by Mark Gromen

Good things come to those who wait, so after SLAYER frontman Tom Araya’s back surgery scuttled the original dates, back in February, the American Carnage tour, with MEGADETH and TESTAMENT (select dates out west, during the second leg, will also include ANTHRAX) landed on the banks of the Delaware River. Susquehanna Bank Arena, in Camden, NJ is across the river from Philadelphia, the skyline visible from the outdoor amphitheatre, yet there were less than 6,000 tickets sold. In this day and age, $40 for a t-shirt, which can usually be purchased online (for less), is criminal. OK, the venue takes upwards of 40%, but still, after $25 for parking and the cost of a ticket, is it any wonder attendance is down? Having just endured a trio of German festivals, including the behemoth Wacken, why not attend yet another (the fourth in five weekends), featuring old school American legends?

Testament didn’t have a very deep stage to work with, so they built it up. Looking like the stone edifice of an old castle, stairs led to the drum riser and a second tier that facilitated the band quite nicely. Opening with ‘More Than Meets The Eye’, the Frisco thrashers wasted little time between tracks, maximizing their time in front of the crowd: ‘Dog Faced Gods’, “New Order’, the red lit stage for ‘Into The Pit’ and plenty of strobes for ‘D.N.R.’, which Chuck Billy (who looked great, maybe even dropped a few pounds after his health scare) sang entirely from the top tier. He played air guitar throughout, utilizing his Freddy Mercury half mic stand as a prop.

With frontman Dave Mustaine in white, his guitar partner Chris Broderick in black, MEGADETH offered a vicious set of old school, tinged with the present. Killer start, what with ‘Holy Wars’, ‘Hangar 18’, ‘Take No Prisoners’ and ‘Five Magics’ before they had a chance to breathe. Dave had the artwork from Rust In Peace emblazoned on his Flying V, Vic Rattlehead overseeing all, as he looked down from the backdrop (also said album). The famous Mustaine sneer/snarl was visible down front as we tried to shoot photos, hair hanging in his face throughout. ‘Tornado Of Souls’ sees returning bassist Dave Ellefson adding backing vocals. After ‘Rust In Peace/Polaris’ the band left the stage, only to see Mustaine re-emerge without the white button down, having traded the white wristbands (with Megadeth logos) for a black set. ‘A Tout La Monde’ provided a rare moment where Mustaine and Broderick were side-by-side. “Junior” kicked off the ‘Peace Sells’ finale. Say what you want about Mustaine, but he’s one of the few who still possesses the same hair (if not more) than the classic 80s!

Unlike the headlining Wacken gig a week earlier, this night saw Kerry King brandishing his trademark nail riddled wristband. With 18 Marshalls (six across and three high) stacked to either side of drummer Dave Lombardo, Seasons In The Abyss, in its entirety, was a vicious assault on the senses. Lots of smoke and dark (reds and purple) lights, but Slayer would have it no other way. Tom Araya still has that Tommy Chong look about him, just don’t expect a similar demeanor! After blowing through the last classic Slayer LP, there was still time for ‘Angel Of Death’ and ‘Raining Blood’. Sending the faithful home happy!