Last month, The Sickness 25th Anniversary tour headed to Glasgow with Megadeth and Disturbed taking over the venue for the night.
One of the pillars, pioneers and foundation stones of thrash metal hit Glasgow and reminded us all why Megadeth are one of the best to ever do it. The OVO Hydro was packed to the rafters with denim, leather, and thick with anticipation. Megadeth might be moving towards the latter stages of their career but after decades at the sharp and shredding end of the game they have bangers for days and riffs you could melt your face with.
It all kicked off at a million fingers a fret with Skin o’ My Teeth. No easing in, no warm-up. Just full-tilt thrash from the off. Megadeth main man Dave Mustaine’s grin said it all. The place burst into a roar of approval. The band were as sharp, as mean and as ferocious as ever.
The thrash titans worked their way through Hangar 18 and She-Wolf before pandemonium ensued for Sweating Bullets. A long-time crowd favourite had fists up, hair being flung backwards and forwards as thousands of voices shouting, “Feeling claustrophobic like the walls are closing in … Bloodstains on my hands and I don’t know where I’ve been” in perfect unison. A Tuesday night delight.
More modern Megadeth tracks such as Dystopia and Tipping Point showed how the recent material doesn’t just hold its own, it has earned its place in the folklore and musical legacy of the band. Tornado of Souls landed like a Mike Tyson uppercut in his prime before the one-two-three knockout: Peace Sells, Symphony of Destruction, Holy Wars… The Punishment Due. An ending to rival any live metal show. The groovy, body swaying riff on Peace Sells rolled in and the crowd took over. Symphony was pure catharsis, a sea of bodies moving as one and Mustaine’s menacing delivery is as hard hitting as always. And when the first tremor of Holy Wars hit, Glasgow became unglued for one final five minute slice of thrash heaven.
Megadeth can hit you in the feels deeper than most bands. With four decades of hits to call on they have been around the musical sun at the top level more than most. Megadeth in Glasgow, were phenomenal but the night was only halfway done and was about to become Disturbed.
Disturbed are of course honouring the quarter century anniversary of their classic album, The Sickness so we knew what the opening twelve songs would be but it’s only when you listen to them in live and living colour, in order, the scale and impact of that record slams you sonically in the dish.
From the first note of The Sickness the band locked in and the arena became a blur of bodies and energy. The classic hits kept rolling: Voices, The Game, Stupify — each one a nostalgic and metal classic to the lugs and heart, each one greeted by unrelenting crowd appreciation. When Down With the Sickness hit, the entire arena exploded into a choral growl of approval.
After their twelve track slab of The Sickness was complete the band shifted gears to a greatest hits set with their ever-popular cover version of Land of Confusion giving the packed venue the chance to sing, clap and engage in full-throated catharsis. The mood shifted yet again as the haunting The Sound of Silence echoed out—its stillness matched by a sea of mobile phone torch lights giving a haunting and beautiful setting around the Hydro.
As the show wound down, the band charged into The Light, and finished hard with Inside The Fire, sending thousands of rock and metal fans home safe in the knowledge we had born witness and listened to one of the best metal double acts in the game.
Two of the genres heavyweights on top form. What’s better on a Tuesday night than that?
9/10
