Thursday night the Fillmore Silver Spring hosted veteran heavy metal rockers, Megadeth who played for a packed house and proved their sound and skill is as timeless now as the day they started it all.
It’s always a privilege to get to cover great music. Sometimes however, it is particularly incredible to be tasked to cover a band who defines a genre. Undoubtedly one of the founding fathers of thrash metal, Megadeth has pioneered a sound all their own. Live, the band exceeded every expectation that you might have—30+ years on.
Thursday night’s performance was one of the best sounding shows I’ve heard so far this year. The band’s music is known for its complex guitar arrangements and its technical prowess—and they’re still hammering the audience tight, fast, and loud.
The guitar tones are natural and purely heavy (like no other) and the lead fills are brilliant and soar above the mix. The bass guitar and drums pound steady like an angry freight train, and even from the back of the room, each chord that Mustaine plays hits you like a punch in the chest. Megadeth is clearly at the top of their game.
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
The band’s current line up includes Dave Mustaine on guitar and vocals, co-founding member Dave Ellefson on bass, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and drummer Chris Adler from of Lamb of God. Touring to promote their newest release, Dystopia, released in Janurary 2016, Megadeth will be on the road through the US until the end of May, then the band heads to Europe through August. Dystopia debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart and is the band second highest charting release in their thirty-three year history.
The set list spanned their career and included “Wake Up Dead,” “The Threat Is Real,” “In My Darkest Hour,” “Poison Was The Cure,” “She-Wolf,” “Sweating Bullets,” “Dystopia,” “Trust,” and “Peace Sells.”
Dystopia is available on colored vinyl here.
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
Megadeath performs at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on May 5, 2016 (Photos by Richie Downs).
