POWER TRIP were barely a functioning live band again when the PANTERA offer arrived. Guitarist Blake Ibanez says the European run that followed in early 2025 is the reason the group still exists in its current form.
Appearing on the latest episode of "100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal", the podcast hosted by Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel, Ibanez did not hedge. "Oh, it was the best tour ever. We had a really good time. They treated us great. The crew was amazing."
The context matters. POWER TRIP had reconvened without any intention of touring, five years after the death of singer Riley Gale. "We were still kind of feeling it out. When we got back together, it was, like, 'Well, let's try to do this justice and honor what we did, honor Riley, pay tribute to all the years and all the time we put into this band.' And clearly, people still wanted to see us play." By his count they had four or five shows under their belt. Then came arenas, every night, immediately before PANTERA.
For a Dallas band, the pairing carried extra weight. "PANTERA, just growing up, that was a big part of living here," Ibanez said, recalling Vinnie Paul in Cowboys gear and a Stars jersey. "And then not just that, but they're one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time. I don't think you can really argue with that." He never got to see the band himself — they had broken up before he was old enough to go.
He was also honest about the fear. "It was, like, 'Fuck, hopefully they don't just boo us and want PANTERA to go on.' But I think we held it down all right, and the crowds were great." The confidence it built was the real payoff: "I don't know if we'd be doing what we're doing right now if we didn't do that tour."
Asked about the criticism aimed at a PANTERA lineup containing only Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown from the classic era, Ibanez took the long view — his own band having been through the same argument. "These guys poured their life into the band, and they wrote a lot of great songs that a lot of people wanna hear. I don't really see the issue with it. But everyone is entitled to their opinion... bands are special to people."
POWER TRIP's current lineup is Ibanez, vocalist Seth Gilmore — of SKOURGE and of FUGITIVE, the Dallas thrash band he founded with Ibanez in 2021 — plus Chris Ulsh on drums, Nick Stewart on guitar and Chris Whetzel on bass. Gale died on August 25, 2020; the band signed to Blue Grape Music this past March, having released "Manifest Decimation" in 2013 and "Nightmare Logic" in 2017 through Southern Lord.
Source: blabbermouth.net