Power Trip

Nightmare Logic (2017)

TomTrauma

2016 was a tremendous year for classic thrash and crossover. 30 year old bands like Anthrax, Death Angel, Discharge, DRI, Megadeth, Metallica, Suicidal Tendencies and Testament all put out killer new material. 2017 is shaping up to be a banner year for more modern thrash and crossover. First we got ripping new albums from Hellmouth and Iron Reagan. Now we get the raging second record from Power Trip, and it’s only February. There are still new LP’s from Havok and Toxic Holocaust yet to come.

Power Trip is a thrash quintet from Dallas, Texas. My understanding is that most of them come from a punk and hardcore background. I must be the only one who doesn’t really hear that influence. I hear people comparing them to Cro-Mags or DRI, but to me it sounds much more like the straight up thrash metal of Exodus, Overkill or Slayer. They do tend to keep the songs short and tight, and avoid the epic eight minute prog tracks that classic thrash bands love. The eight songs on Nightmare Logic come in at just over 32 minutes.

Opener “Soul Sacrifice” settles into a slow, Pantera-like groove for a full two minutes before it finally kicks into gear. “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” has a chugging Prong-like riff. It might also be the closest thing to humor, even if it is pretty grim. Nightmare Logic hits maximum velocity on “Firing Squad”, and you’ve got to love two songs in a row about capital punishment. The title track rounds out the first side of the record. Side two is more of the same, but it ends with two powerful tracks, “If Not Us Then Who” and “Crucifixion”. “Crucifixion” is the longest song on the album, at just under five and a half minutes.

Nightmare Logic starts and ends with some creepy, atmospheric noise, and Power Trip manages to sustain the mood and intensity throughout the LP. The band’s riffs are on point, and this thing could be a lesson in downstroking consistency. The solos are less about showing off technique, and more about feel. They once again remind me of Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King of Slayer or Dimebag Darrell of Pantera. The singing is harsh, but never goes all the way into extreme metal territory. Ultimately, they’re doing retro-thrash with a modern feel, and they’re pretty damn good at it. If you like to bang your head, Power Trip should be on your radar.