Riley Gale, lead singer of the Dallas crossover thrash metal band Power Trip, has died at the age of 34. The band confirmed the news in a statement posted on social media. No cause of death has been disclosed.
“It is with the greatest of sadness we must announce that our lead singer and brother Riley Gale passed away last night,” the band wrote. “Riley was a friend, a brother, a son. Riley was both a larger than life rock star and a humble and giving friend. He touched so many lives through his lyrics and through his huge heart. He treated everyone he met as a friend and he always took care of his friends. We will celebrate Riley’s life and never forget the great works of music, charity, and love that he left behind. You, the fans, meant so much to him, please know how special you are. If you have a memory of Riley please share it, no matter how small, as we remember him.”
Born in the suburbs of Dallas, Gale founded Power Trip when he was 22 and studying at the University of North Texas in Denton. The band released their debut album Manifest Decimation in 2013 and returned four years later with Nightmare Logic, which brought them even more popularity in the metal scene and beyond. Gale’s progressive politics were also reflected on the album, which he described as a response to rampant income equality. “If you don’t like our stances, don’t support our band,” he said in a 2018 interview with Revolver. “It doesn’t make a single difference to us. … We try to make it pretty clear that we might all be white males, but this is not a band for white males to enjoy and be dumb rednecks.”
In that same interview, Gale reflected on why the music of Power Trip has struck a chord with such a broad range of listeners: “It’s a mystery to me that we’re as big as we are. I saw us hitting a ceiling a lot longer ago and now we’re having people telling us we could turn this into a career and I don’t know if I believe them. I don’t even know if I have it in me, but we’re going to try.”
The band have asked for privacy and donations to Dallas Hope Charities.
— POWER TRIP (@powertriptx) August 26, 2020
