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PHOTOS courtesy Metallica.com
With a 30-year catalog to draw from, Anthrax opened with a new one, “Fight ‘em ‘Till You Can’t,” sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Then they lit into some favorites, including “Caught in a Mosh,” which created three mosh pits on the floor, and “I Am the Law” (a personal highlight). They were tight, in sync – you could even feel drummer Charlie Benante’s smashes in your chest.
Dave Mustaine of Megadeth was equally over the top on guitar, although his vocals were off a bit. No real surprise there, although it was more a technical glitch than a problem with Mustaine’s pipes.
In fact, he said he shouldn’t have even been up there: On Tuesday, his birthday, Mustaine had neck surgery.
“Trust” was a classic opener, and “Hangar 18” had the metal heads boppin.’ They also debuted a new number – literally: “Public Enemy No. 1.” Never a group to disappoint live, they rolled through “A Tout le Monde,” “Sweating Bullets,” and others, before closing with “Holy Wars.”
The author: Second from left
At that point, the stadium was rockin,’ but it was only a setup for a killer set by Slayer, with its sonic assault set to ferocious speed. They only stopped briefly between two songs, blowing from one right through the next.
Funny moment of the night: The lyrics were scrolling on the screens, but it was impossible to really keep up, right from “Discipline” (with its chorus: “God Hates Us All”) into “Hate Worldwide,” “Mandatory Suicide,” “South of Heaven,” and Slayer staple “Raining Blood.”
“Angel of Death” was a fantastic finisher, but the fans wanted more. It wasn’t to be, though – not with Metallica in the wings.
I honestly wasn’t amped for the headliner, but I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong: I love Metallica, always have, but they weren’t my sole reason for being there. Still, I was knocked out by the combination of tight video, perfect sound quality and showmanship.
“The Ecstasy of Gold” got things going. From there, it was a furious two hours. Fifteen selections included “Cyanide,” “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” “Master of Puppets” and ….
Well, if you’re talking about closing it out in Yankee Stadium, there could only be one song Megadeth would play the night after Mariano Rivera got his 600th save.
I could’ve done without the obligatory solos by guitarist Kirk Hammett on guitar and bassist Roberto Trujillo. Both are outstanding musicians, but their play was kind of deliberate and even choppy. They just didn’t have enough movement on their cutters. Personally, I’d have preferred real metal solos – blistering hot.
That was quickly forgotten, though, when the band brought out the other three acts for a jam to Motorhead’s “Overkill” (Ironic choice, right? 20 musicians were bangin’ away at once).
The drummers from each band swapped in on different verses, then everyone hugged, slapped one another on the back.
But Metallica wasn’t done. Two encore songs followed: “Battery,” which featured a laser and pyro show, and then “Seek and Destroy” – with all the lights on.
Yes, ticket prices were steep (upper levels were going for more than $135). There was lots of security everywhere, but no pat-downs on the way in. Yet the night also was historic.
And it rocked.
The only thing that could top it, I think, would be the holy grail of metal shows — at Castle Donnington in England.
Now if CLIFFVIEW PILOT would only send me there….
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