*Mudvayne did not perform at the Cleveland Date

Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #155: Megadeth with All That Remains

September, 22nd 2024

Temple Live 3669 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115

Good morning my friends, if I can call it that. I sit here at my computer, head aching, stomach churning as I still try to shake off last nights rust. It was a doozie and I went a little harder than usual. You see we were celebrating. It has been a while since a big show has rolled through town and this one was a whopper. The mighty Megadeth was coming to Cleveland and you know I had to be there to see it go down. So in my excitement I started drinking a few hours before the show. The beers, together with my vape pen, had me half in the bag by the time Chen Killingsworth and Young Joseph arrived to pick me up. With Young Joseph behind the wheel, Chen and I enjoyed cold Coors Banquets as we made our way toward the Masonic Temple. Soon enough we arrived and got hit with a ridiculous $30 parking fee. Grudgingly we paid the extortionist and found a place to stow our vehicle. Another round of beers in the lot transpired and then it was off to the show without delay. We made our way through security and into the complex, where we immediately ran into Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. I busted out a bag of gummies, gobbled one up and passed one to The Dook. Then it was straight to the beer line to grab a tall PBR and off to the pit to prepare for the music.

In good time the lights fell and the opening act took to the stage. All That Remains is a five piece Metal band hailing from Massachusetts. They are constructed from Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. This would be my first time checking out All That Remains and I have to admit I had never heard a note of their music prior to this set. With that being said, I had no preconceptions of their sound and no expectations of their performance. I was merely there to observe. They opened up playing heavy, pounding riffs. The band poured it on for a time before the singer eventually came into view. He was very active, moving about the stage as he performed. His vocals were coarse and grainy to begin with and I was initially really feeling the sound. The opener had a nice melodic breakdown and a pretty tight Guitar solo tucked in their too. All That Remains was off to a great start from my perspective, but that was about to change. It was in their second song when the clean vocals emerged. The song was powering along just fine, when the singer went from the rough growls he had been using to high end melodic clean vox. I hear a lot of this and it is not my favorite style to say the least. What can I say? I like my cleans vocals in one pile and my growls and snarls in another. I usually don’t like to cross contaminate. So when All That Remains started in with the “singing” it really turned me off. Musically I still dug what they were doing, it was just the vocals that threw me. I was probably in the minority though. From what I could tell the rest of the crowd was really into the set. People were headbanging and clapping along with the music and in general seemed to be enjoying themselves. Up on the stage the band continued to pour it on and the crowd gobbled it up. All That Remains delivered a consistently heavy and intense performance that was felt by the fans. The passion rose and then spilled over as a moshpit materialized at center floor. The fans swirled and collided as the band pumped out a steady stream of devastating riffs. I believe they played a total of six songs before they exhausted their time and exited the stage to big applause.

Then it was time for a return to the beer line where I refreshed my PBR. We wandered the Temple complex and flirted with the idea of joining the merch line, but then thought again. (It was really long.) So instead headed back to the pit and to the long wait for Megadeth. And it was a loooong wait, or at least it felt that way. Maybe it was the THC, mixed with sheer anticipation, eating at me that made the time seem to creep by at such an abysmally slow pace. Whatever it was, eventually the lights did fall for a second time and thus the main event began. I ate another gummy and took a long drag from my vape in preparation for what was to come. Things started ominously as a Plague Doctor made his way across the stage beneath calls of “Bring out your dead!” The opening notes of “The Sick, The Dying and The Dead” began and with them the curtain fell and Megadeth erupted. With stunning ferocity they burst to life as they summoned one the bands most recent offerings. The crowd produced a cheer for the new material, which then doubled in volume when Megadeth began “Dread and the Fugitive Mind.” The intensity continued to build, for after “Dread” came “Wake Up Dead” which pretty much tore the roof off the room. I know I was off my feet, jumping up and down and screaming and I was not alone. All around me my fellow Rattleheads were headbanging and singing along. One crazy SOB was right next to me and I noticed that like me, he was wearing an Assault shirt. We took a moment to acknowledge each other and the sick Thrash band we were both representing for. Then we went back to enjoying the show, which was getting better with each successive song. Mr. Mustaine had his foot firmly planted on the accelerator, and was not letting up. Next came “Hangar 18” which sent the room into absolute fits. It was at this point that I lost touch with the crowd itself and became completely absorbed by the music. I ceased to even acknowledge my surroundings and gave my foremost mental faculties to enjoying the show. And am I ever glad that I did, because Megadeth had some truly special tricks up their sleeves. Here, and for the first time I have ever witnessed, they played “Washington is Next.” This is a personal favorite of mine, that I never thought I would see it make it to the live stage. I was reeling. Yet the good times were far from over.

Next they played my numero uno, top of the list, absolute favorite Megadeth song of all time: “Angry Again.” Predictably I was beside myself. Headbanging and dancing like a mad fool, I tried my best not to elbow the people surrounding me. Yet the hits did not stop coming! No sir, they did not. “Sweating Bullets” followed and as Mustaine recounted an epic metal breakdown, the crowd sang along word for word. I thought things couldn’t get much better, and boy was I wrong! Megadeth continued to pummel the crowd with the savage attack that is “Skin O’ My Teeth.” With rumbling drums they ushered in “Trust” which had the whole room clapping in time with the music. “We’ll Be Back” was followed by the all powerful “Tornado of Souls.” Closing out the set they delivered the Bass driven anthem “Peace Sells” which had every head in the club banging and every voice raised to sing along. Of course Megadeth wasn’t finished quite yet. No, no they were not. It seemed Mr. Mustaine and company still head a few tricks up their sleeves. Those tricks came in the form of two of the bands best known and most loved tracks. First was “Symphony of Destruction.” This certified powerhouse song is the perfect soundtrack to this year’s terrifying election cycle. And then finally, closing out the evening was the undeniable Thrashterpiece: “Holy Wars...The Punishment Due.” This is the only song that conceivably has the show stopping power necessary to close out such a phenomenal set. The crowd roared and I mean they ROARED! The lights came up and Megadeth said goodnight. They walked the stage throwing out picks and drum sticks to the rabid fans at their feet.

In time the crowd dispersed. Chen, Young Joseph and I made our way out of the club and into the streets. Along the way we ran into the Swamp Donkey (Bass/Vandalizard) as well as Zeke (Guitar/Assault). We said hello and goodbye and soon enough we reached the car. Aiming the vehicle to the east, we began our excursion home. In due time I found my way to my bed and passed out. And here I am, give or take 12 hours later recounting the affair to you. Seriously though, what a great show. I do enjoy Temple Live as a venue and the sound was good for the most part. I suppose All That Remains was solid. Though they weren’t for me, I have to say a lot of folks seemed to be really digging them. They played hard and with a lot of passion, and that is something I will always respect. On the other hand, Megadeth was incredible. They are a band I have seen many times, and I can say they have not lost a step over the decades. I particularly enjoyed this set due to the song choices. We got a great balance of the “must hear” songs intermixed with new material and some deep cuts which made for an bitchin’ night of music. Like I said, I have seen Megadeth many times, and it is nights like this that remind exactly why I keep coming back for more. On that note I will bring this edition to a close. Thank you so much for reading. Wear your earplugs, and rattle your head until you’re dead!

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

09/23/2024

Links:

Megadeth

www.megadeth.com

All That Remains

https://allthatremainsonline.com/