I was never particularly fond of live CD’s… and this is coming from a man who collects “live” recordings! But I do it more to preserve and archive the music than anything else. I have always felt that it’s virtually impossible to capture the entire “live” experience on audio… DVD’s are a little better because of the visual aspect but still, you’re just not getting the BIG picture. Things like what’s going on in the crowd or what can you see going on in the off-stage areas or the feel of the energy coming off the performers and shooting through the enthusiastic fans. All these things you have to be there to experience.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Live releases like “Live After Death” by IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST’s “Priest… Live!” or even DIRE STRAITS’ “Alchemy” (which is still one of my all time favorite live releases) immediately spring to my mind but for the most part, they’re pretty much all the same. If anything, most of them get WORSE after they start remixing or over-producing the master. I don’t need to hear vocals screaming in my ear while the rest of the band sounds like they’re a mile away or even worse is the opposite… they push the levels on the instruments up so loud that it almost drowns out the vocals entirely! No… that’s actually why I prefer “bootlegs” over commercially released live albums… they still have that raw, untouched feel to them which is able to capture the real performance a little bit more.

That’s what I really like about TRIXTER’s new “Alive In Japan” release… yeah, you can tell it was touched a little bit but for the most part, it still has that raw flavor I am talking about. It’s a pretty good mix… Pete Loran delivers a great vocal performance through out the release and what’s nice is they’re not overbearing! The same can be said for the music itself which blends in nicely with the lead and backing vocals… more like what you would actually hear at a live show but MOST importantly, they didn’t try to make it perfect. There’s some echo, some reverb and even a little feedback coming off the monitors at some points… that’s real and that’s what it’s like to be at a live show! There are very few live shows that are perfect… that’s what studio releases are for!

Another thing that makes “Alive In Japan” special is the set list itself. They recorded it back in 1993 during the band’s Japanese tour at a venue called Club Citta and it includes a lot of material from their second release “Hear!” While I always enjoyed their debut, I always felt that “Hear!” was a bit heavier and edgier as well as being a more accurate depiction of what this band is really all about. Of course, TRIXTER fans will still get to enjoy classic TRIXTER tunes like “Heart of Steel,” “Line Of Fire,” and “Give It To Me Good” but the omittance of some of the lighter, “poppier” stuff paves the way for more harder-edged cuts like “Rockin’ Horse,” “Power of Love,” “What It Takes” and “On The Road Again.”

Lastly, not only does “Alive In Japan” include the live show, but two brand new tracks recorded in 2008 as well. The first is the hard-rockin’ “You Got It”… a catchy, gritty number which features a nice guitar break by Brown and (surprisingly) a touch of a “sleaze-metal” sound. Then “When You Close Your Eyes” is an acoustic-driven pseudo power ballad that’s pure TRIXTER. Loran delivers another killer vocal as some beautiful acoustic guitar work is only complimented more by the addition of some tender keyboard accents. Great Job on this one guys!

Overall, TRIXTER’s “Alive In Japan” is definitely a step up from your average live commercial release. Fans of the genre will absolutely love its purity while die-hard TRIXTER fans will just eat up this set list and the new studio tracks. So don’t forget to go and to pick up your copy today! Nice work guys… glad to see ya back!