[ATTENDED: September 6, 2026] Megadeth
As a huge metal fan back in the 80s, I loved Megadeth. I have their first four albums and probably played them all to deth. I never had a Meadeth v Metallica problem because they were both great and if Dave Mustaine has stayed in Metallica we wouldn’t have Peace Sell, for instance.
I stopped listening to Megadeth in 1990 and really never went back. Over the last 30 years or so I have enjoyed laughing at how petty and vindictive Mustaine is. About nearly everything.
I never had any interest in seeing them live. But since they were playing I did start to look forward to it a bit. Regardless of my thoughts on Dave, he is an icon and has made some amazing songs over the years.
Dave has had myriad health problems over the years, including throat cancer (he is now cancer free) and recently Dupuytren’s contracture which kind of cramps your hand in locked positions. He has basically said that this will be his last tour.
I didn’t know what Megadeth was going to play. And I assumed it would be a whole bunch of stuff that I didn’t know. But in keeping with the tour’s theme, the songs were all from albums I knew (except for one new song, Tipping Point which I feel like I’ve heard, but how could I have?)
Megadeth has gone through a ton of lineup changes over the years and it is basically just Dave’s band (other’s have complained that there were a few people who have been in the band long enough to be considered proper members, but they are all gone).
They played the new song first and I was really impressed by the guitar playing of both Mustaine and new guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari (who is Finnish). Dave’s voice sounded terrible. I don’t know if he was undermic’d or if we were in a bad spot but he was almost inaudible. I did wonder if it was because of his illnesses or if it was a technical problem. By the end of the set he was more audible.
I was intrigued by their drummer Dirk Verbeuren (who is Belgian) because he was very flashy and I imagined he was from L.A. Bassist James LoMenzo is the only other American player (it does make me wonder if he burned bridges with everyone else in the States).
They played the next song, Hangar 18 but I didn’t recognize it. It’s possible that I don’t know Rust in Peace as well as I thought, but listening to it now, I do remember it pretty well. It may have been the vocals that threw me off. I do love that in nearly every song, Dave and Teemu switch off between little guitar solos–much shredding.
They followed it with Take No Prisoners, another song I should have known better. I was never bored during these songs, so I imagine part of me vaguely recognized them. Interestingly, it was Seating Bullets, from an album I don’t have, that I recognized more–airplay somewhere? Actually I just looked at the video and it was entirely familiar. The opening of the song, Hello me, it’s me again” spoken in Dave’s gritty voice makes me imagine him reading a bedtime story to his grandkids (he has at least one). If he read Goodnight Moon, you’d assume the moon was going to be blown up.
He then said that they were going to play a song for all of those who were there last night. Actually it was for all of the New Jersey, New York area. It was a song that people have been asking them to play for ages. It was Devil’s Island, which I didn’t recognize the title of, but as soon as that guitar riff started and the crowd went bananas starting a massive mosh pit, I was pretty psyched to hear it.
I didn’t recognize Symphony of Destruction, but holy crap, with the bass opening of Peace Sells, my childhood came rushing back and I was super psyched to hear this one live. Whaddya mean I ain’t kind? I’m just not your kind.
They left the stage, which was kind of weird for an opening act. So I guess technically this was an encore, but whatever you call it, when they started up Holy Wars, I was super psyched because I’m guessing if I didn’t know all of Rust in Peace, I sure knew this song. The riffage was great, the soloing was great and Dave even sounded good for this one. They even did the acoustic guitar middle-eastern riff mid song (Teemu on a propped up acoustic guitar).
First mistake? Last mistake.
I really enjoyed this set and while I don’t wish that I had seen them when they were younger, it was still a great set and scratched an itch I didn’t know I had.
The night before they played She-Wolf instead of Take No Prisoners and The Conjuring instead of Devil’s Island [I got the better deal].
Tipping Point ∉
Hangar 18 ⊗
Take No Prisoners (Tour debut) ⊗
Sweating Bullets √
Devil’s Island (Tour debut) $
Tornado of Souls ⊗
Symphony of Destruction √
Peace Sells $
Encore
Holy Wars… The Punishment Due ⊗
∉ Megadeth (2026)
√ Countdown to Extinction (1992)
⊗ Rust in Peace (1990)
$ Peace Sells … But Who’s Buying? (1986)
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I had not heard of The Rasmus before this show was announced. Indeed, the only reason I paid any attention to this listing is because my friend’s son plays bass in Death Valley Dreams. He has been playing in bands for years and I have never had a chance to see him. I did consider going to this show, but it just wouldn’t work out for me.
