POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Pair of Punk, Metal Bands Show Growth

In the early ‘80s, metal and punk were still diametrically opposed, at least in theory. In practice, only a few degrees of style and attitude separated the severe crunch of speed-metal bands like Megadeth, which closed its latest U.S. tour at Olympic Auditorium on Saturday night, and the intensive crush of hard-core punk bands like Corrosion of Conformity, which opened the show.

Over the years, as punk and metal were expanding and overlapping, both bands were growing too. Saturday’s show exemplified that growth.

Megadeth put on a carefully choreographed display of precision metal with a punk sneer. Front-man Dave Mustaine basked in the warm vibes generated by the hometown crowd, snarling the songs with gusto and engaging in some vigorous guitar sparring with Marty Friedman. The set ranged from the tightly wound, pummeling assaults of the band’s earlier material to its more dynamic later work, including the beefy swing of “Sweating Bullets,” the prickly power ballad “A Tout le Monde” and the crisply grinding syncopation of “Train of Consequences.”

Though Corrosion of Conformity has certainly taken on a metallic sheen of late, the Raleigh, N.C., band retains the ragged punk edge of its formative years. The fiery opening set was a product of the tension between those forces.

In tempering ferocity with some finesse, both bands have mapped out a more engaging middle ground.