Death is June- Looking Back in Anger at Power Trip's "Nightmare Logic"

 I was tempted to review their first album, but this one seems to find the band in the midst of their fully realized vision of what they wanted to do. But why are we covering it during death metal month? Well their brand of cross over thrash meets at the same intersection where death metal also sprang from. There are many points of this album that recalls both Obituary and Sepultura. Their singer Riley Gale, never sings a note , but rather he lets his voice go into a growl when he extends a phrase. Speaking of phrasing the staccato approach is really the only hard core element of this album. There first album touched on that a little more. The lead single from the album "Executioner's Tax" is pretty catchy even with the punchy but one dimensional style of vocals utilized not only here but for the bulk of the album. 

They pick up the pace  on "Firing Squad" to something marginally more punk than Slayer. It might be the gang vocals that push it over into hard core. They do employ some pretty mosh worthy thrash riffs on this one as well. The title track works off a more straight forward chug , and carries a chorus that owes a little more to the Cro-Mags than not. "Waiting Around to Die" is more punk in it's drive, but Gale's vocals lean toward the death metal side of their influences slightly. There is a more Sepultura feel to "Ruination". This gives a glimpse into how this band could share stages with death metal bands and no one batted an eye. The production on this album is really dialed in , there is a world of difference in the over all guitar sound. 

There is more hook in the riff to "If Not Us Then Who". Sepultura comparisons could be made as well as other 80s thrash bands like Coroner or Wargasm. The gang vocal chorus works well enough. The production of the vocals on this album is top notch, the effects are right where you need them. The death metal is felt on the hyper aggression of "Crucifixation". It slows into a pretty power moshing section. I will give this album a 9.5, they do one specific thing really well that carries this album, along with the fact it is a mix that is perfectly dialed in.what they When this album came out in 2017 I was not really into what they were doing and had to hear the write song at the right time to check them out.