Kings Of Thrash, War Ensemble, Hidden Intent, Broken Loose @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 26/7/2024
Let there be thrash! It was well and truly on at Lion Arts Factory with four thrash metal bands giving punters plenty of value for money. Die hard Megadeth fans were in their element and in force. Add to that, original Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland playing in Australia for the very first time and combined with the band to play classic album Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying you couldn’t go wrong. Kings Of Thrash are co-founding member of Megadeth, bassist David Ellefson, along with guitarist Jeff Young and introducing Chaz Leon on lead vocals and guitar and Fred Aching on drums.
The night kicked off with young and up and coming local thrashers Broken Loose. They looked right at home playing to a big crowd who were there well early. Sounding and looking great they ploughed a spirited set that might have been short but they made it count. Set highlights include Awake In Hell, Manipulation, and Moshpit Massacre.
Continuing the homegrown theme Adelaide’s very own Hidden Intent took it up a notch. Fark! They were loud! Gig hardened, these seasoned campaigners have got plenty of the right stuff. Encouraging punters to get in to and whipping up the first of many circle pits with front man Chris McThrashy requesting that Adelaide to do it better than the East Coast. Dead End Destiny, A Place Of Horror and the “most serious song we’ve got” in Breaking Point were killer finishing strong with stand outs Drop Bears Are Real and Addicted To Thrash.
Not a lot is known about the band War Ensemble but peeling back the layers to find out more about this outfit actually features some of Australia’s heaviest hitters including Andrew Hudson (Harlott), Doug Dalton (Killrazer), Leigh Bartley (In Malice’s Wake/ Harlott) and Zac Sale (Killrazer/ The Plague) who paid homage to the mighty Slayer. No mucking about, it was a whirlwind set powering through some of the very best hits from Slayer including South Of Heaven, Silent Scream, War Ensemble, Dead Skin Milk, Raining Blood and Angel Of Death.
The stage was well and truly warmed and as the air raid sirens sounded the entrance for the Kings Of Thrash. The show was all about the classic second album Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying playing it full but mixing up the order as it appears on the album plus plenty more from the Megadeth discography. The parochial crowd were well and truly in to it right from first drop Into The Lungs Of Hell. The sound mix was a bit off early but that didn’t seem to matter as the ripped through Last Rites/Loved To Deth. Ellefson said it was their number one priority getting to Adelaide on this tour getting the crowd on side if they weren’t already with fans vocal in their appreciation.
Chris Poland was introduced as he emerged from side of stage to shred on Wake Up Dead. Chaz Leon reminded the crowd that they were at a thrash gig and to get in to it and move around and it didn’t take much encouragement to fire up this crowd. After The Conjuring “the sweaters came off” as they delved in to Peace Sells playing Devil’s Island, Bad Omen and Good Mourning/ Black Friday. Wow, this was seriously good!
There was still plenty more to come with I Ain’t Superstitious and My Last Words. Having bowled over Peace Sells the crowd the crowd were quite vocal shouting their requests as the band played some other Megadeth classics including Train Of Consequences from Youthanasia and driving song 502. With the band taking a quick breather Fred Aching wowed the crowd with a drum solo with band to re-merge moments later playing some of the big ones in the arsenal including the likes of In My Darkest Hour, Rattlehead and Peace Sells to bring a big night of thrash to an end.
Live Review By Rob Lyon