Crust in Peace: Megadeth at Canada Life Place

When thrash metal band Megadeth announced their retirement with an AI-slop video, it was definitely for the best. Megadeth vindicated me when they dropped their final, self-titled record. Megadeth felt like cyberstalking your anti-vax uncle’s Facebook posts while he window shops for guitars at Long and McQuade. No idea why sole original member/singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine chose to close it with an aesthetically flimsy cover of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning.” Why would you want to remind yourself yet again of the (much more profitable and popular) band that booted you over 40 years ago? The track “I Don’t Care” is distinctly unbearable, but Megadeth meant a lot to me in high school when I dreamed of playing guitar for a living. “Holy Wars,” “Tornado of Souls,” and “Peace Sells” have been essential reading for metal guitarists since their spite-fueled inception in 1983. In my continued failure to beat the unc allegations, I saw Megadeth at Canada Life Place in London, Ontario, on February 28th. I spent my evening banging my head and playing air guitar to a plethora of thrash metal classics. Aside from the not one, but two drunk guys harassing the security in front of me, it was a pretty good time. Some fans told me that, aside from a mediocre-at-best last album, Megadeth’s 43-year run has ended on a high note.

Thrash metal OGs Exodus and Anthrax were openers. Aside from one song from each, I never connected with their music. Anthrax’s music sounds born for music sync libraries. If you hear a metal song in the background of a movie, it’s probably Anthrax. They played 11 songs, including hits “Madhouse” and “Indians,” and finished by leading the crowd in an “O Canada” cover.

Megadeth started with “Tipping Point,” one of the less awful songs from their last record. The hype didn’t really start until the first chords of “Hangar 18.” Hot take: I like Dave Mustaine’s singing. There, I said it. You won’t catch me listening to his isolated vocals, but it wouldn’t be Megadeth without him. Considering he’s beaten throat cancer, he sounded pretty good. His vicious snarls about the government on “Peace Sells” really got me shouting along. Dave didn’t sing the chorus on “Tornado of Souls,” which sucks, but I’m glad it made it on the setlist. That song’s solo could probably cure throat cancer if played loud enough. A pleasant surprise was the power ballad “A Tout Le Monde.” I wish they had played “Lucretia” and brought back golden era lead guitarist Marty Friedman and bassist David Ellefson. Current lead guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and bassist James LoMenzo were fantastic, but it’s not the lineup that made Megadeth special. Special mention to the late drummer Nick Menza.

The most disappointing part was the absence of concert visuals, props, or pyrotechnics. If you’re not going to sing the chorus to one of your biggest songs, at least put the lyrics on screen like we’re at karaoke. Concerts, especially arena shows, are expected to deliver an immersive audio-visual experience. Maybe Dave wanted a throwback to the old days before he was a multimillionaire. Megadeth just had a banner and lighting system. Did Megadeth mascot Vic Rattlehead retire before the band could? No music videos? No sharply edited recap of the band’s legacy? No warning? No second chance? The Megadeth story is all about second chances. Even through AI-generated farewell video stumbles, several forgettable albums, and endless line-up changes, I’m glad Dave and Megadeth persevered as long as they did. His voice may be a little crusty, but “Holy Wars” still hits as hard musically as it did in 1990. And with the world burning, its lyrics still sting. Killing for religion, something I don’t understand, either, Dave.