J-Man
Trick Pistol is a new hard rock band from Hollywood, California, and No Regrets is their debut effort. Specializing in the "retro" style of the genre characterized by Southern rock-influenced riffs and a feel-good attitude, Trick Pistol's sound should easily appeal to those who miss the days when Van Halen, Guns 'N Roses, and Bon Jovi ruled the airwaves. The band's ability to write solid hard rock riffs is something that should have them recognized by the hard rock community, but the music itself rarely ascends above the "mediocre" mark. Even though No Regrets isn't a bad album, its derivative sound, shallow compositions, and production-related flaws keep it from becoming anything more than just another standard hard rock effort.
Although I've mentioned that the compositions on No Regrets feel a bit shallow, that isn't always the case - songs like "Tomorrow's Just the Same" or "End of Days" are actually quite good. The problem is that most of the other tracks (with a few exceptions) feature extremely generic riffs that are matched by sub-par lyrics and uninteresting choruses. None of the songs here leave much of an impression on me, and that's ultimately the biggest issue with No Regrets - the fact that none of the tracks leave any sort of lasting impression makes this album feel more like a gimmick than a true artistic statement. More memorable and unique compositions will be crucial to Trick Pistol's success in the coming years.
So even though I do have issues with the sloppy production values on No Regrets, it's the shallow and unremarkable compositions that end up crippling my enjoyment of Trick Pistol's debut. Fans of retro hard rock may want to check out what Trick Pistol has to offer, but most readers can easily skip this one without missing much. These guys have potential, but they still have a bit of work to do before it's fulfilled - I'd say that 2 stars seems fair for this debut. You can find better hard rock albums this year for sure.