Power Trip have released “Precinct 3” and “Scavenger“, their first new recordings with vocalist Seth Gilmore and their first original songs since Riley Gale’s death in 2020. The two tracks arrive through Blue Grape Music, with a new Power Trip full-length now expected in spring 2027.
Gilmore has been singing with the Dallas crossover thrash band since their surprise five-song return at Mohawk in Austin on December 1, 2023. He was already closely connected to the group through the Texas hardcore scene and Fugitive, the band he shares with Power Trip guitarist Blake Ibanez. Power Trip followed that first appearance with full sets from 2024 onwards, but “Precinct 3” and “Scavenger” are the first time this version of the band has been documented in the studio.
The sessions took place at Empire Sound in Carrollton, Texas. Jacob Hansen produced, mixed and mastered the songs, with Ibanez co-producing. Drummer Chris Ulsh said the pairing worked because Hansen could handle a larger modern metal production while still understanding where Power Trip come from.
“Recording worked out really well for us because [Jacob Hansen] has the knowledge of making these big records, but also comes from the late 80’s extreme metal underground. We’re tough to please because we want something that sounds current, but most importantly we want it to sound like us, however that comes out.”
“Precinct 3” takes the faster route. The song runs at 205 BPM around tremolo-picked guitar, abrupt stops and a later half-speed section. “Scavenger” drops into a slower, heavier groove, putting more space around the main riff before the breakdown. The two songs also give a first indication of how Gilmore fits into Power Trip beyond performing Gale-era songs live.
For “Precinct 3”, the band deliberately thought about the political territory Gale might have gone after himself.
“When we were writing this, we wondered what Riley [Gale] would have wanted to write about. So once we decided on that approach, it honestly came really easily– the lyrics were flowing and it just felt like the right way to kick off this new chapter and honor him. I think he would have been stoked to see it come to fruition,” Ibanez said.
The track deals with unchecked authority and the current political climate. It also comes with a video directed by Eric Richter.
Gilmore takes the lyrical lead on “Scavenger“, aimed at people who build status by attaching themselves to somebody else’s work.
“There are people out there that ride along and develop some sort of self-importance from association. And from there, they wield that in the wrong directions. Or maybe even against the same people they leeched it from.”
The double single follows Power Trip’s signing with Blue Grape Music in March. It is also their first original music since “Hornet’s Nest”, which initially appeared through Adult Swim’s Singles Series in June 2018. Their last studio album, “Nightmare Logic”, came out through Southern Lord in February 2017.
Both new songs are getting a limited seven-inch pressing, with a separate Record Store Day Black Friday version with alternate artwork due November 27. Power Trip have been working on the next album for more than a year, and the record is currently set for spring 2027.
Their remaining announced 2026 dates include Slayer’s “Reign In Blood” 40th anniversary show in Mexico City on October 21, Sick New World Texas in Fort Worth on October 24, and The Great NOLA Trendkill in New Orleans on November 20.
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