September 24, 2007 - THERE IS NO DENYING THE WALL OF SOUND THAT IS MEGADETH
Megadeth: Pop’s, September 18, 2007
Megadeth is powerful force using their unique voice to put out new music and new ideasabout our current global situation. Come on now; don’t let your preconceptions make you
miss out on pure musical expression backed by 25 years of experience of kicking ass.
What I mean by pure is that they are playing what they feel, without the interference of
trying to tailor their product and performances to the latest trends or the hottest markets.
What I mean by years of kicking ass is that their music has lightning fast complex
passages being played to perfection, whipping the crowd into a metal frenzy. Even if you
are not into the style of music, you cannot deny the sheer teamwork involved in their
performances.
Too often every band that has its origins in the 80’s gets lumped into the category of ‘hair
bands’. That completely pisses me off because there is a huge difference between the
music, the message and the fans of metal bands and ‘glam bands’. I didn’t listen to that
glam shit back then and I hate the way the true music of the day gets obscured by people
making gross generalizations about the Metal Age.
One stalwart survivor that continues to stay on message as an opponent to War and a
critic of the Government and its policies is Dave Mustaine and Megadeth. From his
beginnings as one of the founding members of Metallica, Mustaine has blown away
crowds pressed to the stage with his characteristically contorted vocal lines while
simultaneously nailing impossible rhythm parts. Besides that, he is a freakin’ amazing
soloist! Mustaine’s lead guitar playing is, in a word, fierce. The tone and attack of his
playing is unrelenting, and leaves you feeling like you might be missing some skin
somewhere.
Megadeth is Mustaine’s brainchild, as the main songwriter and lyricist, but as I said, it is
the teamwork of the band that makes his message larger than life. There have been many
changes in the lineup over the years, but that has not diminished the quality in any way.
It’s not like he would settle for anything but totally pro players to replace legends like
renowned shredder Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. The bassist James
Lomenzo is the newest member, joining in 2006, and was previously playing with the
likes of Black Label Society, David Lee Roth, Slash’s Snakepit, Pride & Glory, Ozzy
Osbourne, Ace Frehley and White Lion. Then there are the two brothers, drummer Shawn
Drover and guitarist Glen Drover. Shawn Drover’s drumming is thunderous and tight,
supplying the roadmap for navigating hairpin turns at high speed. There are a lot of great
guitar players out there, but Shawn Drover’s playing possess a quality that I think really
make him stand out. That is the authority with which he plays and his actual tone. His
lead parts were succinct and he seriously muscled out the vibrato of the sustained notes
with his left hand. The tone of his guitar and amp setup reinforced the smoothness of his
playing by having a bit of a midrange boost through his rig when he switched to lead
parts. (To you guitarists out there I can’t stress enough the importance of controlling your
midrange frequencies correctly to fit in the mix.) Shawn Drover and Mustaine traded
some blistering solos and harmonized on some sweet melodic parts.
The opening band, In The Moment, was very impressive. After my ears adjusted to the
speed metal pace, I realized that they were pulling off some pretty intricate riffs. They are
unique in having a female singer, but she can wail along with the best of them. The
drums were bad ass and the guitar players both played lead really well. They were heavy
and got the crowd warmed up and ready to rock. But there is no denying the wall of
sound that is Megadeth that followed. There is a reason they are who they are. They have
new CD’s and DVD’s out there and an upcoming 4-disc box set. Go get some Megadeth
in your arsenal – it’s the perfect thing to listen to after watching CNN or Fox News.
Derek Lauer
www.playbackstl.com
www.dereklauer.com