There are some tours that become legendary.
A single word is all that's necessary to understand
everything you need to know about the lineup, and
how much you need to be there. Punk fans have Warped.
Metal fans have Gigantour. I had the pleasure of attending
the Gigantour stop in Cleveland, OH this year, and
I was amazed to find that this tour not only lives
up to its reputation, but exceeds it.
Gigantour 2008 is streamlined. Less bands are presented
this year, but that's not really a problem. The five
bands chosen represent the finest metal has available.
High on Fire, Job For A Cowboy, Children of Bodom,
In Flames and the living legends Megadeth played to
a diverse crowd that was whipped into a frenzy several
times over.
The day was opened by stoner doom band High On Fire.
While I bear no disrespect or ill will toward this
band, High On Fire falls into one of the general trappings
of doom influenced bands -- songs that never end.
That said, this three piece plays with ferocity, and
the crowd was more than warmed up when Job For A Cowboy
hit the stage. Job For A Cowboy are obviously young,
hungry, and love what they do. The band is rock solid,
and played a jubilant set of inspired metal.
The highlights of the evening began when Children
of Bodom took the stage. Frontman Alexi Laiho stalked
the stage like a man possessed, alternating piercing
vocal shrieks with stunning guitar work. I was unfamiliar
with Children of Bodom before this show, and I can
only assume I have been living under a rock. Obviously,
this band has mastered the art of melodic death metal,
and their stage presence is as vicious as their music.
In Flames was obviously a crowd favorite. Although
supporting their current release "A Sense of
Purpose" In Flames pulled out a surprising mix
of music spanning their entire career. Vocalist Anders
Friden endeared himself to the audience by jovially
poking fun at the front row between alternately melodic
and crushing metal. By the second song of In Flames
set the crowd was entirely wrapped up in what was
nearly the best set of the evening.
Nearly the best set. In Flames was bested only by
the mighty Megadeth. I have never seen Megadeth live,
but I have heard the band has a reputation for dull
live performances. Either this is spectacularly untrue,
or Megadeth was in top form this evening. Dave Mustaine
hit the stage to open "Washington Is Next"
and was soon followed by James Lomenzo (White Lion,
Black Label Society), Chris Broderick (Nevermore,
Jag Panzer) and Shawn Drover (Eidelon). Megadeth was
as tight as one would expect from such a band of seasoned
veterans.
While the focus of Megadeth is, as always, Mustaine,
I'm impressed at how each individual adds to the band's
sound. Mustaine and Broderick traded blistering guitar
leads, both performing admirably. I honestly didn't
expect much from former White Lion bassist James Lomenzo,
but more than anyone else Lomenzo keeps the live show
interesting. His attempts to rile the crowd were more
than effective, all while playing flawlessly.
While Megadeth's set touched on most of their albums,
the band played nearly half of current release "United
Abominations" and the classic "Rust In Peace."
Highlights included the crowd favorite "A Tout
Le Monde," "Hanger 18," "High
Speed Dirt" and an amazing version of "Peace
Sells."
All in all, Gigantour is everything a metal fan could
want. Classic sounds, young bands, and just plain
kick ass metal come together, and the metal gods are
pleased.
Reviewed by Jim McDonald |
