The Metal Tour Of The Year is finally here!
Let me begin by saying that I had the privilege of seeing this highly-anticipated show in 2 Texas cities, Dallas and El Paso. First to kick this off, the Toyota Music Factory in Dallas had a way bigger crowd and a bigger venue than the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, however the same energy was brought to both of these cities. It’s also a 10-hour drive from Dallas to El Paso, and this show was worth every mile. I’m going to give you my rundown and thoughts of each of these bands as they took these stages. From Hatebreed and Trivium, to Lamb Of God and Megadeth – these were performances for the books, and one I’ll remember for a long, long time. Let’s get to it!
Hatebreed:
As the opener for a tour like this, Hatebreed had a horrible time spot in my opinion. I actually missed them the first night in Dallas due to standing in line (along with hundreds of others) as the doors opened, luckily I caught them just in time at El Paso. As usual with these guys, the energy that frontman Jamey Jasta and the crew give on a live setting is inspiring. You can just absolutely tell that Jamie loves being on that stage. I personally haven’t seen Hatebreed in quite some time and it was absolutely riveting seeing them again. Get ready to mosh because these guys get the blood pumping from the get go. Hardcore music is a big part of who they are, and I got to see many long-time dedicated fans from the bands younger days raise their fists in the air in joy. Hatebreed has been in this game a long long time, and these guys prove once again that nothing beats experiencing a live show in person. This is how you open a concert, and they set the tone perfectly.
Trivium:
I’ve been listening to Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal a lot lately, and radio host Jose Mangin often does this top 12 hits segment called “Devils Dozen.” One of more popular tunes on that list I’ve been hearing is Trivium’s newest song “In the Court of the Dragon” and let me tell you, it’s a pretty solid banger. Well, low and behold, Trivium opened with this one. I’ll admit, I personally am not a huge Trivium fan but the crowd proved how much of a fan favorite they are. Trivium have earned a well-deserved and respected spot in heavy metal lore. First time I was supposed to see Trivium was years ago which was between 2004-2007 at Ozzfest. Frontman Matt Heafy at the time had to drop off the tour for school reasons, and that has always stuck with me. He went from starting the band at 13/14 years of age to touring with Megadeth today…let that sink in. Really shows the growth of his passion for what he does and at the same time puts the band’s talented musicality on display. All that being said, I don’t have anything to complain about because their entire set was amazing to say the least, both times.
Lamb Of God:
(Spoiler Alert) Lamb Of God unleashed their set with the song “Memento Mori” off of their latest self-titled album, and doing so all behind a huge curtain where you couldn’t see the band for the slow first part of the song; And all of a sudden…BOOM, explosions go off as the next act of the song kicks in. I’m getting goosebumps just writing this because this experience was breathtaking. And once we get to their 3rd song, “Walk With Me In Hell,” this is where the pyrotechnics kick in and all hell breaks loose (Which is a good thing). I’m telling you, this was the coolest thing to see Lamb of God carry in their arsenal of live performances. It was also the first time they have used fire within their set and it just felt more fitting for them than the actual gates of Hell (hehe). Frontman Randy Blythe always has this energy that seems everlasting, it’s just insane. Jumping and running around during the whole set while being faced with the immense heat and blasts from the fire, I was sweating just watching all this unfold myself. If there is an award for doing just that, Randy deserves it. All in all, I’ve seen Lamb of God several times and this was the best set I’ve experienced from them. I can’t wait until the next show.
Megadeth:
Frontman Dave Mustaine is 59 years old, however, while on the stage he seems like he’s about 30. As close as I got to be to the stage, I didn’t see one sweat on him during the whole hour while he rocked the venue. For those who don’t know, Dave was an original member of Metallica and then went on to start Megadeth, and boy, am I glad that this masterpiece was created. Dave not only is a legend but he is super humble. I thought he was going to cry when everyone was chanting “Dave Dave Dave” throughout Megadeth’s set. This is also the first time Dave has toured since he won his battle with cancer, which is an astounding story. Dave went from battling with something that could take his life, to winning that said battle, and to finally getting to go back to doing what makes up a big portion of his life, and that is music. One amazing thing that blew me away about this live set, is that Dave must have changed out into a different guitar for every song. Quite the sight to see. At the end of both shows I’ve attended, Dave removed his “Megadeth” wrist bands, kissed them and threw them into the crowd. I wasn’t lucky enough to catch any of them but in the end, I had a blast. I would see them again in a heartbeat.
Overall, I’m so glad this was my first metal concert since the COVID-19 shutdown. Every band put so much time and effort into this show and it paid off. As a fan, it was great to see the turnout. A phenomenal show, a phenomenal crowd, and a phenomenal venue – both cities had it all. I’m a bit sad it’s over, and I wish I was hitting a couple more shows on this tour but it’s not the reality. What I do know is that I now have to get ready for the next tour that comes through, and I’ll be more than ready. Maybe because it’s been a while since I’ve seen a live concert in general but I honestly think it was the show of this caliber itself, and it feels good to see, and feel. I give The Metal Tour Of The Year a 9/10. Worth the wait after 18 months. Do yourself a favor, if you are reading this review, make sure to catch this tour while you can in your local area if they happen to come through, because this is something you will want to experience for yourself. Hell, take a road trip if possible, I did. 20 hours on the road altogether to experience what we experienced. Worth every mile, and every second. Keep it metal, and keep the passion for music burning.
Until next time,
Cory Hodges aka Papi Schwag