ONI, an Ontario metalcore quintet, opened the show from those who came early. An unexpected opener for the thrash metal giants—it was a much more modern take with big choruses, growling lows and pounding breakdowns. You could hear the influence of artists like Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, and even some progressive metal sprinkled throughout their set while putting their unique twist on things. The band warmed up the crowd with a tight set.
Megadeth at the Canadian Tire Centre. Photo by Landon Entwistle.
UK metalcore veterans, Bullet For My Valentine, took to the stage next. The band flew through their hits, starting with “Your Betrayal” and ending with “Scream Aim Fire.”
Finally, the lights dimmed and thrash metal legends Megadeth, led by Dave Mustaine, made way with an explosive version of “Hangar 18.” While the set was relatively short by most headliner standards, the band wasted no time between songs, with the likes of “She-Wolf,” “Sweating Bullets,” and “Peace Sells,” leading to frenzies in the mosh pits. Mustaine spoke to the crowd before the final song, thanking each for the support during his recent battle with throat cancer. A fitting end to the show was an encore of “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due,” which had crowd surfers flooding over the barrier as solo after solo tore through the CTC.
