This year's Gigantour featured sets from Overkill, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Lamb Of God, and Megadeth. It was an intimate gathering of Thrashers young and old alike. It still amazes me how this genre has come around full circle, and is influencing teens around the globe. Seeing kids sporting mullets, high tops, tight jeans, and jean jackets emblazoned with Venom patches is a little too surreal. But it's a good thing and outshines any current pop trends currently in vogue.

Unfortunately I missed most of Arch Enemy's set. But they are one of the tightest Metal acts going right now, and you gotta love lead vocalist Angela Gossow and her growls. She puts just about any female frontwoman to shame and is Metal to the core.

As much as I love Swedish Prog Rockers Opeth, a festival setting doesn't really do them justice. They always come across better in an enclosed venue, with the smells of mother nature surrounding you. They still Rocked though and the we fans enjoyed every minute of it. Highlights included "Ghost of perdition", The Leper Affinity," "Windowpane," and "Deliverance."

Lamb Of God are very hip right now in the world of heaviness. In fact, I was surprised to learn that their latest album debuted at number eight on the Billboard charts. That's no small feat even if Beyonce didn't release an album that week. It just goes to show that even without radio airplay or MTV regurgitation, this form of music will always conquer no matter the limitations. Even though LOG seem to consistently borrow from the same formula, their sound is ferocious. Also, ring leader Randy Blythe is a fireball of energy and commitment. Their set was as followed... "Ruin," "Hourglass," "Walk With Me In Hell," "Blacken the Cursed Sun," "Again We Will Rise," "Redneck," and "Black Label."

Megadeth is really only Megadave these days. Being the sole original member out of the classic 1990 lineup, his hired guns do well and wouldn't look too out of place in let's say, Whitesnake. That aside, you gotta respect Dave for putting this whole thing together a second year in a row. Word is that he may be retiring yet again. So this was crucial for anyone wanting to see Megadeth one last time. The hits were all here mixed in with a few surpises, most notably being "Set The World Afire," and "Take No Prisoners." Of course all the staples were there such as "Symphony Of Destruction," "Sweating Bullets," "Skin O' My Teeth," and "In My Darkest Hour." "Wake Up Dead" is a personal fave of mine. Dave debuted a new track called "Washington Is Next" which musically and lyrically sounded just fine. "Holy Wars" ended the festival on a glorious high note.

Let's hope there will be another Gigantour next year to keep the spirit of Thrash alive. Thanks to Chris Cuomo for the outstanding pics.