Power Trip are coming back.
The Texas crossover-thrash unit played a surprise mini-set late last year in Austin, which marked their first time onstage since the tragic death of frontman Riley Gale in 2020. As it turns out, it wasn't a one-off event, but a hint at the new era Power Trip are about to enter.
Today (February 20th), the band have announced their first proper show in four years, which will go down at the newly-minted No Values fest in Pomona, California, on June 8th. Other bands on the bill include the Misfits, Dillinger Escape Plan, Turnstile and many other punk/hardcore OGs.
In an accompanying statement about the future of Power Trip, the group's surviving members — guitarists Blake Ibanez and Nick Stewart, bassist Chris Whetzel and drummer Chris Ulsh — revealed that Seth Gilmore, frontman of Ibanez's side project Fugitive, as well as the Texas hardcore unit Skourge, will be taking Gale's spot behind the mic for all upcoming shows.
"Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as Power Trip," the band wrote.
"It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley.
"We know this can't be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of Power Trip and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way.
"We'll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we've received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who've been there throughout our existence as a band.
"With that, we are excited to announce a round of upcoming 2024 performances starting with No Values Fest on June 8th in SoCal.
"Joining us will be our long-time close friend/collaborator, and singer of Fugitive/Skourge —Seth Gilmore— who will be handling vocals for these upcoming shows.
"Stay tuned, more info on the way…"
See the band's full statement below.
This show (and the surprise one last year) aren't the first rumblings Power Trip have made since the band essentially went on hiatus following Gale's death in August 2020.
In 2022, Ibanez mentioned in a couple cryptic interviews that Power Trip were planning to continue the band, and that they even had an album's worth of songs in the tank that they'd been working on behind the scenes.
"There's… I guess you can call it a record," Ibanez told Knotfest in September 2022. "There's a bunch of stuff out there. That's really all I can say. I don't know. I can't really say too much."
"We've been working really hard on it," he continued. "Me and [Ulsh], we have great chemistry and the same thing we've always done when we make records together. The same vibe is there. I'm really proud of the stuff we've written together. So I'm looking forward to that. I don't know when everything's gonna happen, but I'm looking forward to it."
