Power Trip - Live In Seattle (Southern Lord) [Paul Scoble]
Power Trip shouldn’t need much introduction to anyone who is a regular reader of these pages, or any heavy metal fan. Obviously the best thing to come out of the Noughties Thrash Revival, and possibly the best thing to come out of thrash metal full stop, Power Trip were close to being the perfect Crossover Thrash Band. Founded in Dallas, Texas in 2008 the five piece built a name for themselves as an amazing live act, in 2013 they released their first album Manifest Decimation, which received very positive reviews.
The success of Manifest Decimation allowed the band to tour more which meant more people got to see how good the band were live, which helped to build a huge following. In 2017 Power Trip released Nightmare Logic which is a staggeringly good piece of Crossover Thrash, with an amazing production job that sounded So Good! (that perfect guitar tone!). It felt as if Power Trip, made up of Chris Whetzel on bass, Blake Ibanez on guitars, Nick Stewart on guitars, Chris Ulsh on drums and Riley Gale on vocals were on a trajectory strait to the top, they followed the release by touring and tearing venues apart, building their reputation as an incredible live act.
This all came crashing to a halt on August the 24th 2020 when Riley Gale died aged just 34. The outpouring of grief from the metal community showed just how respected and loved Riley and Power Trip were, I and pretty much everyone I know who has ever had a passing interest in heavy metal was deeply saddened and shocked at this loss. Nearly three years later Southern Lord are releasing this live recording of Power Trip playing live in Seattle on the 28th of May 2018.
Obviously this a difficult album to review objectively, I have been a big fan of Power Trip since I picked up their debut in 2013, and I thought Nightmare Logic was a pretty much perfect album, so a live album by Power Trip would always have got high praise from me. However, I don’t think I was ready for just how good this is as a live album, or just how powerfully this hits, with the tragic context it now has.
Firstly, this has been brilliantly recorded. As I mentioned before Nightmare Logic had a reputation for how good it sounds, from the guitar tone, to the wonderful drum and bass sound that gave it such a punch and on to Rileys great vocals, and this has clearly been carried across to their live sound, I’m not sure if there is a Nobel Prize for recording bands live, but if there is then whoever recorded this album deserves it. Everything sounds wonderful, and that makes the setlist shine through as this is as good a set as I can think of.
This all came crashing to a halt on August the 24th 2020 when Riley Gale died aged just 34. The outpouring of grief from the metal community showed just how respected and loved Riley and Power Trip were, I and pretty much everyone I know who has ever had a passing interest in heavy metal was deeply saddened and shocked at this loss. Nearly three years later Southern Lord are releasing this live recording of Power Trip playing live in Seattle on the 28th of May 2018.
Obviously this a difficult album to review objectively, I have been a big fan of Power Trip since I picked up their debut in 2013, and I thought Nightmare Logic was a pretty much perfect album, so a live album by Power Trip would always have got high praise from me. However, I don’t think I was ready for just how good this is as a live album, or just how powerfully this hits, with the tragic context it now has.
Firstly, this has been brilliantly recorded. As I mentioned before Nightmare Logic had a reputation for how good it sounds, from the guitar tone, to the wonderful drum and bass sound that gave it such a punch and on to Rileys great vocals, and this has clearly been carried across to their live sound, I’m not sure if there is a Nobel Prize for recording bands live, but if there is then whoever recorded this album deserves it. Everything sounds wonderful, and that makes the setlist shine through as this is as good a set as I can think of.
Divine Apprehension is absolutely battering, Suffer No Fools mixes fast hardcore and an absolutely savage stomp, Soul Sacrifice is a fast, tight thrash masterclass, Executioners Tax stamps on every face, and is exactly as good as you are imagining it to be right now, Crucifixation is high speed flowing thrash, Heretics Fork is tight as fuck clinical savagery, Conditioned To Death mixes slow and grinding with a high speed hardcore blast, Firing Squad is introduced as a Slow Jam, and is the fastest song on the album, Manifest Decimation is a high energy battering, and the Midnight Snack (encore) is Crossbreaker which is mid-paced., and utterly relentless and unstoppable. Other than the band playing every song they know I can’t think of a better set-list.
This is a high velocity adrenaline fuelled blast of a live album, it also gives us a reminder of how good a frontman Riley Gale was. He dedicates most of the songs to someone, gets circle pits going, and is the ring master of an amazing crossover thrash circus. Everything he says is positive and life affirming. He dedicates two songs to the support bands Sheer Mag, Red Death and Fury, making sure he talks about how good they were to tour with, at one point he dedicates a song to “Anyone who has ever lost someone, I know we all have”. In some ways he reminds me a little of how Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies is on stage, they both had their own style of fronting a band, but that positive energy feels very similar. Right near the end of the album / Gig he tells the audience “We’re Power Trip from Dallas Texas, take good care of each other tonight,”
I’m not sure how to come to a conclusion about this album. As I hope you have already realised this album judged solely on the music is a fantastic blast of energy and perfect thrash, it makes me want to punch the air and scream its so good. Then I remember Rileys death and it makes me so sad, no brilliantly energetic music like this has ever made me feel this full of sorrow. Its amazing and wonderful, but it is also heartbreaking that Riley is gone. Context has never felt so cruel. 10/10
Vexed - Negative Energy (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
What will be one of the angriest albums you'll hear this year, the follow up to 2021's Culling Culture, is the next chapter in the unfettered rage of Vexed. The trio of Megan Targett (vocals), Jay Bacon (guitar) and Willem Mason-Geraghty (drums) have sculpted an album that is heavier than its predecessor, more volatile and more personal too dealing with themes of death, betrayal, pain and grief, Megan channeling it all through her beastial roars and screams. Adopting a deliberately negative mindset, Vexed live up to their band name witj an album that is defined by rage at the wider world. Vocally she's terrifying, though she shows her versatility with the clean sections on Default or the emotive parts of It's Not The End.
This is a high velocity adrenaline fuelled blast of a live album, it also gives us a reminder of how good a frontman Riley Gale was. He dedicates most of the songs to someone, gets circle pits going, and is the ring master of an amazing crossover thrash circus. Everything he says is positive and life affirming. He dedicates two songs to the support bands Sheer Mag, Red Death and Fury, making sure he talks about how good they were to tour with, at one point he dedicates a song to “Anyone who has ever lost someone, I know we all have”. In some ways he reminds me a little of how Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies is on stage, they both had their own style of fronting a band, but that positive energy feels very similar. Right near the end of the album / Gig he tells the audience “We’re Power Trip from Dallas Texas, take good care of each other tonight,”
I’m not sure how to come to a conclusion about this album. As I hope you have already realised this album judged solely on the music is a fantastic blast of energy and perfect thrash, it makes me want to punch the air and scream its so good. Then I remember Rileys death and it makes me so sad, no brilliantly energetic music like this has ever made me feel this full of sorrow. Its amazing and wonderful, but it is also heartbreaking that Riley is gone. Context has never felt so cruel. 10/10
Vexed - Negative Energy (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
What will be one of the angriest albums you'll hear this year, the follow up to 2021's Culling Culture, is the next chapter in the unfettered rage of Vexed. The trio of Megan Targett (vocals), Jay Bacon (guitar) and Willem Mason-Geraghty (drums) have sculpted an album that is heavier than its predecessor, more volatile and more personal too dealing with themes of death, betrayal, pain and grief, Megan channeling it all through her beastial roars and screams. Adopting a deliberately negative mindset, Vexed live up to their band name witj an album that is defined by rage at the wider world. Vocally she's terrifying, though she shows her versatility with the clean sections on Default or the emotive parts of It's Not The End.
As the intro track ticks away with samples, a electronic dissonance punctured by a guitar/drum beat that forms into an instrumental, making you very aware that this album is going to be extremely heavy. Anti-F*tish is the first song proper, the Slipknot-like intro moving into huge djent riffs, the use of electronics and atmosphere present on all 13 tracks, behind all the down tuned guitar riffs and frenzied vocals. More Slipknot-isms come on the rapid fire delivery on We Don't Talk About It and the twitchy Panic Attack, as X My <3 (Hope To Die) continues the aural battery, changing into a heavy breathing spoken word middle section which is actually more threatening than the main part of the song.
Willem Mason-Geraghty's drumming is expansive, more technical than it sounds, only with a few plays can you listen past the percussive battery to hear the nuance. A track such as Lay Down Your Flowers mixes the metallic grooves with more twitching electronics, an ambient section in the middle and special guest vocals from Lochie Keogh, There's No Place Like Home, putting The Wizard Of Oz through a some extreme riffage from Jay Bacon and turntables too, Bacon's crowning moment comes on Trauma Euphoria, double kick drums underscoring some killer riffs and leads. Vexed have drawn a lot of influence from the late 2000's sound where Nu-Metal and Alt Metal meet the more techincal sound of the 2010's.
My advice is not to listen to this album if you've got an underlying heart condition as it will set something off with it's hostility. Negative Energy abound but it's focussed, feral and fantastic. Watch out for Vexed as they will soon be stratospheric! 9/10
Forged In Black - Lightning In The Ashes (Fighter In The Ashes) [Rick Eaglestone]
After four years Forged In Black return with their second album Lightning In The Ashes.
Forged In Black - Lightning In The Ashes (Fighter In The Ashes) [Rick Eaglestone]
After four years Forged In Black return with their second album Lightning In The Ashes.
Energizing opener Be One With Fire not only incorporates various styles in the genre but is a re-introduction to Storozynski’s impressive vocals diversity which flows into the album’s title track Lightning In The Ashes. Prominent bass lines lead the band down a doomier side with Dusk Breather which then morph into more of an upbeat tempo laden with atmosphere and purpose – Early contender for track of the album right here.
Dominant drum patterns penetrate Dark Lord Requiem which has a nice flowing chorus, but the short sharp tempo changes are a little off putting, fortunately the acoustic start of War Torn Skull then turns into pure 80’s thrash more than redeem it, absolute gem of the album. The album moves into Chains Of The Damned which has a very Maidenesque undercurrent into Building A Beast and Brother’s Keeper which all blend into each other effortlessly creating an unholy trinity which really is the heartbeat of the release.
Penultimate track Hellucinator gallops into final offering the surprisingly atmospheric Detonation Ritual encapsulates the aesthetic and ties in the fab Dan Goldsworthy artwork perfectly forging another remarkable release. Bringing down the heavy metal hammer with purpose. 7/10
Dominant drum patterns penetrate Dark Lord Requiem which has a nice flowing chorus, but the short sharp tempo changes are a little off putting, fortunately the acoustic start of War Torn Skull then turns into pure 80’s thrash more than redeem it, absolute gem of the album. The album moves into Chains Of The Damned which has a very Maidenesque undercurrent into Building A Beast and Brother’s Keeper which all blend into each other effortlessly creating an unholy trinity which really is the heartbeat of the release.
Penultimate track Hellucinator gallops into final offering the surprisingly atmospheric Detonation Ritual encapsulates the aesthetic and ties in the fab Dan Goldsworthy artwork perfectly forging another remarkable release. Bringing down the heavy metal hammer with purpose. 7/10
Crepitation - Monstrous Eruption Of Impetuous Preposterosity (Vicious Instinct Records) [Charlie Rogers]
Northern noise peddlers Crepitation have long threatened us with a second full length album, a follow up to 2015’s Violence Of The Slams, and what better time than 2023 when the world seems to be getting as absurd as their appropriately titled Monstrous Eruption Of Impetuous Preposterosity. What does it mean? Not a clue, but that’s going to be the theme here.
Setting the scene for the 37minutes to follow Carcinogenital Space Hopper opens the album with a sample, followed by a brain blistering combination of frantic technical riffing, machinegun drumbeats, and furious yet wacky vocal duelling. Smearing themselves over the borders between technical death metal, grindcore, and slam, Crepitation occupy a truly unique place in the heavy universe, and their approach to naming tracks while disregarding any attempts to write lyrical content is testament to this. What is Molecular Testicular Spectacular Dracula Vernacular about, for example? Again, no idea. Good song though - unless you’re the type that likes heartfelt singing and meaning in your music.
It’s hard to understate the scale of absolute chaos that the band put into sonic form with this record, with very little in the way of recognisable song structure, and the absence of lyrics to grab the listeners memory makes for a very high bar to entry into the old noggin. Often when I’ve sat down to listen critically to the album, I find it very easy to get lost in the aural maelstrom, while barely remembering how any of the tunes went barely an hour later. Ironically the main parts of the record that stick to the memory are the amusing samples, in particular Matt Berry’s amusing anecdote at the start of Priapismic Whisking Of Mucilaginous Concrete Slurry.
That’s not to say the songs aren’t enjoyable in the moment, because if you’ve got the palette to enjoy high effort nonsense there’s definitely a lot on offer here. Small doses might be key however, as by the time Superkalifragelisticexpibabyshakeus closes the album, I’m definitely in the mood to listen to something with a more obvious melody. 7 dictionaries out of 10. 7/10