How could we forget:

[youtube]oYtVb48fvY0&feature=related[/youtube]

Moar awesomness, but still not very recent:

[youtube]bHCS3Zowkws&feature=related[/youtube]

+2 for Venom and Celtic Frost

Also:

Can't forget these dudes:

Around the 2:50 mark it gets going.


[youtube]e2w60I2zt3c[/youtube]


[youtube]wpPKbq4MBRk[/youtube]


[youtube]dguG0acFtVs[/youtube]

Yayy for triumph - much underrated band,

A fair amount of NWOBHM power trios and around that era. This was massive:

[youtube]1ExT2xt8mKg&feature=related[/youtube]

and of course where would we (or Metallica) be without:

[youtube]UuC-HCKWgf8&feature=related[/youtube]

High on Fire, Rush, Motorhead.. but basically all the ones that have been listed by others

Behemoth were a trio for a while, I think they still are.
Slipknot are a trio. Aren't they?

[Blazingmonga]

The Power Trio, when it works is a band format that has a peculiar purity in my book.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Cream. Rush. Motorhead. The Police.

Not so many these days. Muse are pretty good example.

Any takers?

Now defunct but; 'Kerbdog' and then 'Wilt' were pretty good.

High on Fire too....they sound enormous live. They sound like a 5 piece!

Coroner! Sodom!

I have huge respect for these and all the other bands mentioned here (particularly Rush, Venom, Motorhead). The dynamic feel that they can get for live shows is simply awesome.

Darkthrone was a 3 piece once

Green Day!




*crickets*

Green Day!




*crickets*

and Blink-182?

[Octillus]

Punky Bruster

Immortal (technically).
Edit: oh, and Nile, until recently.