By Stephen Kasenda
TRIXTER "Trixter" (1990)
This New Jersey pop metal act actually had been playing together since 1985, but in 1989 they landed a good deal with MCA and went to Hollywood to record their debut. I heard a lot of Bon Jovi influence in their music and it is probably not a coincidence since they were raised in the same town as Jon. Honestly, Trixter can be considered a late comer on the scene and, with an average musicianship, there’s nothing really spectacular about them. But Trixter came out to have fun, to give you a lot of fun, and I catch their spirit throughout this album.
The first single, "Line of Fire", didn't hide their intention of borrowing Bon Jovi's arrangement. A decent track, but when "Heart of Steel" came into play, that's when I started to like them. With memorable lines sweeping across the sing-along chorus, this came out as their best offering. The first video release of "Give It To Me Good" rewarded them a top spot in an MTV show - the song is quite good, but the second video, "One In A Million", is much better and one of my all time faves. Loran's vocal is okay, Brown's guitar is good, but their weakness clearly is the drummer, Mark Scott. His play sounded a bit dull and weak and that's just sad. "Only Young Once" and "You'll Never See Me Cryin" are great as well, but the rest are largely forgettable, even though nothing's totally horrible.
Sound production is slightly below average, but thanks to several radio-friendly singles, this album went gold and Trixter enjoyed moderate success. Don't look for any virtuosity or complex songs inside - this is the type of album you want to play when you're out with the boys, for some casual fun getaway, or to get completely wasted.
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