Power Trip – Nightmare Logic (Review)

This is the second album from US thrashers Power Trip.

Nightmare Logic is the follow up to 2013’s well-received Manifest Decimation. Power Trip return better than ever, armed with enough tasty riffs to power a small nation.

I like Power Trip because although their crossover approach takes 80s hardcore and fuses it with equally old-school thrash metal, it’s done in such a way that it still somehow seems relevant to the present day. Essentially making these influences their own, Power Trip manage to distil the essence of those times into an energy which they poor into their songs with a maniacal glee.

The progression between Manifest Decimation and Nightmare Logic is noticeable. On their second album Power Trip have kept the most essential elements of their style and discarded anything extraneous to their needs and aims. Nightmare Logic is a focused, targeted assault, with the band’s attack more refined than it was, but no less aggressive or passionate.

The songs on this album are well-written and have just as many hooks as you’d hope for from a band with the influences and abilities that they have. The tracks are both catchy and memorable. Add to this the fact that the album is only 33 minutes long and you have something that’s easy to return to time and time again.

Vocally their singer strikes a good balance between aggression and charisma, blending both together to achieve a performance that fits into the gritty music with ease.

Nightmare Logic is a firm success. Easy to like and with more substance and depth than many bands playing thrash metal in 2017, it seems like Power Trip are at the height of their powers at the moment. If you want catchy, punchy thrash metal that has an old-school heart with a modern passion, but without any of the retro-nonsense, then Power Trip are very definitely the band to get on board with.

Power Trip make me want to move.