Nightmare Logic

Nightmare Logic
Studio album by Power Trip
Released	February 24, 2017
Studio	Creep Records, Philadelphia The Echo Lab, Argyle[1]
Genre	Thrash metal crossover thrash hardcore punk
Length	32:51
Label	Southern Lord (LORD236)
Producer	Arthur Rizk
Power Trip chronology
Manifest Decimation (2013) Nightmare Logic (2017) Opening Fire: 2008–2014 (2018)

Nightmare Logic is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Power Trip. It was released on February 24, 2017 through Southern Lord Records and was met with critical acclaim.^[2] This marked the second collaboration with producer Arthur Rizk, having previously worked with Rizk on their debut album Manifest Decimation (2013). This is the last Power Trip studio album to feature vocalist Riley Gale before he died on August 24, 2020.^[3]

Nightmare Logic was well-received by both critics and fans, and was responsible for bringing Power Trip to the attention of a mainstream metal audience. Critics praised its raw intensity, powerful riffs, as well as the band's growth in songwriting. It has appeared on a number of critics' lists ranking the year's top metal albums, as well as lists ranking the top metal albums of the decade.^[4][5]

Overview

Nightmare Logic was produced by Arthur Rizk and released via record label Southern Lord.^[6][7] Critics have described their sound as thrash metal, hardcore punk, and crossover thrash.^[8][7][9]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	86/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Classic Rock	[10]
Exclaim!	9/10[11]
musicOMH	[8]
Pitchfork	8.4/10[6]
PopMatters	[12]
The Quietus	[7]
Record Collector	[13]
Rock Sound	7/10[14]

Nightmare Logic was met with critical acclaim. The album received an average score of 86/100 from 10 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".^[2] Branan Ranjanathan of Exclaim! praised the album, writing, "Nightmare Logic showcases Power Trip at their strongest yet, and packs its 30-minute runtime with songs that push everything they have done right so far to an entirely new level."^[11] Writing for The Quietus, Louise Brown said, "This is no retro throwback, Power Trip have poured their genuine, obsessive love of early thrash, but also Cro-Mags, Prong and Black Flag to create a boiling pot of modern metal mastery."^[7]

Loudwire named Nightmare Logic as the best metal album of the year, as well as proclaiming Power Trip to be 2017's breakout metal band. The publication would praise the album's intensity, speed, and its tight production, writing "Arthur Rizk's production is entrenched in the old school with raw tones and organic drum sounds that bring the messages condemning power, corruption and greed to the street level. This year belongs to Power Trip and as they boldly declared at the 2017 Loudwire Music Awards, "'Watch out old timers, we're here.'"^[15] "Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)" was awarded Best Metal Song at the 2017 Loudwire Music Awards.^[16]

In a positive review, Zoe Camp from Pitchfork wrote "Power Trip embody a platonic ideal of heavy metal escapism. With more focus on detail, the Dallas thrashers push their second LP over the edge, balancing modern intricacy and old-school aggression."^[17] Richard Beinstock wrote for Rolling Stone in a year-end review "Nightmare Logic gathers the band's source material – hardcore, punk and plenty of Eighties speed metal – and distills it into sharply focused and hooky aggo-blasts." Rolling Stone would go on to name Nightmare Logic the 11th best metal album of the year. ^[18]

Accolades

Year	Publication	Country	Accolade	Rank	Ref.
2017	Exclaim!	Canada	"Top 10 Metal and Hardcore Albums"	2	[19]
2017	Loudwire	United States	"25 Best Metal Albums of 2017"	1	[20]
2017	PopMatters	United States	"The Best Metal of 2017"	12	[21]
2017	Revolver	United States	"20 Best Albums of 2017"	2	[22]
2017	Rolling Stone	United States	"20 Best Metal Albums of 2017"	11	[23]
2017	Loudwire	United States	"Top 50 Thrash Metal Albums of All Time"	43	[24]
2019	MetalSucks	United States	"The 25 Best Metal Albums Of 2010-2019"	6	[25]
2019	Vice Media	United States	"The 100 Best Albums Of The 2010s"	4	[26]

Awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Category	Result	Ref.
2021	Grammy Awards	"Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe) (Live)"	Best Metal Performance	Nominated	[27]
2017	Loudwire Music Awards	Nightmare Logic	Best Metal Album	Nominated	[28]
	Loudwire Music Awards	"Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)"	Best Metal Song	Won	[29]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Soul Sacrifice"	4:12
2.	"Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)"	3:46
3.	"Firing Squad"	3:19
4.	"Nightmare Logic"	4:23
5.	"Waiting Around to Die"	4:24
6.	"Ruination"	3:11
7.	"If Not Us Then Who"	4:11
8.	"Crucifixation"	5:22
Total length:		32:51

Personnel

Personnel adapted from CD liner notes.^[1]

Power Trip Riley Gale – vocals, lyrics Blake Ibanez – lead guitar Nick Stewart – rhythm guitar Chris Whetzel – bass Chris Ulsh – drums, lead guitar on "If Not Us Then Who"

Additional personnel Arthur Rizk – production, engineering, mixing, additional lead guitar on "Crucifixation" Dominick Fernow (as Prurient) – introduction on "Waiting Around to Die" Matthew Barnhart – engineering Daniel Schmuck – vocal engineering Joel Grind – mastering Paolo Girardi – artwork

Charts

Chart	Peak position
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[30]	22
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[31]	4

References

1. Nightmare Logic (booklet). Power Trip. Southern Lord. 2017.
2. "Nightmare Logic by Power Trip Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
3. "POWER TRIP Vocalist RILEY GALE Dead At 35". Blabbermouth.net. August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
4. "Nightmare Logic by Power Trip". Metacritic.
5. "Top 50 Thrash Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire. 2 May 2023.
6. Camp, Zoe (1 March 2017). "Power Trip – Nightmare Logic". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
7. Brown, Louise (8 March 2017). "Power Trip - Nightmare Logic". The Quietus. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
8. Shepherd, Sam (2 March 2017). "Power Trip – Nightmare Logic". musicOMH. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
9. Warwick, Kevin (November 17, 2017). "With Nightmare Logic, Power Trip's crossover thrash unites doomed masses in celebration". Chicago Reader. Retrieved May 22, 2018. Power Trip have long produced crossover thrash for the tattered, sleeveless Cro-Mags T-shirt wearer in all of us—and with their recent sophomore album, the Dallas dudes prove it.
10. Lawson, Dom (12 March 2017). "Power Trip - Nightmare Logic album review". Classic Rock. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
11. Ranjanathan, Branan (22 February 2017). "Power Trip Nightmare Logic". Exclaim!. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
12. Beaudoin, Jedd (23 February 2017). "Power Trip: Nightmare Logic". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
13. Sword, Harry. "Nightmare Logic". Record Collector. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
14. Deller, Alex (17 February 2017). "Power Trip - Nightmare Logic". Rock Sound. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
15. "25 Best Metal Albums of 2017". Loudwire. 27 November 2017.
16. "2017 Loudwire Music Awards Complete Winners List + Photos". Loudwire. 25 October 2017.
17. "Power Trip: Nightmare Logic". Pitchfork.
18. "20 Best Metal Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. 6 December 2017.
19. "Exclaim!'s Top 10 Metal and Hardcore Albums Best of 2017". exclaim.ca. Exclaim!. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
20. "25 Best Metal Albums of 2017". Loudwire. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
21. Beaudoin, Jedd (December 2017). "The Best Metal of 2017". popmatters.com. PopMatters. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
22. Epstein, Dan; Bennett, J.; Pessaro, Fred; Camp, Zoe; Geist, Brandon (5 December 2017). "20 Best Albums of 2017". Revolver. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
23. Weingarten, Christopher R.; Shteamer, Hank; Bienstock, Richard; Grow, Kory; Epstein, Dan (6 December 2017). "20 Best Metal Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
24. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Top 50 Thrash Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
25. "Top 25 Metal Albums Of 2010-2019". MetalSucks. 7 October 2019.
26. "Top 100 Best Albums of the 2010s-2019". Vice Media. 6 November 2019.
27. "Power Trip". 15 December 2020.
28. "2017 Loudwire Music Awards Nominees Revealed". Loudwire. 15 August 2017.
29. "2017 Loudwire Music Awards Nominees Revealed". Loudwire. 15 August 2017.
30. "Power Trip Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
31. "Power Trip Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2018.