Review | Flotsam And Jetsam – I Am The Weapon

AFM Records

I must admit that I am certainly not the biggest fan of speed and thrash metal. Most bands concentrate on speed and trying to be tough, most of them forget about the fact that even in that genre some melody would not go astray. Two bands are for me the exception to that rule. The first one is Death Angel from the Bay Area and the second one is Flotsam And Jetsam. Ever since that epic debut ‘Doomsday For The Deceiver’ (1986) I have been following their efforts.

Times were a bit tough when bass player and one of the boys from the first hours Jason Newsted switched to Metallica, but singer Eric A.K. Knudson took over at the helm and led the group through several decades, leading up to a 15^th release entitled ‘I Am The Weapon’, despite the fact that he left for a very short time to pursue a different kind of music.

KEN MARY

When drummer Ken Mary (Fifth Angel) joined the group somewhere in 2017 and teamed up with Eric and Co. things became more serious again. The albums ‘Blood In The Water’ and ‘The End Of Chaos’ redefined the sound of the group, ignited by the furious drums. Ken Mary really beefed up the sound with his fabulous playing and both albums were highlights in their genre. Obviously, it was not all down to the influence of Ken Mary but to me his addition was key to a renewed and fresh sounding group.

BACK WITH A BANG

Some three years after ‘The End Of Chaos’ the group is back with a bang. When you hear the unleashed fury that Flotsam And Jetsam brings to the table on the openers ,,A New Kind Of Hero’’, ,,Primal’’ and the epic title-track, it once again becomes crystal clear that these lads know exactly what this genre needs: power, aggression, immaculate musicianship, good songs and a healthy portion of melody. The songs of Flotsam And Jetsam are not just examples of force and great technique, they also have a head and a tail.

You cannot say that the music is so much different in comparison with its two predecessors, but in this case the difference is in the details. The arrangements are a bit different at times, there are slight death metal influences in a song such as the title-track while ,,Beneath The Shadows’’ sounds very groovy. The changes are subtle but they are there for the greater good.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – THE CONCLUSION

Without losing any of their power, force, and attitude it must be said that at times this album is more playful with some different elements. Still, ‘I Am The Weapon’ is unmistakenly Flotsam And Jetsam. All the ingredients we love are there, but this time they have just a bit more on offer without losing their identity even for one second. After four decades (and counting) in the business, it is quite amazing how they still sound relevant, fresh, melodic, yet as always armed with deadly force. Expeditiously produced as well Flotsam And Jetsam seems to have progressed even more. In the thrash and speed genre it will be hard to find a better record this year.

Release date: 13 September 2024