Music website AllMusic awarded Trapeze two out of five stars.[2] Writer Dave Thompson described the album as "a dour little disc, desperately missing the funk infusions of Glenn Hughes and, for the most part, overshadowed even by its disappointing predecessor".[2] Thompson identified opening track "Star Breaker" as "probably the best" song on Trapeze, but summarised the release as "lumpen rock by rote, dull and dismissed by all but the most desperately faithful".[2]