Live Review: Slayer

Slayer / Megadeth / Testament
July 29, 2010
Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto

One of America’s most underrated metal acts, Testament warmed up the crowd at Molson Amphitheatre tonight for the long awaited Toronto stop of the Canadian Carnage Tour, originally scheduled for November 2009. It’s unfathomable why Testament, thrash pioneers forming in the early eighties in LA, doesn’t break into the mainstream alongside the heavy metal “Big Four” - Megadeth, Anthrax, Metallica and Slayer. Testament has a classic, tailored thrash sound, cracking out of the Amphitheatre speakers tonight with gripping vengeance on par with Slayer intensity. And their presence is just as big-time as their counterparts.

Tonight, Testament transforms the stage into a pseudo coliseum from hell consisting of a massive backdrop of the Greek landmark upholding a huge decrepit skull. In front, atop a raised platform, Paul Bostaph mans the drums while original guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson riff below, occasionally ascending the two steel staircases on either side of Bostaph to use him for some telepathic energy. Big Chuck Billy trots around the infinite stage space below, wielding the microphone stand like a scepter, demanding attention from the thousands of onlookers. Testament play an array of old and new music, of course not leaving out “Formation Of Damnation” from their latest record of the same name. They deliver a top notch performance with all the presence of a heavy metal giant.

Megadeth rolls onstage next and, celebrating over twenty-five years as a major touring metal band, decide to throw down an intriguing set beginning, and continuing for a complete stretch, with 1990‘s Rust In Peace in its entirety, with no breaks. Mustaine, rocking a flying V and Broderick with a classic white Ibanez meet up at times and disperse at others during their captivating onstage solo duals. Eyes down with long hair draping at the necks of their guitars, feet planted wide for glimpses of classic heavy metal personas, they whip out those legendary licks with impeccable precision. Mustaine’s voice high in pitch over the thrash masterpiece’s nine song duration, at times letting the enthusiastic crowd take over and chant for “Poison Was The Cure” and “Rust In Peace.”

Finally the band takes a break, but only for a brief moment, and Mustaine returns with a fire engine red double-neck flying V. He gets the tens of thousands of fans riled by saying “Megadeth is part Canadian” in recognition of newest drummer, Quebecer Shawn Drover, who joined the group in 2006. For the latter half of the performance, they play “Symphony Of Destruction,” “Trust,” “Peace Sells” and a couple new tracks off 2009’s Endgame including “Head Crusher.”

From behind a gigantic white sheet appears two stainless steel SLAYER eagles hovering over two stacks of fifteen Marshall cabinets each on either side of the stage. The crowd yells and cheers for the night’s headliner, the world’s biggest thrash band, SLAYER. Opening with a couple tracks from their latest record, “Hate Worldwide” and “World Painted Blood,” the band instantly gets the dust flying. I’m sitting in the 300 section, about one hundred metres from the stage, and people beside me are moshing, standing on the guardrails, and head banging to every snare crack with utmost dedication.

Far below, the pit section is in chaos with bodysurfers and a fog of stray arms and torsos flailing everywhere. Fuelling the riotous atmosphere is Tom Araya at centre stage hammering away at his rumbling bass strings and spreading his anti-Christian propaganda. To his left is Jeff Hanneman towering over the front row, sporting knee high leg armour. Kerry King is opposite stage right, continually head banging along to his thrash current, decorated in long rattling wallet chains and a two-foot goatee.

The intensity level stays high for the entire performance, there are no stops for banter or wardrobe changes between songs, the classic Slayer guitar growl just keeps rolling on. The guys dip into old and new reserves of content, much from 1990’s Seasons In The Abyss with “Dead Skin Mask,” “Hallowed Point” and “War Ensemble.” Stretching further back to their debut album Show No Mercy, the band fires out “The Antichrist” with a tantric lightshow of spinning crosses. Nearing the end they pull out the big guns: “Reign In Blood” followed by “Angel Of Death,” for which the crowd is somehow heard singing along over the massive wall of sound.

After the set Araya’s conversational voice is finally revealed when thanking the crowd over and over again, and his bandmates toss their guitar picks and drumsticks to their fans.