Initially, I planned on doing two separate reviews for the recently released Gigantour 2 CD and separately sold DVD of the same name, via Image Entertainment. But like many metal fans are sure to attest, you can’t really have one of these releases without the other nearby. And the same theme applies for reviewing these items. And so I will break them both down right here as best I can, hopefully coherently.
This pair of releases collects highlights from the second go-around for the Megadeth-spearheaded tour, which took place in 2006. The original tour in 2005 had some bigger names compared to the ’06 lineup, including Fear Factory and Dream Theater, but the quality of bands on the second tour should not be overlooked. Seven metal groups trekked across North America two years ago with Megadeth, including southern-fried Testament admirers Lamb of God, Opeth, Sanctity, Into Eternity, The Smash Up, the legendary Overkill and Arch Enemy. And all are represented on both Gigantour 2 releases.
After listening to them a few times, it is apparent that Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, who handpicks the bands he tours with, picked a killer lineup that rivals what Ozzfest originally sought to accomplish: come see some of your favorite metal bands and leave having discovered new potential favorites.
With both formats, you get over and hour’s worth of performances, plus a bonus/hidden live version of the ever-relevant Megadeth classic “Peace Sells.” As far as the track lists are concerned, there’s a six song difference between the Gigantour 2 CD and DVD: Opeth, Sanctity, Into Eternity, and Overkill contribute different songs on both discs, and Lamb of God has three tracks on CD as opposed to two on the DVD.
Other than that – and without giving too much away – the CD has one more performance (15 in total) than the DVD, but the latter has an additional hour’s worth of some cool, fan-friendly behind-the-scenes footage of the ’06 tour and several insightful band interviews. Thus, both discs have a lot to offer.
On CD (and DVD), The Smash Up, a metal band from New York, starts things off with a good but hardly distinctive track called “Rachel’s Day.” Compared to other bands on this tour, if this song is any indication, these guys are a damn solid outfit but would fit better on a Deftones or Sparta tour than an extreme/thrash metal circuit. From there, the listening experience gets much better.
Article comments