Bakersfield, California is the home of Traxter, one of the early Christian Metal bands that flashed brightly for a moment only to fade into obscurity. They started in 1987 and released their debut “Rock ‘n Race” to great acclaim in 1991. Following the success of the album, they started work on a followup release, but life got in the way leaving a stack of unfinished songs. Fast forward 30-some-odd years and Roxx Records has come through again to bring up the treasures of the past with Traxter‘s long overdue followup in “Take Heed” that brings those unfinished songs across the finish line.

“Take Heed” is a quirky little release in a good way. As one could guess from the intro, their sound pulls from earlier years, but it is not a rehash of the past as they demonstrate a good sense of progressive songwriting. They sound hungry and urgent, like a band at half or less of their age. The combination of the early metal and Bobby’s gravelly vocals recalls the underground metal scene of the 80s when thrash was king. That sits well with this reviewer.

Although I was turned off by a clunky opening, with just a little patience I found the real charm of this band in their thoughtful songwriting. There is plenty of guitar-forward playing accented by leads, solos, and twin guitars reminiscent of early metal, but it is how these different episodes stitch together and inter-relate that feels fresh. “The Captain” best shows this as the band starts with fast riffing and shifts into a good groove that meanders through established themes before landing in a doomy stomping riff. I particularly like how masterfully they introduce an optimistic patch towards the end of “Cold In Hell.” The different episodes fit together even though they have varying tempos and meters. Not only do they have a progressive bend, but they know how to end songs well showing a well-developed sense of songcraft.

Whereas their debut showed more melody from Bobby as lead vocalist, the long-awaited followup shows the wearing of time, giving a gravelly grit fit worthy of a thrash vocalist. He uses this to great effect in his rap-inspired vocals on “Power Will Be” and even with a relatively limited range can get a catchy melody across in “Cold In Hell” and “Freedom.” I dig it.

The guitars, bass, and drums are performed well, showing the last couple of decades have not dulled their talent. It is not obsessively manicured, but shows they are precise and execute with passion. I particularly liked the drum work as it was excellently done with high energy fills and thrills. For other releases the bass may be missed entirely, but I liked the bass presence here especially in the bass-driven “Cold In Hell.” The guitars flourish in the Maiden-inspired “Game of Life” and twin guitar and lead work in the closing “Freedom.” They know their sound and play it well.

With all of this goodness, there are some weak spots. The mixing showed some missed opportunities with the lead guitars too low in the mix at times, robbing songs of great emotional highs such as on “The Captain.” Although I really liked the vocals, the enunciation made it difficult to decipher much lyrical content, which being a Christian band is probably of high importance.

As I pull this all together, “Take Heed” is a very fitting closure to the legendary Traxter. Folks who have been around the scene much longer than me, who may have grown up around “Rock ‘n Race” will find a lot to enjoy as long as they are open to the shift in vocals. Although some of the marketing mentioned they got back together, I do wonder if this means they will make another go of it or if it was only for this album. Time will tell, but regardless this is a good release and worth checking out. Thanks Roxx Records!

Rating: 8.0/10

Written by Sean Bailey

Tracklist
1 – Can’t Run Can’t Hide
2 – Power Will Be
3 – Game of Life
4 – The Captain
5 – Cold In Hell
6 – Freedom (prelude)
7 – Freedom

Traxter is:
Darrin Lee Kirkindoll – drums
Bobby Del Rey – bass and backing vocals
Leonard Bennett – lead and rhythm guitars and backing vocals
Terrence Steven Fischer – lead and rhythm guitars, lead vocals, and backing vocals

Release Date: March 13, 2026

Record Label: Roxx Records

Discography:
Rock ‘n Race (1991)
Take Heed (2026)

Social Media: Facebook

Video for Can’t Run Can’t Hide