Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction Tour

Hey there metal boys and girls. I thought I'd open up the blog a bit and do something other than an album review. My first real 'blogging' post so to speak, though it is still sort of a review. But then, talking metal will likely be what I'm doing here and what better opportunity than today after seeing the opening show of the Countdown To Extinction anniversary tour.

Yesterday, I picked up and headed to Providence, RI to check this one out. Pretty much an essential show for me as the Countdown album brings back a lot of memories for me. Interestingly, I don't know if I can say all of them good (Yay school days), but hey... It's a great album. It's one of the main albums I credit for getting me into metal. Hell, it's the first metal CD I ever bought. 

I've seen Megadeth plenty of times, but it's usually a pretty standard best of set and I don't know when some of these songs last saw the live stage. That was the thrill for me as it is an album I'd consider very strong from start to finish. Countdown is also one of those albums with a very distinct sound and feeling as it captures a sort of mechanical darkness. It sounds like an angry, cynical snarl at society in a very different way than their previous thrash material. Some might pine for their thrash material and any change brings some naysayers, but I thought in terms of evolving, Megadeth was doing it right at this point.

This is sort of a nostalgia tour, but I really do enjoy this sort of thing for a good album. I mean, I want to hear the deeper tracks and not just the hits when it comes to a band like Megadeth. This show was an enjoyable something different from the band and it really was like the best I've seen them. Credit for that can also go to the excellent musicians Dave has in the band right now. Having the other Dave (Ellefson) back is a thrill and one thing Dave does well is mine talent. Always dug Chris Broderick in Jag Panzer and Shawn Drover in Eidolon and both make for natural fits. They have both the level of musicianship and the right style to make you not miss the old members too much.

The setlist for the night obviously included all of the Countdown album, but the band did manage to work in some other material as well, which was nice. They really didn't skimp on set length/number of songs and the choices were pretty good. I felt a sort of lack of enthusiasm in the crowd for the two tracks off the last album, but it's hard to compare those to the older stuff and it wasn't really what the crowd was hungering for. Some other hits were sprinkled in though and that was a nice touch. Familiar, but I mean... hearing Peace Sells live is always a good thing.

The setlist was...

Trust

Hangar 18

She Wolf

A Tout Le Monde

Whose Life Is It Anyways?

Public Enemy No 1.

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Skin O' My Teeth

Symphony Of Destruction

Architecture Of Aggression

Foreclosure Of A Dream

Sweating Bullets

This Was My Life

Countdown To Extinction

High Speed Dirt

Psychotron

Captive Honour

Ashes In Your Mouth

-----Encore------

Peace Sells

Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Very satisfying. As advertised and then some. If you're a Megadeth fan like me then you need to go check this one out and bask in the glory of Countdown. Personally, I hope in a couple years to see a Youthanasia anniversary tour. Not as iconic maybe, but there are some deep tracks on that one I'd love to see them pull out. One of the cooler concerts I've ever been to for the memories and the total experience. Up there with WASP doing all of Crimson Idol, Maiden doing all of A Matter Of Life And Death (a ballsy move I liked), and John Arch coming back from out of nowhere to do his Connecticut show.