Megadeth bring mega sound to NJ’s Wellmont Theatre
MONTCLAIR, N.J. — Megadeth, one of the earliest and most well-respected thrash metal bands, brought an undeniable energy and excellence to their concert Friday, Nov. 29 at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, N.J. Supporting their new album, Super Collider, the band members unleashed their characteristic sound on an adoring audience that included people who first heard Megadeth in the 1980s, recruits from the 1990s and even a few younger metalheads.
Taking the stage around 9:45 p.m., following sets from Fear Factory and no limit, the band launched into a setlist that included more classics than tracks off its new album. Lead singer David Mustaine, sporting a white button-down shirt and jeans, bled many an ear with his carefully aggressive guitar work. The singer, co-founder of the metal band and former member of Metallica, often gets enraptured in the daze of his performance, elevating each song to supersonic heights. His shoulder-length hair blocks his vision, yet he lets it swirl around his head like a manmade hurricane. Mustaine is an original — a man who honors the past catalog and plows ahead to new territory. A world without Mustaine wouldn’t be fun (and not loud enough).
From “Hangar 18” to “Sweating Bullets,” the audience in the mostly-filled Wellmont Theatre transported themselves back 20-30 years. This could have been the Whisky A Go Go circa 1993; they felt well-oiled and less experimental, but certainly youthful and without an ounce of tiredness. There wasn’t a single moment of respite in the entire 75-minute set.
“Kingmaker,” the only track from the new album, seems ready to enter the coveted Megadeth setlist for many more concerts. There’s something about how Mustaine shouts “King” followed quickly by “Kingmaker” that make it ripe for audience interaction. A downside might have been the band’s focus on old tracks; having “Super Collider” or “Built for War” played could have changed the greatest-hits feel of the night.
David Ellefson, also co-founder of the band and bass player, is a different performer than Mustaine. Whereas the lead singer plays to the microphone, finding inner-inspiration, Ellefson is all about the audience. He often plays his guitar by looking out into the crowd and imploring them to bang their heads along with his beats. The bassist even raises his guitar vertically and shakes his head, somehow an introduction into a symbiotic relationship between him and the fans. He wants them to play the instrument; he wants them to feel part of the experience.
Chris Broderick provides much of the awesome amplified sound for the night, feeling and looking an equal to Mustaine and Ellefson. All three guitarists share the stage in the most democratic of ways. They may start out in designated positions, but they spin around clockwise and counterclockwise, each one taking the spotlight and each one relinquishing it for the next bandmate.
Shawn Drover, sitting elevated above the action, pounds away with a ferocity that keeps the band together and tight. It’s often his percussion work that lets the audience know what song is coming up next.
Most of the classic riffs were present, including “Trust” and “Symphony of Destruction,” perhaps their greatest and most recognizable song. The night ended with a simple, stellar encore of “Holy Wars … The Punishment Due.”
Eventually, the lights might have turned on and the band might have left the stage, but the ringing in the ears and memories of Megadeth lingered for days.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
