Touring to support The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, the first new Megadeth album in 6 years, Dave Mustaine, James LoMenzo (bass), Kiko Loureiro, and Dirk Verbeuren continued their Canadian campaign this past Monday evening, playing 14 songs to a loaded house of metal fanatics. Bullet For My Valentine and ONI warmed the venue up before Mustaine and company took the stage at 9:15 pm.
Dirk Verbeuren sat atop a riser, video screens to his left & right and also underneath and behind him. As the band performed tracks like “Wake Up Dead” and “Tornado of Souls,” the effect of Verbeuren floating amidst a flurry of flames/twister visuals with his bandmates in front of him was very effective.
Mustaine asked the audience if it was the first Megadeth show for anyone, and the display of hands was quite telling – a new generation of metal fans are still keen to see Mustaine’s material live. Mustaine lamented the delays around the release of The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, citing the pandemic and beating cancer as the reason for the lengthy space between its release and 2016’s Dystopia.
“Mechanix” was dropped from this evening’s performance for some undisclosed reason (it was on the setlist), but anthems like “Hangar 18,” “Wake Up Dead,” “Symphony of Destruction,” and “Peace Sells” kept the long-time fans sated. Mustaine’s gravelly vocals and snarling riffs still pack a heavy punch – this show was most entertaining!
The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! is now available on Dave Mustaine’s Tradecraft label via parent company Universal. Catch this tour if it rolls past your domicile!
Megadeth Setlist Hamilton:
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
