Flotsam and Jetsam – Flotsam and Jetsam

[nyrating]

16th May 2016 Reinier de Vries Album Reviews 0

I am not going to bore you about this great band’s history because you probably know all about it. After the first fabulous albums a few followed that didn’t reach that high level. With ‘The Cold’ (2010) however, they grabbed my attention again and also ‘Ugly Noise’ (2012) gets my approval. Writing reviews about bands of which the first albums are top notch is always a difficult job. Somehow, even if you are not intending to do it, you compare the new music with those albums and also some teenage compassion plays a role. I try to put that all aside and let just their music do the talking.

The opener is fast and puts me immediately on the front of my seat. This is a power/thrash song with the typical genius tempo changes and melodies. The guitar solos are fingerlicking good! That same high standard continues in the next 2 tracks. “Life is A Mass” is again fast, but with changes to mid-tempo throughout the song. The high tempo continues with “Taser”, and has a fine part with a nice eastern sounding melody. The song “Iron Maiden” was the first track of the new album out on You-Tube. The title already betrays the musical influence, but Iced Earth is a main influence as well. This is probably the song with singer Eric A.K. at his best.

Next up is “Verge Of Tragedy”, which sounds rather heavy and low tuned, it does remind me a lot of their last 2 albums. The first track that is a bit weaker in my opinion is “Creeper”, it just doesn’t reach the level of the first 5 songs. “L.O.T.D.” is a typical Flotsam and Jetsam track, but also doesn’t really impress. After the short instrumental “The Incantation” another less strong song follows. It just doesn’t reach the level of the first 5 songs on this album. “Time To Go” is carried by an interesting bass-line (Michael Spencer) and Eric’s singing is a kind of lyrical cascade. On “Smoking Gun”again Michael Spencer takes the lead, the heavy thrash riffs in combination with the roaring bass does its job. The closing track is my favorite song on this album, together with “Iron Maiden”. It reminds me the most of their debut and second album. Yes folks, the last song is the best one if you ask me.

All in all an album of which I think the first half has the best songs, halfway it gets just a little bit weaker, but the last song wipes out that little disappointment immediately. I know I was not going to compair this album with their first recordings, but I do it anyway. It doesn’t top the first 2 releases, but for me it ends third place easily!

Tracklist:

01. Seventh Seal
02. Life is A Mass
03. Taser
04. Iron Maiden
05. Verge Of Tragedy
06. Creeper
07. L.O.T.D.
08. The Incantation
09. Monkey Wrench
10. Time To Go
11. Smoking Gun
12. Forbidden Territories

Playing time: 55:00

Release date: 20 May 2016

Label: AFM Records

Website: www.flotsam-and-jetsam.com

About Reinier de Vries 188 Articles

Once a metal head, always a metalhead. My parents thought it would only be a period, but they were wrong. I quit to explain the beauty of metal music to others that are not into metal, because it is something you can't tell in words... It is like explaining to a teetotaller why a cold beer is so nice on a hot day... I started with bands like Accept, Metal Church, Iron Maiden and Metallica in the eighties and I think I will still listen to them when I'm stone deaf and old...