Megadeth/Testament/Exodus
The Tabernacle
Atlanta, GA – 03/21/2010
Back in 199o, I can remember being so pumped for The Clash of the Titans tour that featured Anthrax/Megadeth/Slayer and Alice In Chains. It was always a treat to see your favorite bands but to see them all on one bill was a special treat. Even back then though, while it was a treat, 20 something years later we look back on that tour and see each band touring for probably the best releases of their career at that point. Megadeth was touring for the monumental metal album “Rust In Peace” which, in my opinion, lifted the shadow that Metallica unfortunately cast upon them. I never thought it was because Metallica was any better but it was that they were bigger. With “Rust In Peace”, Megadeth put out an album that made me feel that if I were a member of Metallica and I heard that album, I would seriously feel insignificant and small as a musician. “Rust In Peace” is literally a piece of art. From the opening track “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” to the albums closer “Rust In Peace…Polaris” it’s obvious that this was more than just an album of songs. This was a well planned and well executed piece of heavy metal perfection. It has been held in the highest of regard and is considered to be one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. 20 years later, it still sounds as amazing as it did back then song for song. Even the lyrical subject matter has stood the test of time and enjoys new found relevance in these times of government chaos and war.
When they announced that their 2010 tour with Slayer for the American Carnage tour was canceled, I was bummed and figured I had missed my first chance to see Megadeth since 1992’s “Countdown To Extinction” tour. What would arise from the ashes of that tour would be a tour that would be called by many to possibly be the best metal tour of the year. Megadeth decided to hit the road on their own playing smaller theater style venues and taking along metal legends Testament and Exodus. When I saw this, I felt like I needed to check my calendar and make sure I was still in 2010 and not 1990. Megadeth announced that they were touring in support of the 20th Anniversary of “Rust In Peace” and that they would be performing the album in it’s entirety. This just sent a chill down my spine and I knew it was a show I had to see. They would be performing other songs as well but to hear Rust In Peace performed front to back was going to be a treat.
The Tabernacle in Atlanta was sold out and as we cued up to get our tickets from Will Call, you could feel the energy of the people. The demographic of the audience also showed what longevity and staying power these bands have. The age range was anywhere from 10 to 50 year old and much like back in the day, the female to male ratio was about 1 girl for every 20 guys. Just call this tour Sausage Fest 2010! My buddy and I made our way to Exodus’ tour bus to say hey to the guys and we hung out with singer Rob Dukes and the legendary Gary Holt. They were both really cool guys and we just chatted a bit about music. It was cool to hear Dukes’ appreciated lots of music and even talked about being a Peter Gabriel fan. Gary was really funny and got a kick out of me asking him to sign my “Gary Holt” Rockstar Trading Card. We took a few pictures and wished them all a good show and headed to the show.
As we made our way into the venue, the place was packed and alive with energy. Exodus had already taken the stage and was just killing it. They performed with all the energy and expertise of a band that has been doing this for well over 25 years and it showed. The audience just loved these guys. Gary Holt is the only original member left these days but he has done a great job in keeping the band sounding fresh and relevant by adding guys that are energetic and completely skilled at their craft. The band performed a classics heavy set with the highlight definitely being the band’s ode to the mosh pit, “The Toxic Waltz.” At one point, lead singer Rob Dukes split the floor into two halves to create two sides. He had them all face each other and yelled, “Everybody on the right side, kill the left side!” and the crowd just went apeshit and the entire floor was a pit. Exodus did a great job opening the show and really set the mood for the night. The songs were tight and getting to hear classics like “Bonded and Blood” and “Fabulous Disaster” was a real treat. The band was tight and the audience just loved them and it showed. Exodus didn’t sound the least bit dated and the songs had such a timeless yet modern relevance to them. Why they were never huge is beyond me but it’s obvious that their best years are still ahead of them.
Exodus
03/21/2010 – Atlanta, GA
Bonded By Blood
The Last Act Of Defiance
Fabulous Disaster
Brain Dead
Piranha
A Lesson In Violence
War is My Shepard
The Toxic Waltz
Strike Of The Beast
Bay Area legends Testament took the stage next and came out with fists swinging as they slammed into “Over The Wall” which had everyone going berserk. The entire floor was going nuts and as the song ended, Chuck Billy greeted the crowd and went right into “The Haunting.” Testament was performing their debut album “The Legacy” in it’s entirety. The only problem with this is that “The Legacy” is not their greatest body of work. In my opinion, they could have performed “Practice What You Preach” if they wanted to do a full album but I feel that with a short set, they would have been better off giving us an “anthology” type set of all the great tunes. The band and the audience seemed to loose momentum a bit in the mid part of the set but when “The Legacy” portion was done and Chuck yelled “Into The Pit” the place erupted and insanity ensued. While I wasn’t all that crazy about the full performance of “The Legacy,” Testament was firing on all cylinders and sounding as good of not better than they ever have. Chuck Billy is one of Metal’s unsung heroes and his performance was nothing less than stellar. Lead guitarist Alex Skolnick was MIA on this tour as he was touring with his jazz trio but they didn’t miss a beat with Glen Drover on guitar. If you’re gonna replace Skolnick for a tour, you need someone that can not just touch the raised bar but clear it and Drover did this that. His playing was outstanding and the fans loved him and constantly rooted him on to let him know that. The band closed out the set with a face melting “Souls of Black” but it was “The Apocalyptic City” that really brought it home to send them out the same way they came in; with a bang. The house lights came on and at that point I couldn’t believe what an amazing night it had been so far. We were 2 for three folks. Could Megadeth pull it off and top all of this?
Testament
03/21/2010 – Atlanta, GA
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
Into The Pit
Souls of Black
Apocalyptic City
The house lights went down and the audience erupted as the intro music of “Black Sabbath” played over the PA. I was a total ass and peeked at past set lists from this tour and figured they would be opening with “Set The World Afire” so I can only imagine how funny I looked when they slammed into “Skin O’ My Teeth” causing my face to slide right off my skull. I just knew it was going to be a great night. Without stopping the band went right into “In My Darkest Hour” which had everyone going nuts. Up next was “She-Wolf” from Cryptic Writings which I thought sounded really fucking fantastic and a treat since I had never seen them live for this album. Dave then approaches the mic after the song and thanks everyone for coming out and says, “To you, the greatest Metal fans in the world, THIS… is Rust In Peace!” and tore right into “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due.” At this point, you couldn’t contain the energy in this room. The band sounded absolutely amazing and add to that having Dave “Jr.” Ellefson back in the band just made it all that much sweeter. Now this was my first time seeing Megadeth since the classic “RIP/Countdown” line up so I was being really critical but guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover left no stone unturned as they played with enthusiasm and precision without sounding robotic or stiff. They both sounded completely natural and at ease in their roles. “Rust In Peace” in it’s entirety in a live setting was something to be seen. It was such a bold move to do this album and was something that Megadeth couldn’t do halfheartedly. They would have to be on top of their game to pull this one off as it is such an amazing piece of work and they pulled it off with ease. The band looked like they were having a blast and Mustaine’s stage presence is amazing. He moves all over the stage while ripping leads like their nothing and the interaction on stage between the guys really showed just how much fun they were having. Song after song was nailed and when “Rust In Peace… Polaris” was performed, we knew that we were in the final stretch of an amazing set. They tore through it with all the attitude and intensity of the recorded version and as the Mustaine hit the final chord he said into the mic, “And THAT was Rust In Peace” causing everyone to roar with approval.
After leaving the stage for a few I just couldn’t imagine them having anything left. They had literally poured their all 
into the set but here comes Dave and now he’s addressing the audience. He is great at stage banter and he’s obviously having a great time as he was laughing and smiling as he talked about his love for Atlanta and went on to tell a hilarious story about the Torture Museum in Amsterdam that inspired “Headcrusher” and off they were again just slaying it like they had just taken the stage. I was floored by the high level of energy and enthusiasm the band had and the audience matched them inch for inch. Closing out the night with a face melting “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying” wasn’t cool enough so they just had to reprise “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due.” Are you fucking kidding me? This was such a mind blowing surprise and the crowd just ate it up until there was nothing left. The band took center stage to a standing ovation and called it a night. My poor face had never seen so much melting in one night. I must have looked like Joan Rivers by the time I walked out of the Tabernacle.
On this night, three bands proved that they still have what it takes to be relevant and important more than 25 years after they first appeared in the public eye. Today, all these nu-metal bands and whatever they want to call themselves should look to these guys with respect and dignity. These are the fathers of a genre of music that inspired and started so many of the bands young 
people listen to today. I can remember going to see Megadeth, Testament and other bands back in the day and hearing my father say, “Yeah, well enjoy it because these guys won’t be around in 20 years!” Well, I had lunch with my dad the day of the show and when he asked what concert I was going to I said, “Megadeth/Testament/Exodus!” He looks up from his food and goes, “Good lord, they are still around???” Yeah, Dad, they’re still around and they are better than ever. Their best years are ahead of them and I can’t wait to see them all in another 20 years. Thrash legends don’t die, they just keep getting louder.
Megadeth
03/21/2010 – Atlanta, GA
Skin ‘O My Teeth
In My Darkest Hour
She-Wolf
Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
Hangar 18
Take No Prisoners
Five Magics
Poison Was The Cure
Lucretia
Tornado Of Souls
Dawn Patrol
Rust In Peace…Polaris
Head Crusher
Trust
Symphony of Destruction
Peace Sells
…The Punishment Due
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