DETH ON THE HIGH SEAS

The inaugural MegaCruise was poised to be an Avengers-like moment. For five glorious days, some of metal’s biggest bands – including hosts Megadeth and East Coast legends Anthrax, half of the Big 4 – would share close quarters with 2,000 metal fans on a 42,000-kg, 300-metre ocean liner, as it traversed the tranquil waters of the Pacific around Southern California and northern Mexico.

But in June, Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine announced that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. It became apparent that the frontman would not be able to attend the cruise, much less perform. To the delight of those on board, though, his colleagues banded together to provide ample opportunities for getting caught in a mosh while cruising 1.3km above the ocean floor. It might not have been the