Fitzgerald’s

As I get ready to release ‘What You Make It’ I’ve been contemplating influences, both old and new.

Among the latter is Power Trip.

They’ve been my favorite band since first seeing them at Fitzgerald’s here in Houston back in 2012. I hadn’t felt a room that charged in a long time. And when Power Trip hit the stage the place went off, danger mixed with the brotherhood of metal. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it out unscarred, but I also didn’t care.

Since then, they’ve done nothing but impress.* Yes, as a live act. And yes, on record. ‘Nightmare Logic’ deserved every accolade it received. It is the rightful benchmark of metal today. But they’ve also remained accessible to their fans (young and old!) at shows and have one of the realest social media presences going. Promotion? Absolutely, but not hype. It’s a conversation. And it’s welcoming. No macho posturing. But also not for the dimwitted, or the troll-minded, or those without a sense of humor.

The way they take care of their business is the way I aspire to take care of mine. I’ve got a long way to go. But, hey…goals, ya know?

At the heart of everything remains the music. And as good as their recordings have been, Power Trip’s forte is the stage.

I’ve attached one of my favorite live recordings of any band, anywhere, ever. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve watch this clip. But I feel another two or three coming on today.

Power Trip is in Europe opening for Trivium and kick off a North American headlining tour next month.

*Full disclosure: I’ve felt weird about this band exactly once, while watching a recording of their performance at last year’s Golden Gods awards. They were fine. But (at least on video) the sound was thin and the overall effect was like seeing a shark at the aquarium versus accidentally pulling the same fish into your boat and not knowing where the fuck your grappling hook went.