Late last year, Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister passed away at the age of 70. The musician was a rare icon who refused to be defined by genre limitation; he possessed a certain mythos while still alive, a celestial greatness in death. Without Lemmy, it's hard to imagine Motörhead would have helped revolutionize thrash metal, assisting in the birth of the punk subgenre D-beat. In the modern era and in Lemmy's absence, the Dallas five-piece Power Trip has gladly accepted the thrash torch passed on to it. Today, that's found in the punishing "Firing Squad," the first track released from the band's upcoming sophomore LP, Nightmare Logic.
The track begins with a cavernous inhale, barreling into a clear cacophony of loud, hard and fast riffs. Percussion is placed at the front of the mix as drums force through a certain chugging cadence that's both fierce and ominous — it's a track preparing for war.
Thematically and musically, "Firing Squad" is a frustrated song about internal aggravation — both disappointment in some unnamed enemy and criticism of them. Frontman Riley Gale spits:
I see your way of life and I think it's a joke
Don't step out of line, you're walking a tight rope
Before long you'll be dead and gone
Locked up for the firing squad
Warfare everywhere
I shudder the thought
Lined up with the firing squad
Now take your best shot
With a snarl so wide and dense, Gale feels bullet-proof.
In a little over three minutes, "Firing Squad" possesses a certain monolithic quality Lemmy would admire: a massive rawness and a sludgy, heavy hopelessness that thrashes with punk immediacy and metal intricacy. If this is any indication of the rest of the album, Power Trip will soundtrack your future frustration: with a person, with yourself or with your country.
Nightmare Logic comes out Feb. 24, 2017 on Southern Lord. Power Trip is on tour now.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.