Megadeth/ Testament/ Exodus

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the album "Rust In Peace", Megadeth, are currently on the road until the end of March performing the landmark album start to finish aside from several other songs, Testament doing the same with their debut "The Legacy", and Exodus are offering a mixed bag from their first three albums.

Like the soundtrack to a street fight, Exodus pummeled the crowd with a setlist built on intensity and aggression. Song titles ‘Bonded By Blood’, ‘The Last Act Of Defiance’, ‘A Lesson In Violence’, and ‘Strike Of The Beast’ said it all as frontman Rob Dukes prowled the stage urging the crowd to go fucking nuts and create a pit the band could be proud of. Dukes joked around with the people a bit as guitarist Gary Holt dealt with technical problems and even yelled at the bouncers as they just stood by watching crowd surfers fly over the barricade telling them to do their jobs and catch fans. Exodus’ new album "Exhibit B: The Human Condition" comes out this May.

Testament gave fans new and old a treat by playing their debut "The Legacy" in its entirety. ‘Over The Wall’, ‘The Haunting’, ‘Burnt Offerings’, and ‘Alone In The Dark’ at any given time can usually be found in the live set but it was good to hear the rarely, if ever, played ‘Raging Waters’, ‘C.O.T.L.O.D.’, ‘First Strike Is Deadly’ (which they did do in New York on the ‘Low' tour), and ‘Do Or Die’. Guitarist Glenn Drover (ex-Megadeth, brother of Shawn who is currently in Megadeth) is filling in for Alex Skolnick doing a great job playing the leads and harmonizing with Eric (Peterson) and Paul Bostaf’s drums just shook the venue. And you would swear Chuck Billy has a guitar in hand as he plays the microphone banging his head while singing. Testament will again be touring with Megadeth this summer for American Carnage with Slayer.

Rejoining Dave Mustaine for the "Rust" 2010 tour is Megadeth’s original bassist (and the other half of the songwriting team) Dave Ellefson causing for further celebration. Drummer Shawn Drover and the talents of guitarist Chris Broderick round out this current incarnation of Megadeth and I gotta say it is the strongest (along with Marty Friedman and Nick Menza) lineup in the band’s history. The "Rust In Peace" album was performed perfectly (*as I drool*…‘Take No Prisoners’ followed by ‘Five Magics’…ooohhhh), with fire and class complete with a simple yet effective stage set and complimenting lighting. Chris is just amazing, playing leads note for note right down to tone, standing alone as an individual yet complimenting Mustaine when need be. This guy is a keeper! (even though I do miss him in Nevermore).

Tonight’s setlist changed a tad, ‘Wake Up Dead’ and 'Set The World Afire’ were replaced with the ehhh average ‘She Wolf’ and satisfying ‘Skin O’ My Teeth’. From the new album "Endgame", ‘Headcrusher’ definitely lives up to its name, and ‘Trust’, ‘Symphony Of Destruction’, ‘Peace Sells’ are the perfect closers to a slammin setlist.

Can’t wait to see em again with Slayer this summer!

Setlists:

Megadeth::
Skin O' My Teeth
In My Darkest Hour
She-Wolf
Holy Wars
Hangar 18
Take No Prisoners
Five Magics
Poison Was The Cure
Lucretia
Tornado Of Souls
Dawn Patrol
Rust In Peace...Polaris
Headcrusher
Trust
Symphony Of Destruction
Peace Sells

Testament:
Over The Wall
The Haunting
Burnt Offerings
Raging Waters
C.O.T.L.O.D.
First Strike Is Deadly
Do Or Die
Alone In The Dark
Apocalyptic City

Exodus:
Bonded By Blood
The Last Act Of Defiance
Fabulous Disaster
Brain Dead
Piranha
A Lesson In Violence
The Toxic Waltz
Strike Of The Beast