MEGADETH played the first of three shows at the 15,000-capacity Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina last night (Saturday, April 13). The group’s 15-song setlist included two tracks from MEGADETH‘s latest album, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!”: the title track, which kicked off the concert, and “We’ll Be Back”
After the first concert at Movistar Arena sold out in a matter of minutes, the band added another date at the same venue, scheduled for tonight (Sunday, April 14). That concert sold out in two hours, according to concert promoter Ake Music Productions. MEGADETH later announced that it would play a third show at Movistar Arena on April 16.
MEGADETH‘s concerts in Argentina are taking place 30 years after the band’s first appearance in the country, which was held on December 2, 1994 at the Obras Sanitarias stadium. It was at that gig that the chant “Aguante Megadeth” was started during the song “Symphony Of Destruction”, loosely translating to “MEGADETH rocks”.
MEGADETH‘s setlist for the first Buenos Aires show was as follows:
01. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!
02. Dread And The Fugitive Mind
03. Skin O’ My Teeth
04. Hangar 18
05. Wake Up Dead
06. In My Darkest Hour
07. Sweating Bullets
08. Trust
09. À Tout Le Monde
10. Tornado Of Souls
11. We’ll Be Back
12. Symphony Of Destruction
13. Devil’s Island
14. Peace Sells
Encore:
15. Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari joined MEGADETH last September after the band’s longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH‘s “Crush The World” tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that Mäntysaari would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.
The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.
MEGADETH played its first concert with Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick‘s exit from the group.
Since its inception in 1983, MEGADETH has ascended from its raw thrash metal roots to become an unstoppable force in the heavy metal world. With founder Dave Mustaine at the helm, MEGADETH‘s journey has been marked by a penchant for pushing the boundaries of speed, technicality, and complexity in their music. Their groundbreaking album “Rust In Peace”, released in 1990, is frequently cited as a seminal work in the thrash metal genre. Along with the critically acclaimed “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?”, it cemented MEGADETH‘s place in the annals of metal history.
Over four decades, the band’s discography has earned numerous certifications, including platinum and multi-platinum awards, with albums like “Countdown To Extinction” and “Youthanasia” achieving widespread critical acclaim. 2016’s “Dystopia” not only marked a high point with their first Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance” after twelve nominations but also set the stage for their latest triumph, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” in 2022. MEGADETH‘s status as part of the “Big Four” of thrash metal underscores their trailblazing role in the genre, laying the groundwork for countless bands and musicians who have followed in their wake.