Mustaine's Monster of Metal To

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Its that time of year again when the summer goes out with a bang. Here in Arizona, you can’t really go by the typical calendar, summer and fall temps usually are only a couple of degrees difference. But with Ozzfest rolling through midsummer, there is something that marks the end of summer for Phoenix.

Gigantour 2 hit on Sept. 13th, harder than any monsoon this year. Once again Mustaine hand picked the bands on the bill (though Into Eternity, Sancity and the Smashup did not play tonight due to the venue stage set up). Even though the band list is shorter, there was no shortage of metal tonight.

New Jersey thrash legends Overkill kicked off the show with a truly amazing performance. It was phenomenal to see Overkill with a proper stage show in a big venue. The last time they were in town they played at the Clubhouse in Tempe (don’t get me started on that place). The sound was thunderous and the precision of the band was tight as ever.

While the Dodge was mildly filled when they hit the stage (a condition resulting from the fact that the show started at 5:00 pm in downtown Phoenix), the crowd kept enough action and appreciation going until the place started filling up before Overkill’s finale. A touch of the old school was a nice addition to this year’s Gigantour and the crowd’s reaction was proof of that. However there were a few time Blitz had to make a reference about Tucson that woke the crowd up.

Their set list was pretty standard, including the MTV hits Elimination, Hello From the Gutter, the older Rotten to the Core (a crowd favorite) as well as Old School from Relix IV and the wrecking crew war cry of Fuck You. The set may have been short, but Overkill’s performance showed that they were a perfect selection for the Gigantour bill.

Continuing the onslaught started by Overkill, Arch Enemy made a glorious return to the states for Gigantour, and hit the stage with All For One. As the pits started to surge the band quickly followed up with Dead Eyes See No Future. Arch Enemy hit like a sledge hammer and never let up. The twin guitar attack is always heavy and just crushing. Angela Gossow was in top form tonight, as she always is when she’s onstage. Arch Enemy was having fun, and you could see it. They were enjoying every single minute they had on stage, which wasn’t as long as it has been in the past due to the second opening slot they were filling on Gigantour. Why Opeth got more time is beyond me.

While this may be the last time the US sees Arch Enemy supporting Doomsday Machine, Overkill and Arch Enemy started off Gigantour ‘06 loud and furious. Can Phoenix keep up with the rest of the bands? Can the rest of the bands follow the pace previously set? Stay tuned for Part 2.