LIVE: Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, The HU & Fire From the Gods at Lakeview

Last Tuesday night the St. Joseph’s Amphitheater at Lakeview played host to its final concert for the 2022 concert season, bringing nu-metal titans Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, The HU, and Fire from the Gods along.

Opening the evening was the American rap-metal band Fire from the Gods from Austin. They were an excellent choice to get the crowd pumped up and primed for the festivities ahead. Right out of the gate, lead vocalist AJ Channer wasted no time hitting the crowd with the fiery and intense track, “Soul Revolution.” Channer and his band mates Bonnie Walker (bass), Jameson Teat (guitars, backing vocals), Richard Wicander (drums), and Drew Walker (lead guitar) had no trouble cranking out an incredible 40-minute set with other song highlights such as “The Voiceless,” and “Right Now.”

The next artist was the Mongolian folk metal band The HU. Many may have first been introduced to this interesting band playing their version of the classic Metallica track “Sad but True.”

The stage filled with smoke and dim lights as the band walked out onstage, a great ambiance to set the tone. As the stage lights came up they went right into a familiar song “Wolf Totem,” an excellent song and an even better song done live. The HU displayed an incredible amount of energy and the crowd reflected that back. Even though their set was short they played some really good songs such as“Yuve Yuve Yu,” and “This is Mongol.” Overall, they were amazing and their music done in a live setting is so much more in-depth and intense than their studio recordings. If you do get the chance to see them live, do it. They do not disappoint.

Hitting the stage next was the sonically charged and amazing almighty Megadeth. Their haunting and terrifying visuals are amplified by their music which makes for an immersive overall experience for the concert-goer.

From the moment Dave Mustaine and the band took the stage with the classic alien conspiracy-themed track “Hangar 18,” they had no trouble getting the crowd going. Mustaine was backed up by James LoMenzo (bass), Kiko Loureiro (guitars), and Dirk Verbeuren (drums) and played a blistering set that included an eclectic mix of their new and classic songs. Some songs included were “Angry Again,” “Peace Sells,” and “Holy Wars..The Punishment Due,” and some of their newer tracks which as well like the live debuts from their new album The Sick, The Dying and the Dead, “Soldier On!” and We’ll Be Back.”

The most admirable trait about Dave Mustaine is that he does not take his fans for granted, he spoke briefly thanking the fans for their loyalty and sticking with Megadeth over the years, through the good times, his battle with cancer, and everything in between because without the fans he wouldn’t be doing this. After the final notes of their last song were fading and the band left the stage Mustaine, in high-class fashion was the last to leave the stage taking a bow and thanking everyone.

The final artist of the 2022 concert season at the amphitheater to take the stage was Five Finger Death Punch.  The Las Vegas-based nu-metal band is no stranger to playing this area and brought their brass knuckle and punch-to-head blend of music to the amped-up and energetic fans who were waiting and ready to throw down and mosh.  

Lead singer and ringmaster Ivan Moody and the band led the charge with their track “Inside Out,” and only briefly paused before getting right into “Trouble.” Moody, along with bandmates Zoltan Bathory (guitars), Chris Kael (bass), Charlie Engen (drums), and the newest addition to the band Andy James (lead guitar), played a blistering 85-minute set.

Some songs worth noting in their set were their classic “Wash it All Away,” along with their famous cover of “Bad Company,” “Wrong Side of Heaven,” and the fist-pumping rager “Lift Me Up.”  One thing that is for certain, this fist-pumping, slam dancing show was not for the timid or faint of heart but it was a good show to end the 2022 concert season at the St. Joseph’s Amphitheater at Lakeview See everyone next year.