I can't hear you." Deth had reigned. Exiting into the streets of New Orleans, fans were still chanting, "Megadeth...Megadeth." Deth was back, and heavy metal fans once again had something to be thankful about.

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