Live Review : Power Trip + Tortured Demon @ Academy 3, Manchester on June 18th 2025

The untimely demise in August 2020 of Power Trip frontman Riley Gale was tragic for two reasons. Firstly, the avoidable death of someone that young (he was 34) and that talented is always tragic. But secondly, Power Trip were on the verge of something truly special. Their second record “Nightmare Logic” had set the world on fire with its fresh and rejuvenating take on thrash. Live performances were equally lauded, and their mid-morning Bloodstock set was continually extolled as something rather special indeed. Riley’s death derailed a trajectory that looked unstoppable, and for a number of years it looked like the band would be buried with him.

If you want to look at the impact of Power Trip you need to go no further than openers Tortured Demon. Vocalist and lead guitarist Jacob Parkinson goes to great pains to proclaim that without them, he would not be standing in front of us. They share the same DNA in the sense that they are resolutely moving thrash forward as opposed to regurgitating a tried and tested formula. In many ways Tortured Demon are as close to a house band as we have at ROCKFLESH Towers. We have resolutely championed them ever since the Manchester metal scene’s very own Santa Claus, Paul Nash, whispered into our ears that there was something really exciting brewing in Oldham. The beauty of seeing a band at this stage in the career is that every time you witness them they are have taken a another quantum jump in their development.

It might be that this is a home fixture, but tonight Tortured Demon look thoroughly comfortable in their own skins. They are no longer just living out rock star fantasies as part of some elongated make-believe game, they now steadfastly inhabit the part. Whilst the sound is disconcertingly sludgy they still manage to sound crisp and urgent. They are learning to use the silence between notes, and this evening it feels like Jacob’s insanely intoxicating riffs have a lot more room to breathe. Their passion, which has been there since the beginning, is now being enhanced by a level of stunning technicality. As we head toward album number three, Tortured Demon continue to astound and grow in stature before our very eyes. They are no longer pretenders to the throne; they are now the real deal.

When you possess in your arsenal probably the greatest three minutes and forty-six seconds in modern metal, what do you do with it? In Power Trip’s case you dispense with it second song in, nailing your colours to the past regarding the strength of everything you have to offer. ‘Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)’, is an extraordinary track. Beautiful in its simplicity, it hurtles forth in with incendiary opulence. Even though it is the jewel in the crown, it works perfectly this evening in its early doors outing. It proves beyond doubt that Riley’s death may have temporarily floored them, but Power Trip are as good as we remember. It is the moment that we collectively sigh, “They still have got this”. 

Seth Gilmore doesn’t try to emulate or be Riley. His vocals are rougher and tinged with a harder edge. He is also less animated, choosing to stay put in one postcode, intimidating those directly in front of him. He exudes his own particular brand of charisma, measured and menacing. There are no big “we are back bitches” speeches and the only nod to the enforced hiatus is when a shortened rendition of ‘Drown’ is dedicated to Riley. But what is evident is how up for it the band are. It is like they are taking all the pent-up energy that had accumulated during the extended downtime and dispensing it in their hour on stage. They are frantic and furious, a brutal explosion of potent dynamism. 

Power Trip’s version of thrash remains a wonder to behold. The riffs are longer and more defined than is usual in this genre, which means there is a velocity and heft that powers everything forward. It is fast and relentless as thrash is meant to be, but borrows back a righteous anger from punk that had got lost in the mix during the reactivation of thrash. There is an urgency and indignation that still feels fresh and exciting. It obviously speaks to the masses, and the room becomes a fevered cauldron of flaying bodies. The pit spins and spins as Seth masterfully marshals it to go faster. The significance of their return is pretty soon lost as the packed venue just loses itself in the brilliance of what they are doing.

The world has moved on significantly since “Nightmare Logic” set it ablaze eight years ago, both musically and geo-politically, but Power Trip still feel unique and unquantifiable. There is nothing from the mythical third album they were working on before Riley’s death and there is nothing said onstage that gives any hints about whether this is a permanent return or just a final hurrah to exorcise pesky demons. But, as they power into a final encore of ‘Crossbreaker’, what is clear is that they still can kick up a storm. “Nightmare Logic” is an exceptional album but it was the way that its tracks were performed in a live setting that made the band's name. Tonight showed that this is still true. They are older, wiser and have the scars to prove it, but Power Trip are still the last word in molten metal. Jesus it is good to have them back.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Power Trip + Tortured Demon