Power Trip (band)

Last updated

Power Trip
Power Trip - Rock am Ring 2019-2396.jpg
Power Trip in 2019
Background information
Origin Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Years active2008–2020 (hiatus), 2023–present
Labels
Members
  • Blake Ibanez
  • Chris Ulsh
  • Nick Stewart
  • Chris Whetzel
  • Seth Gilmore
Past members
  • Riley Gale
  • Marcus Johnson
Website powertripsl.bandcamp.com

Power Trip is an American crossover thrash band formed in Dallas, Texas, in 2008. By 2020, Power Trip's lineup consisted of Riley Gale (lead vocals), Blake Ibanez (lead guitar), Nick Stewart (rhythm guitar), Chris Whetzel (bass) and Chris Ulsh (drums); the latter replaced drummer Marcus Johnson, who left in 2009. [1] Their current singer is Seth Gilmore, who replaced Gale in 2023, more than three years after the latter's death. They have released two studio albums to date, Manifest Decimation (2013) and Nightmare Logic (2017), plus a compilation including their early tracks and a live album.

Contents

Power Trip was one of the most successful thrash metal bands of the 2010s, with Nightmare Logic entering the Billboard charts, [2] and receiving a number of accolades by publications. [3] [4] [5] A live version of the song "Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)" received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. [6] [7]

History

In 2013, the band signed with the Southern Lord Records label and released their first studio album, Manifest Decimation . [1] Their second album, Nightmare Logic , was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. [8] The Guardian mentioned that singer Riley Gale's lyrics on Nightmare Logic, were about "social inequality and activism". He described Nightmare Logic as "dealing with this waking nightmare, things seem so surreal that they're unbelievable … trying to find optimism and a motivating force and realising that the 99% of us have more in common than we think". [9] The success of Nightmare Logic, as well as sharing the stage with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, Napalm Death, Lamb of God, Hatebreed, Five Finger Death Punch, Opeth, Danzig and Obituary, [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] helped Power Trip become one of the most popular thrash metal bands in the 2010s. [15] [16]

In 2018, the album Opening Fire: 2008–2014 was released as a way to compile their extra tracks. [17] In late 2019, Power Trip announced that they were working on their third album. [18]

Vocalist Riley Gale died on August 24, 2020, at the age of 34. His death was announced by the band the next day. [9] [19] In May 2021, it was reported that the official cause of death was ruled by the Dallas County's medical examiner as an accidental overdose from the "toxic effects" of fentanyl. The report also claimed that Gale, who reportedly had a history of depression and drug abuse, had been found "unresponsive on the floor at home" and the only other substance found in his system was marijuana. [20] [21]

At the time of Gale's death, Power Trip was on the bill for a European tour with Lamb of God and Kreator, which was originally scheduled to take place in the spring of 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the tour being rescheduled to late 2021 and again to late 2022; the band was eventually replaced by Thy Art Is Murder and Gatecreeper. [22] [23] [24]

In a March 2021 interview with Los Angeles Times , the surviving members of Power Trip stated that they were unsure of the band's future, but did not rule out the possibility of continuing in Gale's memory. Lead guitarist Blake Ibanez commented, "We do want to continue to play music together; we just are not sure what that looks like at this time." [25]

On December 1, 2023, the surviving members of Power Trip played a secret surprise set at The Mohawk in Austin, Texas with Fugitive's Seth Gilmore on vocals. [26] On February 20, 2024, the band announced they would be playing several shows in 2024, starting with the No Values Festival in June, with Gilmore returning on vocals. [27]

Musical style and influences

Their sound has been described by critics as thrash metal [1] and hardcore punk, [1] [28] [29] as well as simply crossover thrash. [30] Gale cited the importance of guitar riffs and pop songs: "Some of Blake [Ibanez]'s favorite bands are Killing Joke, Stone Roses, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Wipers". Gale said that he worked hard to do concise lyrics: "each word relates to the sentence, and how the sentence relates to the verse. Making sure everything's connected and there's not a syllable wasted." "I try to write something that's catchy that people can sing along to mindlessly". "[I write about] the frustrations with what I see. People's motivations". [31] AllMusic wrote that their music reached fans of both "hardcore punk and extreme music". [1]

Band members

Current members

Former members

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbum details
2013 Manifest Decimation
2017 Nightmare Logic
  • Released: February 24, 2017
  • Label: Southern Lord Records

Compilation albums

YearAlbum details
2018 Opening Fire: 2008–2014
  • Released: April 27, 2018
  • Label: Dark Operative

Live albums

YearAlbum details
2020Live in Seattle: 05.28.2018 [6] [7]
  • Released: June 11, 2020
  • Label: Dark Operative

Singles

YearNameAlbum
2016SplitSingle release
"Firing Squad"Nightmare Logic
2017"Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)"
"Nightmare Logic"
2018"Hornet's Nest" [32] Adult Swim Singles Collection
2019"When Things Go Wrong" [33] Hot Sh!t Attitude

EPs

YearEP details
2008Demo 2008
  • Released: 2008
2009Armageddon Blues
  • Released: 2009
2011Power Trip
  • Released: 2011

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2021Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe) - Live Best Metal Performance [6] [7] Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthrax (American band)</span> American thrash metal band

Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is part of the "Big Four" of the genre, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. They were also one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast. The band's current lineup consists of Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, vocalist Joey Belladonna and lead guitarist Jonathan Donais. Anthrax's lineup has changed numerous times over their career, leaving Ian as the only constant member of the band. Ian and Benante are the only two members to appear on all of Anthrax's albums, while Bello has been a member of Anthrax since 1984, replacing Lilker.

Thrash metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kreator</span> German thrash metal band

Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédéric Leclercq. The band's lineup has changed multiple times throughout its 42-year career, most noticeably with their bassists and lead guitarists. Petrozza and Reil are the only two original members left in Kreator, although the latter took a break from the band from 1994 to 1996. Yli-Sirniö has been the lead guitarist of Kreator since 2001, while Leclercq joined in 2019 as the replacement of Christian "Speesy" Giesler, who had been a member of the band since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepultura</span> Brazilian heavy metal band

Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera. The band was a major force in the groove metal, thrash metal and death metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments drawing influence from alternative metal, world music, nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial metal. Sepultura has also been credited as one of the second wave of thrash metal acts from the late 1980s to early-to-mid-1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuclear Blast</span> German independent record label, specialised in metal and related music styles

Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by thrash metal, melodic death metal, grindcore, industrial metal, power metal and black metal bands, as well as tribute albums. It also distributes and promotes post-hardcore/metalcore labels SharpTone Records; another post-hardcore/metalcore label, Arising Empire, was in Nuclear Blast portfolio until its acquirement by Kontor New Media in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamb of God (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994 as Burn the Priest, the group consists of bassist John Campbell, vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, and drummer Art Cruz. The band is considered a significant member of the new wave of American heavy metal movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Testament (band)</span> American thrash metal band

Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band's current lineup comprises rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Chris Dovas. Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member, though they have since reunited with Skolnick, who had been out of the band from 1992 to 2005. Billy has been a member of Testament since 1986, when he replaced original singer Steve "Zetro" Souza, who had left to replace Paul Baloff in Exodus. He and Peterson are the only members to appear on all of Testament's studio albums, with the latter being the only constant member overall. The band has released thirteen studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums, thirteen singles and three DVDs. They are estimated to have sold over 1.4 million albums in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era and over 14 million copies worldwide as of 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodom (band)</span> German thrash metal band

Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist/vocalist Tom Angelripper as the only constant member. The band is currently composed of Angelripper, guitarists Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik and Yorck Segatz, and drummer Toni Merkel. Along with Kreator, Destruction and Tankard, Sodom has been referred to as one of the "Big Four" of Teutonic thrash metal. Sodom heavily influenced the German black metal scene. In addition, the band is regarded as a pioneer of death metal. Mike McPadden wrote that the most Venom-blackened of German "Three Kings", Sodom further merged thrash and death metal into a "wicked and decadent sound".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exodus (band)</span> American thrash metal band

Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who has departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Exodus is also notable for including a then-unknown Kirk Hammett, who was the band's lead guitarist from its inception to his departure in 1983, when he left to join fellow Bay Area thrash metal band Metallica as Dave Mustaine's replacement. Holt has been most consistent member throughout various lineup changes and breakups, and is the only member to appear on all of Exodus' recordings. Much of the band's career has also been affected by feuds between both band members and record companies, two extended hiatuses, deaths of former band members and drug addictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vio-lence</span> American thrash metal band

Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its career, they have released demo tapes, three EPs and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, and often credited as one of the leading lights of the second wave of the genre. They are also considered to be a member of the "Big Six of Bay Area Thrash Metal," alongside Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit and Forbidden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destruction (band)</span> German thrash metal band

Destruction is a German thrash metal band formed in 1982. They have been credited as one of the "Big Four" of the German thrash metal scene, the others being Kreator, Sodom and Tankard. In addition to helping pioneer black metal, Destruction was part of the second wave of thrash metal in the mid-to-late 1980s, along with American bands Testament, Sacred Reich, Death Angel and Dark Angel. For most of the 1990s, the band was not signed to a record label and self-produced their albums until they signed a contract with Nuclear Blast in the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Angel</span> American thrash metal band

Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. It has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda are the only members of to appear on all of their studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aura Noir</span> Norwegian black/thrash metal band

Aura Noir is a Norwegian black/thrash metal band from Oslo. Aura Noir is heavily influenced by early thrash bands such as Voivod, Slayer, Sodom and Kreator, to the latter they have also dedicated some of their songs. The band's main lyrical themes focus on blasphemy, death and aggression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trivium (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. The band comprises vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu, bassist Paolo Gregoletto, and drummer Alex Bent.

<i>Extreme Aggression</i> 1989 studio album by Kreator

Extreme Aggression is the fourth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator released in 1989. While the band had already gained a sizeable following in the US due to their 1988 tour with the crossover thrash band D.R.I., this album introduced many American fans to Kreator, primarily through heavy rotation of the "Betrayer" music video on MTV's Headbangers Ball, which was partly shot at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. The beginning of the song "Love Us or Hate Us" was used in an early 1990s promo ad by the Los Angeles radio station KNAC. This was their first album issued in the US by Epic Records. The album was also available on picture disc vinyl.

Teutonic thrash metal is a regional scene of thrash metal music that originated within German-speaking countries during the 1980s, and its title is a reference to the Germanic tribe. Along with Bay Area thrash metal, East Coast thrash metal, and Brazilian thrash metal, this was one of the major scenes of thrash metal in the 1980s, and it was developed and popularized by four German bands – Destruction, Kreator, Sodom and Tankard – that have been referred to as "The Big Four of Teutonic Thrash". The label of "Big Four" has often been rejected, emerging from the belief that the influence and popularity of Tankard was far less than that of the other 3, leading to the alternate title, "the Teutonic Trio".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warbringer</span> American thrash metal band

Warbringer is an American thrash metal band formed in 2004. Century Media Records signed Warbringer after seeing them at a local show in LA. Originally, a Century Media rep was at the show to see another LA thrash metal band but decided to sign Warbringer instead. Warbringer's second album Waking into Nightmares was released on May 19, 2009. The album reached No. 14 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Despite numerous line-up changes, Warbringer has released six full-length studio albums, and along with Bonded by Blood, Evile, Hatchet and Havok, they are notable for being part of the late 2000s and early 2010s "thrash metal revival" scene.

<i>Nightmare Logic</i> 2017 studio album by Power Trip

Nightmare Logic is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Power Trip. It was released on February 24, 2017 through Southern Lord Records and was met with critical acclaim. This marked the second collaboration with producer Arthur Rizk, having previously worked with Rizk on their debut album Manifest Decimation (2013). This is the last Power Trip studio album to feature vocalist Riley Gale before he died on August 24, 2020.

<i>Manifest Decimation</i> Power Trip album

Manifest Decimation is the debut album by American thrash metal band Power Trip. It was released on June 11, 2013 through Southern Lord Recordings. The album is a precursor to Nightmare Logic, which launched them to stardom with their brand of old school thrash metal. The album was produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Arthur Rizk.

<i>Hate Über Alles</i> 2022 studio album by Kreator

Hate Über Alles is the fifteenth studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, which was released on 10 June 2022 through Nuclear Blast. Produced by Arthur Rizk, it is the band's first studio album since Gods of Violence (2017), the longest gap between studio albums in their career, and the first to feature bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who replaced Christian "Speesy" Giesler in 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jurek, Thom. "Power Trip". AllMusic . Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Power Trip - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  3. ↑ "25 Best Metal Albums of 2017". Loudwire . November 27, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  4. ↑ Weingarten, Christopher R.; Shteamer, Hank; Bienstock, Richard; Grow, Kory; Epstein, Dan (December 6, 2017). "20 Best Metal Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  5. ↑ Epstein, Dan; Bennett, J.; Pessaro, Fred; Camp, Zoe; Geist, Brandon (December 5, 2017). "20 Best Albums of 2017". Revolver . Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 "Power Trip". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy . Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Grammy Awards 2021: In This Moment, Body Count, Code Orange, Power Trip Among 'Best Metal Performance' Nominees". Blabbermouth.net. November 24, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  8. ↑ "NIGHTMARE LOGIC by Power Trip". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (August 26, 2020). "Riley Gale, frontman with thrash metal band Power Trip, dies aged 34". The Guardian . Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  10. ↑ Lim, Cherrie (August 26, 2020). "Power Trip's Riley Gale passes away at age 34, leaves fans and friends devastated". Bandwagon. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Riley Gale Of Power Trip Has Died". Opelika-Auburn News . Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  12. ↑ "'Power Trip' lead singer Riley Gale passes away". Big News Network. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Riley Gale, Singer for Thrash Band Powertrip Dead at 34". Funky Moose Records. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Obituary, Exodus & Power Trip announce tour". BrooklynVegan. June 12, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  15. ↑ Konstantinos, Pappis (August 26, 2020). "Power Trip's Riley Gale Dies at 34". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  16. ↑ Deville, Chris (August 26, 2020). "Riley Gale Of Power Trip Has Died". Stereogum. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  17. ↑ Kennelty, Greg (April 27, 2018). "POWER TRIP Streams Early Material Compilation Opening Fire: 2008-2014". Metal Injection. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  18. ↑ Kennelty, Greg (August 27, 2019). "POWER TRIP Working On A New Album This Week". Metal Injection. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  19. ↑ Mudrian, Albert. "Power Trip Frontman Riley Gale Dies at 34". Decibel . Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  20. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (May 25, 2021). "Riley Gale, Singer for Thrash Metal Band Power Trip, Dead at 34". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Power Trip's Riley Gale - Cause of Death Confirmed". Loudwire . May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  22. ↑ "LAMB OF GOD And KREATOR Announce Spring 2020 European Co-Headlining Tour". Blabbermouth.net . April 25, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  23. ↑ "LAMB OF GOD And KREATOR Announce Rescheduled Dates For 'State Of Unrest' European Tour". Blabbermouth.net . July 31, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  24. ↑ "LAMB OF GOD And KREATOR Postpone 'State Of Unrest' European Tour To Fall 2022". Blabbermouth.net . October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  25. ↑ "For the surviving members of metal band Power Trip, the Grammys are a bittersweet coda". Los Angeles Times . March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  26. ↑ Corcoran, Nina; Hussey, Allison. "Power Trip Reunite in Texas for Surprise Set". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  27. ↑ Greg Kennelty (February 20, 2024). "POWER TRIP Reunites, Announces First Show Back". Metal Injection. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  28. ↑ Shepherd, Sam (March 2, 2017). "Power Trip – Nightmare Logic". musicOMH. OMH. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  29. ↑ Brown, Louise. "Power Trip". The Quietus. TheQuietus.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  30. ↑ Pessaro, Fred (September 20, 2017). "Power Trip: A Day In The Life Of The Crossover-Thrash Juggernaut". Revolver Magazine . Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  31. ↑ Reed, Dunlea (November 14, 2018). "Power Trip: Inside Crossover Thrashers' Raucous First-Ever Japanese Tour". Revolvermag.com. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  32. ↑ Camp, Zoe (June 6, 2018). "HEAR POWER TRIP'S FURIOUS NEW STAND-ALONE SONG "HORNET'S NEST"". Revolver . Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  33. ↑ Hadusek, Jon (December 20, 2019). "Power Trip cover "When Things Go Wrong" by NYHC band Outburst: Stream". Yahoo! Entertainment . Retrieved December 21, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.