Thrash Metal

Power Trip, the Dallas, Texas crossover thrash titans, exploded onto the scene in 2008. Their 2020 lineup featured Riley Gale (vocals), Blake Ibanez (lead guitar), Nick Stewart (rhythm guitar), Chris Whetzel (bass), and Chris Ulsh (drums), the latter replacing Marcus Johnson in 2009. Following the tragic passing of Gale in 2020, Seth Gilmore took the reins as vocalist in 2023.

The band left an undeniable mark on the 2010s thrash metal landscape. Their two studio albums, Manifest Decimation (2013) and the critically acclaimed Nightmare Logic (2017) – the latter charting on Billboard – cemented their status. They also released a compilation of early material and a live album. Their impact extended to prestigious awards, with a live performance of "Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)" earning a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance.

History:

Power Trip signed with Southern Lord Records in 2013, unleashing Manifest Decimation upon the world. Their follow-up, Nightmare Logic (2017), garnered widespread praise. The Guardian highlighted Riley Gale's lyrics as tackling "social inequality and activism," with Gale himself describing the album as exploring "this waking nightmare… trying to find optimism…realising that the 99% of us have more in common than we think." The band's legacy continues to resonate within the metal community.

Trivium, the Orlando, Florida-bred heavy metal titans, exploded onto the scene in 1999. The quartet—vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu, bassist Paolo Gregoletto, and drummer Alex Bent—have since carved a formidable path through the metal landscape.

Their debut album, Ember to Inferno (2003), a seminal release via Lifeforce Records, established their raw talent. A swift signing to Roadrunner Records in 2004 cemented their ascent, a relationship that continues to this day. Over the subsequent years, Trivium unleashed a blistering ten studio albums and over twenty singles, solidifying their position as a major force in the genre. Their latest offering, In the Court of the Dragon (2021), further demonstrated their evolution and continued mastery. The band's impact is undeniable, boasting over one million albums sold worldwide and a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance ("Betrayer") at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.

Early Days: From Talent Show to Ember to Inferno

The band's origins trace back to a 1999 eighth-grade talent show, where a young Matt Heafy's Metallica cover ("No Leaf Clover") caught the eye of singer Brad Lewter. Lewter subsequently invited Heafy to audition for his band, igniting the spark that would become Trivium.