MEGADETH at Sentrum Scene (Oslo, Norway)
Sunday, June 5, 2022
by Jorge Patacas
Before releasing their long-awaited new album “The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!”, Megadeth embarked on an European tour in late spring and summer with a show in Oslo on June 5th.
Last time they played in the capital of Norway was at Oslo Spektrum in January 2020 on their tour with Five Finger Death Punch where the latter were the headliners. Yes, quite strange, I know. Six months before that, the iconic Dave Mustaine had been diagnosed with cancer and few days after the concert he announced he won the battle. This time, two and a half years later, things were different. Now the venue was Sentrum Scene where they played many times before and there were no opening acts which was a surprise, but that meant it was an evening for them and their fans only.
The doors for the sold-out concert opened at 19:00, but it wasn’t until 20:45 (!) that Dave Mustaine (guitars/vocals), Kiko Loureiro (guitar), James LoMenzo (bass) and Dirk Verbeuren (drums) took the stage. The audience erupted as soon as they heard the “Hangar 18” main riff. The wait was worth it. Megadeth was back!
Less than one week before the show, LoMenzo was announced as permanent member of the band after being a touring member for a while following the departure of the original bass player David Ellefson. LoMenzo has been in the band before during the period between 2006 and 2010, so this was a logical decision, not only because he had experience with the band already, but also for his skills and presence on stage. This could be witnessed that evening as well.
It was nice to hear some unexpected songs like “Dread and the Fugitive Mind” and “Angry Again” on the setlist, which they didn’t play for some time. Yes, they played “Angry Again” live, and it was great with the current lineup! Also “Dawn Patrol” and “Poison Was The Cure” from their masterpiece “Rust In Peace” (1990) are not that common on their setlist.
Loureiro and Verbeuren were in the spotlight when they were playing “Conquer or Die!” while LoMenzo and Mustaine took a break backstage. We should not forget that the vocalist/guitarist had throat cancer, so it makes total sense to have a couple of short breaks during the show.
Later he mentioned the cover that Lamb of God did recently with him as a guest in the studio, but explained they never got to play it live, and of course he was referring to “Wake Up Dead”. What a gem! Amazing as always.
During their most popular song “Symphony of Destruction”, people dared to sing the “Megadeth Megadeth” during the main riff, but without the word “Aguante” in between which was the original chant that started in Argentina in the 90’s. Nowadays most of the countries sing it, but without that word or using a different one, but the band appreciates it a lot as they said many times.
Then the bass lines for “Peace Sells” intro were played by LoMenzo and people went crazy screaming the words “If there’s a new way, I’ll be the first in line!”. Also the mascot Vic Rattlehead appeared on stage during this song.
Before the encore, Mustaine said that he’s been asked on interviews whether his old lyrics are still relevant today, so he replied himself “Are you talking about ‘Holy Wars’ MF?”, and immediately the main riff began, and we could enjoy one of the best metal songs ever with those amazing guitar solos that we never get bored of, even after listening to them thousands of times. They’ve been ending the show with this one for some time now and it’s a perfect choice!
An hour and a quarter show leaving the audience satisfied. Already waiting for the next time!
