Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus
February 21, 2026
Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
Where do you even begin with a trio of bands that share the kind of influence, pedigree, and legacy that these three bands share? From the beginning, that’s where.
All three bands or breakouts in the early 80s thrash metal scene, and while Megadeth and anthrax make up half of what is considered the big four of thrash metal, Exodus is not far behind – a band that has not shared the same commercial success, but spent their entire career fighting against the grain and staying true to their roots.
Exodus kicked off the night at precisely 7 PM with an absolutely unrelenting six songs set featuring one of the new singles from their upcoming album “Goliath”. Hard hitting and unrelenting, a trademark of the Exodus sound, the band wasted no time in bringing the brutality and holding that energy solid through their entire set. Short but sweet, highlights of the set featured the songs Blacklist, Bonded by Blood, and Strike of the Beast. At one point singer Rob Dukes brought out a drink for guitarist Gary Holt, and took over his picking duties while Holt enjoyed his drink.
Exodus in an opening slot always leaves me wanting more – they’re a band I could watch Headline over and over
Up next, Anthrax carried things right along, launching into Among the Living right from go, and sustaining the auditory assault through a dozen songs, sprinkling selections across only 4 albums of material, yet the song choices perfectly defined their career. “Got the Time” “Madhouse” “Metal Thrashing Mad” and “Indians” were definite highlights for me.
You could feel the anticipation in the air as the crowd waited for Megadeth to take the stage, for what may be their final Edmonton performance, as this is their Farewell tour. With a career spanning over 4 decades, Dave Mystaine and company opened with a blistering start featuring a new track called Tipping Point. I always see debate over what should have been played and what shouldn’t – but how do you compress a career with such an expansive library into 90-ish minutes? Covering a large part of their discography – touching on 10 albums, Megadeth seared their way through 18 tracks to an absolutely rabid audience. Mosh pits, singalongs, and plenty of headbanging filled the walls of Rogers Place, with Dave Mustaine leading the destruction. Dave has been pretty open about his struggles with his hands and his voice in recent years, and aside from a couple spots, you wouldn’t really notice it. Maybe some of the song choices were tailored to be easier on him, but that didn’t stop him from performing classics such as Sweating Bullets, Tornado of Souls, Skin Of My Teeth, Holy Wars and Hangar 18. I really hope this isn’t the end of the mighty Megadeth, but if it is, it was a damn fine send off.
