Gigantour is an annual traveling heavy metal tour put together by Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. Similar to Ozzfest, while not as ambitious in scope, each tour consists of bands that, according to Mustaine, he just happens to like, regardless of their popularity. And, of course, Megadeth is the headlining act each year. Hence, Gigantour may not attract the marquee talent Ozzfest generally does, but there’s usually a nice variety of both up-and-coming bands and seasoned veterans.

This disc features artists from the 2006 tour. The newer ones, such as Smash-Up, Sanctity and Into Eternity, hit the stage first. Though earnest, none of them leave much of an impression (though that could be because this disc features only one or two songs from their sets). The next act, Over Kill, has been around at least as long as Metallica, but never found more than a cult following (only long-time headbangers will even know who they are). The three songs featured are tight and focused, though vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth gets more mileage from his stage presence than his vocal ability. Arch Enemy is a European death metal band with a female vocalist (Angela Gossow). Whether or not a seeing woman spewing death grunts impresses or amuses you, at least the band isn’t boring, and their songs are actually pretty good. Aside from Megadeth, Swedish progressive metal outfit Opeth are arguably the most talented band on the roster. Led by guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt, they’re an unholy fusion of psychedelia, death metal and 70s classic rock. Only one song is featured (most of their tunes run in the ten minute range), but it’s a stunner. Not only can Akerfeldt belch out the death grunts, he can also actually sing when required. Second on the bill are rising stars Lamb of God. I wasn’t personally impressed with their music, but their stage presence is captivating. Finally, Megadeth takes the stage and bangs out three numbers...one lost classic and two newer ones. Not surprisingly, they tear things up with tremendous musicianship.

Again, a nice variety of talent. Unfortunately, as far as this disc is concerned, it’s little more than a sampler. Running a scant 66 minutes, we are treated to just one to three songs from each band before it moves on to the next act. That’s fine for the newer groups (who are lucky just to be part of the tour), but you’d think they’d have at least included more comprehensive set-lists from the bigger ones. Some of the extras make-up for that, especially an hour-long behind-the-scenes documentary of the tour, which is sometimes more entertaining than show itself.

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