Flotsam and Jetsam

Very few bands manage to stay through the 90s without releasing bad album or just staying true to their identity. Or without a split-up. I think the likes of Gamma Ray, Rage, Tankard and argubly Sodom are the first that come to my mind when it comes to such thing. And since all of them are German, how about some cultural diversity - Flotsam and Jetsam. If you listen to the likes of 'When the Storm Comes Down', 'Drift' or 'Unnatural Selection', you're beginning to wonder how come those albums never got the recognition they deserve. Sure, they weren't another 'Doomsday for the Deceiver', but also not mediocre or straight-up bad by all accounts. I mean, Flotz' always were the underdogs, just like other bands that weren't the part of this ridiculous idea called "The Big Four" - oh what, labels, the other bands just didn't generate enough money for you? But at least other bands were often mentioned as other bands' influence. Biggest influence of Flotsam was... giving the bassist to Metallica.

So yeah, the times were pretty tough for Kelly David Smith, Michael Gilbert, Edward Carlson, every bassist who got into the band somehow (they're spread too thin to choose the iconic one) and Eric 'A.K.' Knutson. They were even tougher after such forgettable and just boring stuff like 'Dreams of Death' or 'The Cold'. So when this flailing around like a headless chicken band announces a self-titled album in 30th anniversary of their debut album, one can only question what led to such decision. An attempt to reinvent themselves? Or maybe self-reflection upon your carrer combining the best of entire catalogue? Or just trying to win the fans over with the oldschool sound they're bringing back after hilarious attempts at taking the piece of cake baked by modern Machine Head (which was already rotten to begin with)?

Whatever it was, the goal seemed to be fulfilled, as 'Flotsam and Jetsam' (the album) did brought the band back on every thrash metal map you could think of. Starting from the almost 6-minute 'Seventh Seal' and ending on a 7-minute long 'Forbidden Territories', Flotsam and Jetsam (the band) takes you on a ride which, can be described as metal equivalent of an amusement park at Universal Studios/Toho/whatever big movie studio you can think of. You may have heard it like thousand times already, and yet going through the same ride just puts a big smile on your face. Because that's what this album is here for - bringing joy to all Flotz' fans.

As I mentioned, the album doesn't wait to bring back the good old thrashing everyone knows them for, without delving too deep into wannabe-Machine Head/Trivium thing they were trying to imitate (or make fun of - in both cases it failed). 'Seventh Seal' is basically this album's 'Hammerhead', as you don't feel like 6 minutes have passed while the song was playing while attacking your head with amazing drumming and crushing riffs. Same go for the next song, much shorter, yet still badass 'Life is a Mess'. I just wish that solo was much longer than, like what, 5 seconds? 'Iron Maiden' is not a cover of an British legends' anthem, but the guitar harmonies and Eric Knutson's imitation of Bruce Dickinson's makes for a great tribute to IM. 'Verge of Tragedy' is a reminder of the fact Flotz' still has 'The Cold' as part of their discography. It does work here, mostly because it's only a short part of one album, not an entire gallery of pseudo-epic songs that go nowhere.

Among all the other cool stuff we can find 'L.O.T.D.', which on the surface may seem like a straight-forward thrasher with standard song structure, until we reach 3rd minute, when Flotsam and Jetsam shakes things up. Note that to yourself, because that might be the last they'll do it. The short and acoustic (I think...?) 'The Incantation' serves as a introduction before another great mid-paced thrasher 'Monkey Wrench' hits, "corrected" by a light-hearted 'Time to Go'. The finale for this album is an 7-minute long 'Forbidden Territories', which is actually a demo from times of 'No Place for Disgrace'. You can hear that in its bass riff, which is similar 'I Live You Die'. It doesn't invalidate the song in any way, and serves as a great end to this 55-minute long record that lets Flotz' get their groove back.

But not entirely though, as this album is plagued by numerous issues. Songs like 'Taser' and 'Smoking Gun' are pretty tame, and clearly leftovers from 'Dreams of Death'/'The Cold' era. Yeah, the first one has cool solos, but that's not enough to same them from being boring. You can throw those songs away and the album gets only better. 'Creeper' has some nice ideas in it, but overall *feels like a typical filler that's meant to pan out the runtime. The production is solid, the guitars, drums and, most importantly, bass guitar are top notch here, Michael Spencer really shines on this record. It does feel a bit too sterile.

However, the vocals are much bigger problem. Yes, they are audible enough to get through this wall of sound (yes, this album is also plagued by fuckin' Loudness War, because of course it is). But they just sound... off. I'm fairly certain it's the issue of production, since Eric "A.K." sounded great on re-recording of 'No Place for Disgrace' and the next two albums. His voice here, however, sounds way too... Thick? Overproduced? I don't know how to describe it, but it really doesn't sound good. Sometimes it's definitely his fault, like those annoying impressions in 'Iron Maiden' and 'Verge of Tragedy'. But on other songs, just listen to 'Life is a Mess' or 'L.O.T.D.', and then compare it to 'Control', or 'Burn the Sky' for example. It's clear something went wrong with vocals, and most of it is because of production.
EDIT: Turns out there's tons of reverb on vocals. While it doesn't justify annoying performances on 'Iron Maiden' or 'Verge of Tragedy', it does explain why Eric sounds so weird here. You can always look up live version of these songs and he sounds WAY BETTER than this.

And since this album has 12 songs to choose from, it's rather obvious there's a problem with tracklist not complementing the songs. I mean, setting 'The Incantation' closer to album's ending is just dumb. Same with 'Smoking Gun' just ruining the tension before 'Forbidden Territories' rolls up. If you want to make it a better listening experience, throw out 'Taser' and 'Smoking Gun', and set the tracklist like this:
'The Incantation'
'Monkey Wrench'
'Life is a Mess'
'Time to Go'
'Verge of Tragedy'
'Iron Maiden'
'Seventh Seal'
'Creeper'
'L.O.T.D.'
'Forbidden Territories'
I guarantee it makes for a much stronger record. Yet another case of tracklist not doing albums any favours. How awesome. How many more albums I have to get through to make my point about tracklist being super fucking important clear?

The self-titled album is an almost universal practice, and ordinarily it doesn't necessarily correlate to any sort of dramatic shift in qualitative or stylistic content. However, when an eponymous LP suddenly springs up after a significant amount of output has already been unleashed, it's a fairly safe bet that something has changed in the given band's priorities. The peculiar case of Flotsam And Jetsam, arguably the most consequential early purveyors of power/thrash to come out of the United States in the 1980s and often linked to one of metal's best known acts Metallica via the former's original bassist and co-founder Jason Newsted, is arguably the most blatant case study in this phenomenon being linked to a clear attempt to rekindle a dying fire. Having been caught in what can be described as a double-whammy output malaise since 1992's Cuatro, this outfit only saw a slight reprieve from the throes of modern groove/thrash drudgery in the first half of the 2000s, which was surrounded by a bunch of lackluster efforts attempting to pander to the same fickle mainstream that Machine Head has been chasing since their inception. But following the 2014 rerecording of their seminal classic sophomore outing No Place For Disgrace and the return of Newsted's original replacement Michael Spencer, a different target audience was clearly in view.

If Flotsam And Jetsam, this outfit's twelfth studio album LP, could be summed up in a single statement, it would be a complete embracement of the same thrash revival spirit that Overkill adopted on 2010's Ironbound. The result is not quite as consistently explosive as said album, but every vestige of 90s groove metal and stagnant modernity has been excised from this band's creative arsenal, while the production quality has taken the best aspects of current practices and delivered up a colossal sound that could easily compared with concurrent efforts heard out of Testament and Death Angel. Eric A.K.'s voice has likewise developed a grittier tone relative to the high-wailing banshee days of Doomsday For The Deceiver, sounding fairly similar to how Heathen's David White did on The Evolution Of Chaos, further pulling this already heavier and chunkier sound into pure thrashing territory. Yet in spite of this all, there is still a very clear and present remnant of their affinity for the epic melodic character of the USPM sound, to the point where many moments of this album will ring familiar to those with any familiarity with the past and contemporary work of Metal Church, Helstar and Jag Panzer. It's a meatier and higher octane approach comparatively speaking, but still chock full of similarly infectious hooks alongside the busy riff work.

Though the album art that greets any prospective listener is fairly plain to the eye, what strikes the ears is of a very different nature. Dispensing with any sort of introductions, the massive crusher of an opener "Seventh Seal" fires on all cylinders and delivers a fast yet precision-based thrashing session that alone clears out all the bats and cobwebs that have been collecting over this band's career since the early 90s. In addition to being an album built off of speed and power, the aforementioned opening number and other select tracks such as the haunting mid-paced monster "Creeper" and the closing beast of a thrasher "Forbidden Territories" feature a lot of intricate shifts in direction and a brilliant display out of Spencer, who's raunchy, dark and glassy bass tone gives these songs an incredible amount of additional impact. On the other hand, more straight up speed machines such as "Life Is A Mess", "L.O.T.D." and "Time To Go" invoke the same degree of triumphant might in a shorter package and a greater degree of lead guitar brilliance, often paralleling several Bay Area shredders during the solo segments. Yet through all of the heavy-ended pummeling that this album has to dish out, the song that steals the show is the one arguable throwback to their 80s formula, namely the power metal-infused "Iron Maiden", an obvious tribute to the band by the same name and also the only overt banger amid a collection of more adventurous material.

While this album doesn't quite reach the same towering heights that this band's seminal 80s offerings achieved, this is the textbook definition of a monster comeback, especially from a band that has scarcely put out anything of note in 26 years. Whether the band just spontaneously decided to turn back the clock a couple of decades or if the studio retread of their sophomore album managed to light a fire under their collective ass, this was the beginning of a winning streak for this veteran outfit that has continued up until the present. Scores of fans from back when metal ruled the world may have been lost in the proverbial wilderness when it came to Flotsam And Jetsam's post-80s career, but that largely changed back in 2016 when this outfit was back on the road mixing this fine newer material in with the highlights of their first three albums. Yours truly was actually fortunate enough to catch this act during the corresponding tour with Hammerfall, and what was witnesses was enough to get him back on the bandwagon that he'd jumped off of years back. This is not a full on throwback to the first two albums, nor does it really attempt to be that, but it manages to capture much of the same energy that made those albums work, and stands as one of the more solid transitions of the old style into a present day template.

This is one powerful release! I was quite taken aback by it's ingenuity and originality. There's not a track on here that I dislike. The whole album is filled with precision! I dug the vocals, too. I didn't care much for their new album. I thought that this was one MONUMENTAL LP. It's filled with songs that are invigorating and earth-shattering. The sound quality is quite good, too. I didn't hear anything on here that really missed a beat at all. Pure power/thrash filled with originality, upbeat tempos and production quality that's nothing clear of holding the goal they were seeking on this full-length almost hour-long masterpiece.

This was actually an introduction to the band recommended by a friend but I know about the band since it's Jason Newstead's former band before joining Metallica in late '86. I would have to say that this quintet blasted my eardrums on this release. My friend was absolutely right about this one. I was rather disappointed with their follow-up, but I know that they're close to done with their new release for this year or early next year. I'm interested into what that one will sound like! But nevertheless, lets get down to the nitty gritty on this one. I think that they busted ass on here (self-titled) and utmost originality is what kept me interested.

I know that I've said this earlier, but the sound quality is what's best on here aside from the originality in the songwriting. I'm not too familiar with the band members, but all I know that whoever was in charge of the songwriting if it was a collective effort they didn't at all bomb this one in any way. The music and vocals are what interested me the whole time. I was sucked into how the quality and ingenuity this there was dynamite entirely. I didn't lose interest on any song, tempo, vocal, none of it. It all kept my attention entirely! They really created something that's so utterly devastatingly incredible.

I bought this shortly after it came out. I'm surprised that overlooked it in regards to writing about it. It just sat on the wall collecting dust till I realized that I needed to get in my two cents in regards to opinion, objectivity and precision. Whatever they did, they sought approval by me in all stated aspects of precision! I'm glad that I bought the album because I'm not certain as to if it's on Spotify or not. Probably YouTube, but I haven't checked it out nor did I need to because I have the physical CD. If you're a metalhead, get this album because it's great power/thrash metal to the core!

Penning your newest album as 'self-titled', over 30 years into your career is certainly making a statement. But then again, what expectations does a self-titled album bring with it? Should it be a summation of your entire 3-decade career, stylistic changes and all? Or simply a rebirth of your classic sound for listeners of the modern age? For these veteran US thrashers, their eponymous 2016 release certainly leans more towards the latter. The band has been through so many line-up changes and genre crossing over the years, they have no 'statement' to make. They can only remind you why they are one of the most underrated thrash metal acts of the 1980s. This is Flotsam & Jetsam, and they're here to pummel you.

I may not have loathed their ill-fated re-recording of 1988's legendary "No Place For Disgrace", but it was met with so much hate-fuelled backlash that hopes of a new LP were fickle. Fortunately, the quintet have brushed aside the naysayers to unleash what may be their greatest opus since "Disgrace" hit the shelves 28 years ago. It certainly is aggressive enough to dispel any negativity. Erik's inimitable and familiar voice is fearsome to say the least, as he spits out lyrics like "Go out and play, it's a fuckin' nice day!". He characterizes this album perfectly, along with drummer Jason Bittner (yes, from Toxik!) whose kit work hammers the pace along.

The string players slot snugly between these two stars, providing some of Flotsam's most memorable riffage. The eastern tinge of "Seventh Seal", the swung groove of "Verge of Tragedy", and the beautiful simplicity of "Creeper" are all stunning examples of how seasoned thrashers show the newcomers who's boss. These riffs aren't 'basic', they're memorable without being showy. This is what F&J have always been about. Hell, closing track "Forbidden Territories" manages to resemble 1986's "Hammerhead" and 1988's "N.E. Terror" in equal measure.

This full-length lacks the typical 7+ minute epic that became a staple of their classic albums. No "Escape From Within" here I'm afraid. However, interlude "The Incantation" is a lovely way to allow the listener to breathe before "Monkey Wrench" knocks them on their ass with one of the greatest riffs of the year. The two 'sore thumb' tracks on this record are track 3: "Taser", and track 11: "Smoking Gun". Despite the dynamic variation of the former and the more direct attack of the latter, they both are strikingly down-tuned and groovy. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but at least the Arizonans are showing that they're no one-trick pony.

If you consider yourself a thrash metal fan, especially of the old guard, then this band is certainly a must-follow. Whilst Metallica flail around in creative limbo, the reliable ilk (Overkill, Testament, Anthrax, Kreator etc.) continue to wreck necks to this day. Flotsam & Jetsam can now be counted among this elite as they prove just how relevant they remain.This 2016 self-titled album is exactly the dose of reliable, yet refreshing, modern thrash metal us fans thirsted for.

"One day we will all be in a better place,
And the next we'll all be dead!"

The eponymous record. Inevitable in the hands of nearly any long time musical artist. The obligatory statement of 'self', of purpose or re-purpose, commitment or re-commitment. Arizona's long ailing, but unflinchingly persistent power/thrashers Flotsam & Jetsam waited until studio LP #12 to resort to the tactic, adorning it with a simple logo & skull image that seems to suggest a humbling of tone and expression, which ironically is not at all how this album feels. While it's no question that Flotsam & Jetsam is comprised of and composed of a gestalt of riffing styles and tempos that the band has explored throughout its 30+ years of existence, it's put together really well. To my surprise, bordering on shock, I've gotten more enjoyment and replay value out of this in the last couple weeks than I have any album they've put out since No Place for Disgrace in 1988, and while it's no rival for that classic, it's evidence enough that old dogs don't always need new tricks, just a proper ratio of bite to bark.

One might argue that the album plays it fairly safe, and I can't argue that, but it does so with a solid slew of engaging riffs and well-developed vocal lines and choruses that almost all integrated into my memory even on the first flight through the record. Pounding, mid-paced thrash rhythms capture a lot of the 'gladiatorial' feel you'll recall from No Place, and a few of the tunes were supposedly written in that era, but here they are clad with the clarity and pomp of the guitar productions they've used on a lot of their modern albums. There is the occasional deferral to the meaty groove/thrash that bands like Pantera or Machine Head made viable in the 90s, and that's a minor distraction, but even there the material is handled tastefully, serving as a means to an end that is achieved with glorious confidence, or a neck-pumping exercise to make bands like an Exodus in its prime proud. Workmanlike rhythms are affected with NWOBHM-like melodies that strive and attain a good balance, and the leads whip into their furors with cautious ease, slightly short of remarkable but light and entertaining. The fact they've got a tune here called "Iron Maiden" sort of tapes into the self-referential genre examination which highly characterized their 1997 effort High, but without the disposable mediocrity.

The disc doesn't suffer from the production pratfalls that even their fantastic sophomore fell victim to, but at the expense that it definitely feels a little overly clean, like you'll hear from a lot of the modern efforts from these veteran acts (Overkill, Queensrÿche, etc). That said, it has its benefits, like the fluid thump of Michael Spencer's bass lines or the concrete consistency of the drumming, which is simple but effective at helping hammer out a lot of the record's simpler, 'been there' riffs. The MVP here, however, is Erik A.K.'s vocals, which sound emotional and detailed on nearly every line he spits out over the 55 minutes. The lyrics are often loaded with tireless streams of cliches, but when he hits the choruses in tunes like "Time to Go" or "Verge of Tragedy" he really shows a seasoned patience and mastery of exactly what ranges to strike to drive a tune from just 'alright' to one I wanted to hit repeat on numerous times. He might not have the wailing, brash rage of his youth, but the voice still has a lot of that same character we can remember from Doomsday or No Place and its certainly a far cry better than his performance on the latter's remake two years ago.

And better, by extension, than the long procession of disappointments I've experienced at their hands over these last several decades. To be clear, Flotsam & Jetsam HAVE put out some decent songs in the interim. Albums like The Cold or Dreams of Death had their moments, just precious few of them, whereas this disc is the first in forever where I'd actually play straight through the track list and then do so again, without any desire to skip over anything. That doesn't mean all the riffs or songs here are written equally, and the album still lacks in a few areas where the energy lags, or the lyrics just seem effete that they drag down the music below them, but it's very much enjoyable and if not a classic for a new generation, it's at least a solid enough execution that one can hold out hope that the fires have not now, or may never fully wane for the Phoenix elite.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

During the last couple of years there have been revolving doors in the lineup but vocalist Eric A.K. has kept the band intact with founding member Michael Gilbert returning to the band in 2010 after a decade away. Lately, Michael Spencer, who was in the band for a year in the late eighties and helped penned their legendary No Place For Disgrace album has returned to the band to fill the void when long time bassist Jason Ward left. Flotsam and Jetsam has also recruited guitarist Steve Conley and drummer Jason Bittner known for his time in Shadow Fall and Toxik. We also need to mention that the mention that the two founding members Kelly David-Smith and Edward Carlson left the band in 2014, both have been an integral part of the band ever since they formed in 1984. So there was a natural skepticism from a few fans when the band presented their new album and lineup.

The first track I heard from the album was Iron Maiden, a speed metal anthem that sounds a bit like Iron Maiden (the band) on steroids. With blazing twin guitars and Eric A.K.'s melodic singing on top. Damn, the expectations rose to an extreme high for me personally and now after listening to the full album for a few days I'm slightly disappointed with the full product, mainly because the band's sound is quite different on the rest of the tracks. The track Iron Maiden is the best song the band has written since Suffer the Masses from 1990's When the Storm Comes Down, no doubt. Iron Maiden is an old school sounding track that could have been a part of the bands classic debut album Doomsday for the Deceiver. It's a glimpse of what this album could have been and it's satisfying that the band still got it in them but I'm a bit saddened that the rest of the tracks on this album are more leaning towards a darker thrash sound that the band has cultivated for a decade or so.

But don't worry, the rest of the album is not an offspring to the bands experimental nineties. Nope, quite the contrary. In some way this is a typical Flotsam and Jetsam album, everything the band has delivered over the years is stirred down into one album, The heaviness and mid-tempo crunch combined emotional song patterns and melodic guitar work has become what we expect from new Flotsam and Jetsam albums and you'll get a ton of that stuff here. So this is perhaps why they decided to self-title their 12th studio album.

It feels a bit like we're back on the track that Flotsam started with on 2005's Dreams of Death. When the band finally understood that the alternative rock and groove they delivered in the nineties wasn't as good as the thrash sound the band cultivated in the late eighties. Since then the production values as the overall impression of the band has improved significantly. Flotsam and Jetsam's new self-titled album is a proof of that, things are tight and professional and at the same time more in the old school vein compared to their last couple of albums.

The album has some serious musicianship behind it and newcomers Steve Conley and Jason Bittner deliver some solid work here. I'm actually really impressed by Jason Bittner's expressive drum work. I think he has given the band a more metallic edge with his concise drumming. The guitar work by old timer Michael Spencer and new comer Steve Conley is also top notch, delivered in a typical Flotsam fashion, melodic and heavy at the same time.

Flotsam and Jetsam's new album might very well be the best album they have released since 1990's When the Storm Comes Down. At least from a metal perspective.

2016 is stacking up to be a pretty good year for thrash with solid albums from Megadeth, Anthrax, Exumer, Destruction, Metal Church and now we can add Flotsam and Jetsam's self-titled album to the list of good thrash metal albums of 2016.


Review originally written for Ruuth's Inn - Thrash Metal Webzine (http://ruthlessmetal.hostei.com/thrash/)