MEGADETH @ Rock USA – Oshkosh, WI
July 13, 2017
Photos by David Urmanski
BAND MEMBERS: MEGADETH
Dave Mustaine – Vocals & Guitar
Kiko Loureiro – Guitar
David Ellefson – Bass
Dirk Verbeuren – Drums
BAND BIOGRAPHY: MEGADETH
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1983 with its roots in thrash metal, a genre that its founder, singer/songwriter and guitarist Dave Mustaine helped pioneer. The band has since released 14 studio albums.
Mustaine’s musical roots began early on listening to AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, and took form in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal when he co-founded Metallica. Megadeth emerged in 1985 at the forefront of the thrash/speed metal scene with their seminal debut “Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good”, and continued on a blistering path of albums and tours throughout the decade. The nickname “world’s state-of-the-art speed metal band” and the critic-coined “intellectual thrash metal” were often used to describe Megadeth’s sound, referring to Mustaine’s niche for angry, witty, intelligent lyrics about topics like politics, drugs and war, fused with aggressive, intricate guitar structures and a jazz-influenced rhythm section.
With a string of five consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums Megadeth became one of the biggest bands of the mid-‘80s and ‘90s, boasting such arena anthems as “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying” (The opening bassline was used as the theme for MTV News for years afterward), “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”, “Symphony Of Destruction” and “Sweating Bullets”, along with the top singles in 1997/98 off “Cryptic Writings”, “Trust” (No. 1 radio track), “Almost Honest”, “Use The Man” and “A Secret Place”. In all, the band has scored five Top 10 albums and two Top 5 releases.
The 90’s saw a change in Megadeth’s sound with the polished and commercial multi-platinum release “Countdown To Extinction”, which skyrocketed them into multi-platinum success and MTV stardom. The incorporation of this new sound would be a trademark of every release to come, and would eventually earn them 11 Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance, 7 platinum certifications, and selling more than 38 million albums worldwide.
After a brief hiatus early in the 2000’s, Mustaine triumphantly returned with a comeback album, a heavy metal festival called Gigantour and a new display of prodigious musicians to back him. The band’s legacy continued with 2009’s critically acclaimed “Endgame”, which debuted at #9 on the Billboard charts and 2010’s multi-platinum “The Big Four: Live From Sofia”, Bulgaria featuring the “Big Four” of 1980’s thrash metal — Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.
Megadeth’s 13th studio album, “TH1RT3EN” was released in November, 2011 debuting at #1 on The Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart and #11 on the Billboard 200. The band’s 14th studio album, “Super Collider” was released in June, 2013 debuting at #6 on The Billboard 200, Megadeth’s highest chart debut since 1994’s “Youthanasia”. “Super Collider” was the first release on Mustaine’s new label, Tradecraft, through Universal Music Enterprises.
Megadeth’s 15th studio album, “Dystopia” was released in October, 2015. The band is currently on tour with a new line up featuring drummer Dirk Verbeuren and renowned Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro.
Website: www.Megadeth.com
CONCERT REVIEW RATING SCALE:
1 = Poor
2 = Average
3 = Good
4 = Excellent
5 = Extraordinary
MEGADETH Concert Rating: 5
THE VENUE: ROCK USA Scheduled for July 12-14, the 2018 Rock USA music festival brands itself as ‘Solid Rock. No Limits.’ and will open its gates to one of the nation’s biggest annual rock events with three incredible days of a broad, world-class, limitless mix of rock at discount pricing in an effort to kick up the rock festival experience. Join Rock USA for camping, shopping, great food and drinks and an always kick ass band lineup. Rock fans get more and pay less! Absolutely out on the edge. Address: 4125 Washburn Street, Oshkosh WI 54904 Phone: (920) 882-4949 Website: www.RockUSAOshkosh.comwww.Facebook.com/OfficialRUSA Concert Tickets: www.RockUSAOshkosh.com/Tickets
