MEGADETH: Pro-shot footage from Sonisphere, Sweden 2011

As the band with the closest links to Metallica with regards to the thrash metal ‘Big 4’ (with frontman Dave Mustaine being an ex-Metallica guitarist), in some ways they have the most to prove. Of the ‘Big 4’ thrash bands, they’ve arguably been the band with the most unstable line-up, with Megadeth at times seeming no more than “Mustaine + some blokes”. The reinstatement of former bassist David Ellefson in 2010 helped a little, but even so, as a band, they don’t have much of a public face.

This set from Sonisphere appears somewhat workmanlike, with the audience visibly unmoved at times. This isn’t helped by the vocals being too low in the mix. It’s a shame things didn’t work out better, since with regards to the ‘Big 4’, Megadeth have recorded some of the best songs. Their ‘Rust In Peace’ and ‘Countdown To Extinction albums, in particular, are on a par with Metallica’s best, and certainly far superior to most of Metallica’s 1991 output…