Gigantour

The two-disc Gigantour DVD documents a 2005 heavy-metal tour that was, in the words of visionary/headliner Dave Mustaine, "for people who love the guitar solo." In the documentary half, Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy describes his technical-ecstasy band as "the Grateful Dead of heavy metal." He's right, though it shoulda been Mustaine's Megadeth, an old-school thrash titan whose classic lineup, like Black Sabbath before it, mixed blistering hesher metal, jazz fusion, and black magic. But you'll find none of it here.

As with most of the groups, Megadeth's three selections are culled from so-so newer albums. The discs consistently fail to present the most interesting parts of the tour: Post-hardcore heroes Dillinger Escape Plan bewildered and antagonized the longhair crowds, but aren't even mentioned. When members of all the supporting bands join Megadeth for its signature song, "Peace Sells," all we get is a brief clip. Anthrax's reunited lineup appears on the CD version but only briefly in the documentary. Dry Kill Logic, Life of Agony, and Symphony X get the shred out, but unimaginative shots do little to capture the ace playing that the tour celebrates. And crushing performances by mecha-metal pioneers Fear Factory and viking raiders Nevermore are offset by bug-eyed, faux-hawk theatrics from nu-metaler Bobaflex. And the tour was way more metal than that. — D.X. Ferris