The surviving members of Power Trip reunited to play their first live gig since the tragic 2020 passing of singer Riley Gale. The surprise show happened on Friday night (December 1st) at the club Mohawk in Austin, Texas.
The advertised concert featured a headlining performance by Fugitive, a band featuring Power Trip guitarist Blake Ibanez and Scourge vocalist Seth Gilmore. After Fugitive played their initial set, Ibanez and Gilmore remained onstage, and were joined by Power Trip members Nick Stewart (guitar), Chris Whetzel (bass), and Chris Ulsh (drums).
With Gilmore on vocals, they played five Power Trip songs, including “Soul Sacrifice,” “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe),” “Hornet’s Nest,” “Manifest Decimation,” and “Crucifixation.”
The poster for the show had mentioned a “special guest,” but the performance must have been a welcome surprise for anyone in attendance. Footage from the gig shows the fans going absolutely wild during the mini Power Trip set.
Gale died in August 2020 at the young age of 34. At the time, Power Trip were one of the most acclaimed metal bands to emerge over the previous decade, putting a modern spin on thrash metal.
In a March 2021 interview, Ibanez said, “We do want to continue to play music together; we just are not sure what that looks like at this time.”
It is unclear if the one-off gig will lead to more shows with Gilmore as vocalist or if the band will officially reunite under the name Power Trip. For now, see footage of the surprise performance below.