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Rage's Trapped!, sixth full-length by the Germans, marked the start of a golden era for the band with killer releases in the 1990s, starting out with this and ending with End of All Days in 1996. The lineup here is considered by Peavy Wagner himself as the best Rage ever had (despite a lot of fans arguing that Viktor Smolski and Mike Terrana also made a strong case for best lineup), with Chris Efthimiadis on the drums and legendary axeman Manni Schmidt. This is also the first album that featured a really mature Peavy, with sober vocal nuances, strong bass playing and high-end songwriting.

Starting out in great fashion with "Shame on You", the band delivers a mix of fast and heavy songs throughout the effort. Fan-favorites "Solitary Man", with fast riffs and a catchy chorus, "Enough Is Enough" with its mid-tempo, less aggressive approach and the cadenced "Baby I'm Your Nightmare" all contribute to a solid lineup. Manni shines and steals the show on most parts of the album, shredding and tearing everything, from prolific, virtuous solos like in "Medicine" and "Questions" to face-melting riffs like in the best song in here, "Power and Greed". Aside from that, the remastering process worked really well (the album being reviewed here is the 2002 remastered version) and highlights every instrument.

A very balanced but criminally overlooked album, Trapped! offers lots of headbanging minutes and is a must-have in every Power Metal fan collection. Rage was in its best form here, and the 18 songs clocking at almost 80 minutes make for an excellent investment.