Power Trip    

Manifest Decimation

Southern Lord 2013

Texas' new gods of crossover have brought an arsenal of thrash tainted hardcore to leave nothing but a smoking crater where the world of extreme music once stood.  The title-track gets the album underway and wears its influences on its sleeve, Cro-Mags and Nuclear Assault crossover thrash! You hear those wailing metallic riffs before the Cro-Mags-ish hammering beat and driving riffs.  Riley's vocals are dry and commanding and rasp their way across the guitars like nails raking flesh.  The chugging thrash mosh section that closes out the song screams 80s METAL!  Heretic's Fork explodes into some shredding thrash riffs that absolutely scorch your speakers like an atomic firestorm.  Another total thrash breakdown turns the later stage of the song into a total pit.  Conditioned To Death starts off steady and determined before becoming more frantic with Cro-Mags styled aggression with thrash dynamics strategically placed.  A familiar songwriting structure emerges as the final section of the track is a slower, dragging thrash chug.  My favorite track is Crossbreaker with its meaty Wake Up Dead era Megadeth main riff and fat bassline that deliver a violent beatdown.  The gang vocals on the chorus add that extra punch to the song.  Drown starts with a beefy groove and then lays into a series of Cro-mags-esque riffs that hit hard.  It takes me back to the spirit of Age of Quarrel as the drums hammer away with a determined beat.  The track named after the band, Power Trip is a catchy romp through galloping thrash riffage and a somewhat hardcore sounding chorus!  This track is a captivating example of what CROSSOVER really means.  Finally, The Hammer Of Doubt brings the album to a rousing close.  After a tense spoken word sample the track erupts into thrashing violence.  The full force of the riffs and the frenzied speed are like shotgun blasts to the chest.  Towards the center of the song it becomes a full-fledged flailing of fists in the pit, a veritable wall of death for those of you classic pit masters!  Southern Lord has struck gold again with this shredding album of menacing and gritty crossover thrash.  Power Trip is definitely one of the best new bands out there!