Straight Shooter is the second full-length from Finland's Speedtrap and, while it is an improvement over the debut (Powerdose), there are still some shortcomings the band needs to work on. Speed Metal of the pre-Thrash style is what Speedtrap play and the riffs are top-notch. I love it when a band comes out of the gate with a face-melting guitar solo like the one on opening track "No Glory Found." This song just blazes away like Motörhead's "Overkill" and the band never lets their foot off the gas. The rest of the album is full of similar riffs and lead work with solid bass and drums. Where Speedtrap still lags behind countrymen like Enforcer and Ranger are the vocals of Jori Sara-aho. He's stepped up his performance since the last album but he still struggles with the high notes, often coming up flat, and his vocal lines are memorable more for how they detract from the songs than they are for being catchy. Straight Shooter is a step forward for Speedtrap, even if it isn't great in every aspect, and fans of the current Speed Metal wave will want to give it a listen.
