Megadeth
That One Night: Live In Buenos Aires (DVD)

July 2008
Released: 2007, Image Entertainment
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Lord of the Wasteland

Megadeth’s 2004 album, THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED, was supposed to be a Dave Mustaine solo album and the ensuing tour was planned as a farewell to Megadeth fans. No one suspected Megadeth to claw their way to the top of metal’s most revered bands again, especially after the weak RISK and THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO releases that preceded THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED. Nor was the inaugural Gigantour expected to take Megadeth to yet another level of prominence. Mustaine himself seemed surprised, blessed and just plain at a loss for words when at a concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 9, 2005, he announced that “we will be back!” It was this show that was filmed for THIS ONE NIGHT: LIVE IN BUENOS AIRES and was a prophecy for what the next two years of Mustaine’s life would be like in Megadeth.



Rather than presenting a straightforward live concert, THIS ONE NIGHT: LIVE IN BUENOS AIRES seems more like a documentary, much like Rush’s RUSH IN RIO. As Megadeth arrives in Argentina, the band’s vehicle transporting them is mobbed in an almost Beatles-like hysteria by the Argentine fans. Once the band arrives at their hotel, Mustaine and guitarist Glen Drover sit on the front lawn with acoustic guitars playing “In My Darkest Hour” while fans sing the words. These moments are cut between the seventeen live songs and really make this an extraordinary release. The band’s live set is a bit hit-and-miss with curious inclusions like “I’ll Be There,” “Something That I’m Not” and “Coming Home” bringing down the energy but all the expected songs are here. A great medley of “Hangar 18” and “Return To Hangar” is something I’d like to hear added to the band’s live set permanently, as well as one of the most underrated tracks on THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED, “The Scorpion.” The 25,000-strong crowd at Buenos Aires’ Obras Stadium doesn’t seem to mind, though, as they can actually be heard singing along to the guitar parts! It’s no wonder Mustaine chose to film this show with fans that are that dedicated and rabid and it certainly adds to the viewer’s experience watching at home.



The audio is presented here in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Stereo and the video is in anamorphic widescreen, so home theater enthusiasts will have plenty to get excited about and show off to their friends, as well.



With the third annual Gigantour just wrapping up in North America, Megadeth once again heads south of the equator for what is sure to be a similar response as is presented on THIS ONE NIGHT: LIVE IN BUENOS AIRES. The DVD itself is pretty bare-bones in terms of features as there are no extras whatsoever, not even a booklet, but this is a hell of a show capturing the second coming of tharsh metal pioneers, Megadeth.



***A CD version of this concert was released simultaneously and features four additional songs not on the DVD.