Sonisphere (M.S.O.)

All images credit: Sonisphere Official Website (would've been easier to find a pic if I spoke Bulgarian)

As many of my friends know, I do not really listen to metal.  Sure, I'll venture into the occasional Atreyu or System of a Down (I don't think they count).  But I can appreciate good music when I hear it.  Last night, Mulbolt took me to see the Sonisphere Festival in theaters which featured the Big Four of metal: Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica.  It was a lot of fun and had me thinking that more bands should do that kind of thing to reach out to more fans, instead of having unknown DVD releases.  Either way, it was a load of fun and I am commenting on each band.

By the way, I will only be talking about the performances and not the actual music.  Even though it was fun, it will not turn me into a metal head any time soon.

Anthrax

I know Anthrax, honestly, because of VH1.  Scott Ian is on most countdowns, commenting on stuff like hard rock music and fads of the decades.  But honestly, I though Anthrax was one of the better performances at the event.  The lead singer was really enthusiastic and the songs were good.  I mean, they each had variety so it was easy to tell when the song changed.  This one happened earlier in the day, so crowd action was not too exciting, except for those random dudes trying to start a mosh pit in an open area (mosh pit fail).

Megadeth

This was my first time listening to Megadeth.  It was nice to see that they are relatively normal looking and not like...those cartoons in Dethklok.  It is a silly comparison, I know. The lead singer must have been high or something because he could barely open his mouth or sing into the microphone.  I thought that was a bit disappointing.  The guitarists were very chilled out, not as much thrashing as Anthrax.  But perhaps they are the chill metal band...who knows.

Slayer

They really remind me of System of a Down.  Clearly, I am getting any embarrassing comments out of the way first.  Oh, not musically, physically.  Their music was really monotonous.  The intros were good, but I guess it is rather difficult to put variety into shredding on a guitar.  To start with, it is fairly hard enough to play such fast notes live on stage without messing up.  My favorite part was the fan reaction in the theater.  My other favorite was Jeff Hanneman's Heineken-esque logo on his guitar.  I want one.  It would go great with my Jägermeister hat.

Metallica

They are so good live!  I was most impressed with their performance.  There was lots of shredding, but also tons of melody.  Melody is my favorite thing in songs, unless it is minimalist techno.  The lead singer showed much enthusiasm.  One of the more memorable things from their performance was the bassist's epic crab-walking.  I have a feeling he can barely stand up straight on his own.  In that picture, he is leaning against a pillar.  That does not count.  The highlight of the night was when Metallica asked the rest of the Big Four to come out and perform a cover of "Am I Evil" by Diamond Head together, which was, as they said, "history in the making."