Cinematic metal show worth hype

One dude in the back of the room said it best: "YEAAAHHARR- GGGHH!"

That pretty much summed things up in a throaty yowl suggestive of a drunken, phlegmatic Yeti in a moment of ecstasy.

The skies were gray in Sofia, Bulgaria, last Tuesday, but the mood was decidedly less cloudy inside one of the auditoriums at the Sam's Town cinemas, where "The Big Four" concert broadcast was being shown to a raucous crowd after having been filmed abroad earlier.

For metal fans of a certain vintage, this was a big deal -- we're talking huge, like a Lemmy Kilmister bar tab -- a chance to see the four biggest bands of the '80s thrash scene (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax) put aside past differences and play on the same stage together, which had never happened prior to this run of European festival dates.

And the audience in the theater was ready for it, guzzling brews and Jagermeister smuggled into the place, clapping and bellowing along with their rain-soaked Bulgarian brethren.

The show, running close to four hours, was worth the hype, with plenty of highlights: Anthrax, reunited with singer Joey Belladonna once again, paying tribute to deceased metal icon Ronnie James Dio with Black Sabbath's Dio-era chestnut "Heaven and Hell"; Megadeth, with original bassist David Ellefson back in the fold, tearing through one of the greatest exercises in carpal tunnel-inducing metal guitar acrobatics, "Hangar 18"; the sun coming out for a moment during Slayer's seriously unsunny "Hate Worldwide"; Metallica jamming with members of all the other bands during a thundering "Am I Evil?"

But what about seeing a show like this in a movie theater? Concert broadcasts have become increasingly common in recent years, and with show tickets growing more and more expensive, is something like this a reasonable alternative?

Well, there are benefits to seeing a live gig in this setting. The sound is crystalline, almost to a fault -- man, Megadeth's Dave Mustaine could not hit a high note if it was standing in front of him, insulting his mom. Plus, the views are incredible, with some gnarly close-ups -- sweet nose hair, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. Moreover, you don't have to scrub the stink of the pit off you afterward and no overpriced beer gets spilled on you.

The downsides: There is no overpriced beer to be spilled on you, and you're sitting down at a rock show -- this is like pounding O'Douls at a kegger.

But, hey, unless "The Big Four" tour comes to America, which seems like a long shot, this was the next best thing.

"History is happening right now," Metallica frontman James Hetfield announced at one point as history was also being made of plenty of Budweiser, silence and subtlety in a darkened movie theater.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.