Battle jackets, band shirts and heavy metal galore were on full display during Megadeth’s second show at the YouTube Theater. The first concert, taking place on August 9, had marked a special occasion for the band as they played their song “Liar” live for the first time in 18 years. Alas, the setlist this time around did not account for the special track, with the group instead opting to perform “Kick The Chair” which had also been quite a rare addition to the band’s live roster in recent years.

Opening the show were Massachusetts metalcore band All That Remains who immediately launched into their Overcome-era track “Chiron.” Seemingly without a single breath in between, the group jumped straight forward with “Six” which was met with cheers of approval from the audience as lead vocalist Philip Labonte delivered piercing, high-energy vocals. The centerpiece of the band’s performance of “Divine” was undoubtedly Anthony Barone’s skillful drumming which drove the song forward and stole the spotlight. “Let You Go” followed, earning enthusiastic “fuck yeahs” from the audience before Labonte took the time to address them in a moment of appreciation for venue staff. Somehow, Labonte was able to go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye, moving from his heartfelt speech to deep growls in a matter of seconds. The band ended their half hour set with “Two Weeks” in which Labonte assisted Barone on drum duty in an act of showmanship.

All That Remains Setlist

1. Chiron
2. Six
3. Divine
4. Let You Go
5. This Calling
6. Two Weeks

No strangers to spectacle, Illinois-based metallers Mudvayne burst onto the stage in full face paint and spiked up hairdos, channeling the measured chaos of their sonic exploration with “Dig.” Lead vocalist Chad Gray shined through over the heavy instrumentation of “Not Falling” with impressive vocal control, never losing its intensity even over an extended period of time. After the song came to a close, Gray took some time out to connect with the audience on a personal level, acknowledging the struggles and general obstacles that life throws one’s way. He praised concertgoers for making time for self care in the middle of a busy workweek. The band then continued on non-stop, blasting through “Death Blooms,” “Internal Primate Forever,” “Fall Into Sleep,” “A New Game” and “Dull Boy,” the latter of which saw Gray lead the audience in an impassioned chant of “all work and no play makes me a dull boy.” During the group’s rendition of “Nothing To Gein,” a pit opened up to the right side of the stage with hair flailing wildly as circular moshing broke out within the crowd. The second the last track of the night, “World So Cold” invited a sea of cellphone lights swaying to the beat with one attendee even opting to go old school with a lighter. “Happy?” from 2005’s Lost and Found closed out the band’s opening set.

Mudvayne Setlist

1. Dig
2. Under My Skin
3. Not Falling
4. Death Blooms
5. Internal Primate Forever
6. Fall Into Sleep
7. A New Game
8. Dull Boy
9. Nothing To Gein
10. World So Cold
11. Happy?

Finally, the main event had arrived. The entire audience seemed to stand at attention as frontman Dave Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari and drummer Dirk Verbeuren took the stage. Roars of applause echoed throughout the venue as the band broke into a performance of the title track from their sixteenth studio album The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! which was released back in 2022. The group earned joyful cheers of ‘Megadeth’ during “Dread And The Fugitive Mind” where Mustaine’s iconic, commanding cadence-like vocals took center stage. Audience reaction to “Sweating Bullets” was met with even more energy with fans enthusiastically singing along loudly and proudly, at times, rivaling the mic itself. The track also saw a steady amount of fist pumping and moshing as the underlying guitar melody shined through the heavy accompaniment. The iconic, groovy riff from their Grammy-nominated 1993 song “Angry Again” rung through to screams from the crowd, inspiring a couple of crowdsurfers in its wake. Mustaine took a break from shredding to address the audience, expressing his gratitude before introducing “She-Wolf” as “a song about an ex-wife of an ex-friend.” The dazzling light show shifted with each drum beat, making for an all-around electrifying audio-visual experience.

As previously mentioned, “Kick The Chair” made its appearance on the setlist, marking the first time it had been played on this run of the ‘Destroy All Enemies’ tour, having previously been performed in Oberhausen, Germany back in June for the first time since 2009. “Dystopia,” “Countdown To Extinction,” “Trust” and “Tornado Of Souls” followed in a torrent of heavy riffs and rhythmic drum patterns. During a monologue in between songs, Mustaine had to direct security to eject a disruptive audience member, exchanging a brief “fuck you, too” before seeing him off in a triumphant display of no-nonsense decision making. The band forged forward, playing through “We’ll Be Back” with ease and grace, the stellar drumming leading a headbang-worthy chorus of its own. 1992’s “Symphony Of Destruction” marked the start of a nostalgia-fueled encore with “Mechanix” and “Peace Sells” which saw the band solidify their mastering of the fretboard. Vic Rattlehead, donning his usual suit and tie, joined the band for the latter track, headbanging along as he explored the expanse of the stage. Before closing out their set, Mustaine explained a recent interview he had in which the interviewer had asked him if his lyrics were still relevant in this day and age to which he responded: “there’s still war in the middle east and problems in the fucking government, so I don’t know how my lyrics are irrelevant.” The band then shot straight into a boisterous performance of “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” to bring the night of metal to an end.

Megadeth Setlist

1. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!
2. Hangar 18
3. Dread And The Fugitive Mind
4. Sweating Bullets
5. Angry Again
6. She-Wolf
7. Kick The Chair
8. Dystopia
9. Countdown To Extinction
10. Trust
11. Tornado Of Souls
12. We’ll Be Back
13. Symphony Of Destruction
14. Mechanix
15. Peace Sells
16. Holy Wars… The Punishment Due

Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado