The New Jersey rockers Trixter were one of many bands to come out of the hair metal scene of the eighties with a hugely successful debut album in 1990. After touring and a terrific follow up album, the band went the way of many greats of that era as grunge took over the airwaves and the hair metal scene virtually disappeared. In recent years, the trend for this type of melodic hard rock is back and in 2012 Trixter released “New Audio Machine,” an outstanding comeback album. Building on the success of that record, the band is back with all new music and a new record “Human Era.”
With 11 new songs, Trixter is better than ever with catchy hooks, contagious melodies, and sing-along chourses. “Human Era” is feel good music at its best. The anthemic party rockers “Rockin’ to the Edge of the World” and “Crash That Party” kick off the record in high style. The hard rocking drum and guitar intro of the heavier “For You” shows that the band is tighter than ever. Trixter can boast a lineup of all original members and though the years have gone by, these guys have not missed a beat. The mid-tempo “Every Second Counts” will be a live favorite with a huge chorus showing off the pipes of frontman Pete Loran and all cell phones will be in the air for the rugged ballad “Beats Me Up.” As always, lead guitarist Steve Brown, one of the most underrated players in the business, tears things up with fantastic riffs and perfectly placed solos.
With so many bands attempting comebacks and putting out new records, it can be hard to determine which ones are worthy of a listen. “Human Era” isn’t just some rehash of days gone by. Trixter is the real deal and have put out another disc of good time melodic, hard rock that will give fans old and new something to get excited about.
