Flotsam And Jetsam – ‘I Am The Weapon’

Metal

AFM Records

Release Date – September 13th 2024

Review By smudge smith

Flotsam And Jetsam were kind of outsiders back in the day. They didn’t come from the Bay Area or New York but that didn’t deter them from ripping out some of the best thrash metal for over 40 years! Their debut ‘Doomsday For The Deceiver’ is considered a classic and rightly so but their recent output has been just as good. Now we have another fine album to sit alongside all the others.

Opening with ‘A New Kind Of Hero’ it’s a song of our time and boy do they put the point across on a raucous slab of thrash showing Eric AK has lost none of his power or range. ‘Primal’ eases back a bit and has a huge melodic chorus on top of some serious riffage. The title track goes for the throat but grabs your downstairs instead and it doesn’t loosen it’s grip whilst Ken Mary’s double kick uses your head like a boxers speed ball. Do you submit? It doesn’t let up on ‘Burned My Bridges’ either. ‘Head Of The Snake’ offers some respite on the intro before going into a huge groove metal banger that’s sure to go down well live.

Imagine if you can ZZ Top going metal with Ronnie James Dio and that’s what you get on ‘Beneath The Shadows’ – superb. ‘Gates Of Hell’ goes like the clappers on another Ken Mary double kick fest then ‘Cold Steel Lights’ goes even faster with some serious guitar work from Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley. ‘Kings Of The Underworld’ is more power metal than thrash the we get the crash bang wallop of ‘Running Through Fire’ before more power metal on the final cut ‘Black Wings’.

Wow! Just wow! Flotsam And Jetsam have nothing to prove but here they are knocking out a world class thrash metal album and making it look easy. 40 years in the game and they show no signs of letting up. On this evidence they could go another 40 years. Great riffs, hooks and solos and Ken Mary’s rhythms are something to behold. Singer Eric AK is still at the top of his game, sounding very much like Ronnie James Dio. If you like metal, you will love this.

Band –

Eric A K – Vocals

Michael Gilbert – Guitar

Steve Conley – Guitar

Bill Bodily – Bass

Ken Mary – Drums

Track List –

1 – A New Kind Of Hero

2 – Primal

3 – I Am The Weapon

4 – Burned My Bridges

5 – The Head Of The Snake

6 – Beneath The Shadows

7 – Gates Of Hell

8 – Cold Steel Lights

9 – Kings Of The Underworld

10 – Running Through Fire

11 – Black Wings