September 14th 2011 will go down in history as the day the Big Four shook Yankee Stadium to its core. My friends and I attended the show and were up close and personal on the floor, right in front of the stage. Here is my account of this legendary performance.
Anthrax- I was still being checked by security when the band kicked things off with “Fight’Em Till They’re Dead.” After what felt like forever I was finally admitted to the field. The sun was beating down and the crowd was rabid and ready as Anthrax launched into “Got the Time.” This was my first time seeing Joey Belladonna on vocals and he was incredible. Whether he’s hitting high notes, running around in a headdress during “Indians,” or stealing a camera and filming the crowd, Joey was on fire along with Scott, Frank, Charlie, and Rob. They whipped the crowd into a “war dance” getting everyone “Caught in a Mosh,”(sorry couldn’t resist). This performance was extra special because it was “Anthrax Day” in the Bronx, an award they deserve. With the release of their new album, “Worship Music” momentum is on their side and they carried it into their performance. By the time they were finished I had sweat in my eyes and was eagerly awaiting Megadeth.
Megadeth- It was up in the air whether or not Megadeth would play due to Dave’s injuries. But, low and behold he appeared, kicking things off with “Trust” then flowing into “Hanger 18.” The band surprised everyone by playing “A Tout Le Monde” before taking us on a schizophrenic journey with “Sweating Bullets.” Around this time several mosh pits broke out. When Megadeth got to “Holy Wars” I decided to jump in. I lost my shoe (but got it back) and got knocked on my coconut, but overall it was worth it. If I could pick out a flaw in Megadeth’s performance it’s the absence of Marty Friedman. (No offense to Chris Broderick)
Slayer-It was very fitting that the darkest band took the stage at dusk. This was also when my friends and I took our bathroom, beer, and food breaks. I’m going to incur the wrath of Slayer fans for that. Out of the Big Four, Slayer is the one I’m into the least. I only own one of their albums, “Decade of Aggression.” Outside of that and “Reign in Blood” my knowledge is limited. Still, that did not stop me from recognizing and head banging to them when online for beer. (BTW, what was up with that one beer rule?) The performances of “War Ensemble” and “Dead Skin Mask” really stood out to me. They were louder and more intense than any previous rendition I’ve heard. I will say this; Slayer has some of the most hardcore and dedicated fans out there, especially the women. Female Slayer fans may be hot but they can kick your ass and are more than willing to do so.
Metallica-The main event opened with their best song, “Creeping Death” immediately eliminating any fatigue fans were feeling after seven hours of pure metal mayhem. When all of Yankee Stadium is waving their fists in the air and chanting, “Die!” your adrenaline gets pumping. With the exception of “Fade to Black” and “Nothing Else Matters,” Metallica’s set was composed of their fasted and heaviest songs. I was pleasantly surprised when they played the full version of “Orion.” I heard them play part of it when I saw them in D.C. but never the full song and it’s one of my favorites. Afterword, every raised their hands to the sky in tribute to Cliff Burton. It wasn’t only the music that hit hard. Metallica augmented their performance with some sweet special effects. Fireworks went off during “One” that assaulted your ear rums and “Blackened” featured an astonishing light show consisting of lasers and a projection of blackened skies directly above you. Around the end of “Enter Sandman” members of the other bands joined Metallica on stage for a rendition of Motorhead’s “Overkill.” (If only Lemmy were there) Think that was it? They weren’t done yet. Metallica closed the show with encores of “Battery” and “Seek and Destroy.”
The Big Four was more than a concert it was a mega event that won’t be duplicated. Thank you to all four bands for an unforgettable show. When you do it again, I’ll be waiting.
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