Riley Gale, frontman for Texas thrash metal band Power Trip, died last August at the age of 34. Now, Rolling Stone reports that Gale died from the toxic effects of fentanyl. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the cause of death to RS, stating that the manner of death was ruled as accidental. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for Gale, as well as Dallas County’s Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences for further information.
Gale’s death was confirmed by his bandmates in a statement posted on August 25 (Gale died the night before). “Riley was a friend, a brother, a son,” they wrote. “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.”
Following the news of Gale’s death, numerous artists shared tributes to the frontman, including Fucked Up, Touché Amoré, Code Orange, Anthrax, Uniform, Coheed and Cambria, Geoff Rickley, and more. Last October, organizers in Dallas revealed plans for the forthcoming Riley Gale Library at the Dallas Hope Center—the city’s sole shelter for LGBTQ+ youth.
Read “How Power Trip’s Riley Gale Opened Up Thrash Metal, in 5 Songs.”
