In it’s purest form, Heavy Metal is back. To the faithful, we all know it never really left. But for the past 18 months or more, there’s been a hole that couldn’t be filled. An indescribable longing that simply watching live-streams couldn’t satiate. Because music is more than a collection of vibrations and frequencies to be heard. They are to be felt.
And that’s what happened on Saturday at Portland’s Moda Center. We felt it.
The Metal Tour of the Year, featuring Hatebreed, Trivium, Lamb of God, and the legendary Megadeth brought live music back to the Moda Center stage, the likes of which hadn’t been felt in a very long time. But not everyone came prepared. Despite warnings that vaccinations, or proof of a negative covid test were required, I saw many desperate fans get turned away at the gates. No questions asked. Live music is back, but clearly, we’re not out of the woods yet.
Hatebreed came out and the energy in the arena was palpable. Crushing riffs and thunderous drums had the crowd jumping and thrashing from the get-go. By the time Destroy Everything was played, the Portland metal family was in full swing. But wait, there’s more! Trivium, brought out a lot of their more recent material, with the oldest song in the setlist being “Down From the Sky” off their 2009 album Shogun. During the set, Matt Heafy took a moment to address the absence from live music that we’ve all experienced. “We don’t want to see anybody get sick, but staying at home… for some of us, that’s what makes us sick. Up here (gesturing to his head)” Several tracks from their upcoming album In The Court of the Dragon were well received and a good indication that the upcoming release is going to be a solid offering. They closed out their set with “In Waves”
Lamb of God took an already fired up crowd and poured gasoline into the mix. Shrouded by the kabuki covering the front of the stage, the first notes and haunting lyrics of Memento Mori played through the arena. When the song kicked in and the kabuki dropped, you were either in, or you were consumed. The general admission pit surged forward and it didn’t stop for the entirety of the set. When Lamb of God played “Walk With Me in Hell”, spires of fire flanked both sides of the stage, bringing the temperature of the arena up a notch, just in case anyone was feeling a bit cold. By the time Lamb of God got half way into their set, many fans could be seen without their masks as the mosh continued to thrash. Lamb of God closed out with “Redneck” before relinquishing the stage for Megadeth.
Megadeth, no stranger to adversity, replaced the embattled founding member and long time bass player David Ellefson just a few months before embarking on this huge post-pandemic North American tour. Despite rumors of bringing in several other potential instrumentalists to fill the huge gap left by Ellefson, the band welcomed back Megadeth veteran James LoMenzo. Opening with “Hangar 18” off of Rust In Peace, a couple important elements were established. First, LoMenzo is in incredible form and the chemistry with the band is solid. Second, Megadeth is legendary for a reason. Dave Mustaine’s guitar work is awe-inspiring and his riffs just crush. Despite handling the rhythm guitar duties, his “shred” is absolutely mind-blowing.
After playing “Dystopia”, Dave took a moment to address the political spotlight and the national sentiment surrounding the City of Roses. He said “I believe that Portland is more good than bad, and I am glad we got to be here”, further commenting about his past history coming to Portland.
Overall, Megadeth played 11 songs, not nearly enough given the long absence from live music. But these four great bands left it all on the stage and the chance for many to see one of the founding members of thrash metal would be well worth the price of admission.
