The HU and Fire From The Gods rounded out the bill
Last night, a heavy metal mini-festival pulled into town as Five Finger Death Punch took the stage with special guests Megadeth. Also along for the ride were The HU and Fire From The Gods. The massive lineup proved to pack a powerful punch. The eclectic group of acts brought together fans from different corners of the heavy music world, proving that at the end of the day – it’s all just rock ‘n’ roll.
Fire From The Gods kicked off the evening’s festivities. The band went out on the road with Five Finger Death Punch back in 2019. They opened with “Soul Revolution,” the title track from their forthcoming album which arrives on October 28 via Better Noise Music. The rest of their set was evenly split between their previous two outings – 2016’s Narrative and 2019’s American Sun. Their charting hit “Right Now” was the main highlight, and “Excuse Me” served as a thunderous closer.
Mongolian metallers The HU are a curveball for any crowd, but they are a welcomed breath of fresh air. Their musicianship is stellar and the performance is nothing short of show-stopping. They are a band that will probably never full capture on tape what they are capable of on stage
The mighty Megadeth started their set with a classic – “Hangar 18.” The ripped through a greatest hits set that did include one track from their brand new studio album The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! While the album is hot off the presses from its September 2 release, the band only debuted one song from the record – the lead single “We’ll Be Back.”
The rest of their time was filled with a barrage of fan-favorites like “Sweating Bullets,” “Trust,” and “Symphony of Destruction.” Some rare gems like “Dread and the Fugitive Mind” from 2001’s The World Needs a Hero and “Angry Again” from the Hidden Treasures EP were also sprinkled in. They closed out with two of their most crushing tunes – “Peace Sells” and then “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” for an encore.
Frontman and founder Dave Mustaine has surrounded himself with excellent musicians. The infusion of old blood with bassist James LoMenzo is also a breath of fresh air. The band is continuing to do what the do best at a very high level.
Five Finger Death Punch are continuing to prove that they’re one of the hottest tickets in town. The band’s bone-crushing riffs and explosive live show keep the fans coming back for more. Last night, they bulldozed their way through a 17-song set that spanned their entire discography. They drew material from seven of their nine studio albums. Unlike Megadeth, FFDP paid particular attention to their latest effort AfterLife, which came out on August 19 via Better Noise Music. The new music was well-received by the crowd.
The kicked off their set with the bruising “Inside Out.” Three songs in, they played their moody hit “Wash It All Away,” which is one of the best songs in the band’s arsenal. Other highlights included “AfterLife,” “Got Your Six,” “Never Enough,” and “Wrong Side of Heaven,” among others. Per usual, their cover of Bad Company’s moniker anthem garnered a massive response from the crowd. The wrapped up with another burner “Lift Me Up.”
The returned for an epic two-track encore comprised of the raging “Under and Over It” as well as their watershed anthem “The Bleeding.”
In this very same venue 12 years ago, Five Finger Death Punch opened for Godsmack. They put forth a tremendous effort and gave Sully Erna and company a serious run for their money. When their set concluded, Ivan Moody told the crowd, “The next time we come back to this venue, we’re headlining this motherfucker.”
Moody is a man of his word.
