Before reforming in 2008 for a few shows (one was Rocklahoma), over the years I saw Steve and bassist PJ in a couple other projects, one was original, think one was a cover band, and it was terrible, conforming to the music scene of today in America, trendy, poppy, emo rock. I was very disappointed. With that, after many years of not making music as a band, and their current look (short hair, catering more to the younger generation) you can understand going into listening to “New audio Machine” I had my doubts. Thankfully, I was proven wrong.
“New Audio Machine” is Trixter picking up where they left off on “Hear” while adding in a little bit of a modern rock/Nickelback feel (‘Tattoos & Misery’, ‘Get On It’) to a couple songs without tarnishing their name. ‘Drag Me Down’ kicks off the album with Steve Brown delivering a southern flavored riff and leads backed by PJ’s low end bass, Mark hitting the drums hard, and Pete Loran putting some Jersey attitude in those vocals. ‘Dirty Love’ (that has a similar swing to ‘Line Of Fire’), and ‘Machine’ rock with more great Van Halen/Night Ranger/Warrant style guitars, upbeat rhythms, and those backing vocal harmonies behind the chorus Trixter are known for. ‘Live For The Day’, and ‘The Coolest Thing’ (this is pure cheese) which could be on any TV show teenagers watch today, are the only two ballads amongst nine hard rockers. ‘Ride’ is one of my favorites, heavy riff driven rock like ‘Bad Girl’ and ‘Damn Good’, ‘Physical Attraction’ also has a great attitude (maybe like ‘What It Takes’ from “Hear”), and ‘Save Your Soul’ (with a contemporary riff) all maintain their signature style.
A nice return, guys.