Flotsam and Jetsam – I Am The Weapon
Release Date: 13th September 2024
Label: AFM Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Thrash Metal, Speed Metal.
FFO: Testament, Death Angel, Forbidden, Metal Church.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
I was but a young child when Flotsam and Jetsam started their journey. I’ve known of them since then, yet have not ventured into giving them a whirl. Why? Honestly, it has a lot to do with lack of exposure to their music during those formative years. I grew up in a rural area and this was prior to the days of the internet, so a lot of music discovery was through word of mouth, Headbangers Ball, 120 Minutes, and discovering something through reading a magazine. It wasn’t convenient, but damn if it wasn’t magical when you “discovered” something that you loved. So I suppose in the years that have passed since having more ease of access to music, they just haven’t been on my radar. I feel it important to make mention of this background information, as I truly have no basis of comparison for this new album. In my mind it seemed silly at this point in my life to not have listened to them, and this is why I settled on I Am The Weapon as one of my review picks.
Forty years is quite a time for an act to continue, and clearly this hasn’t been without line up changes. In fact, the only original member of Flotsam and Jetsam is singer Eric “A.K.” Knutson. Sometimes it is difficult for groups to move forward when a singer changes; however, band line up changes also pose their own challenges. With the right talent in the mix, all things are possible, and it seems that is the case here. Everything in terms of musicianship is solid. Expansive, meticulous solos are all over the place, so any of you guitar heroes should be well pleased in that regard. Riffs bounce around from being top-notch thrash, aggressive, and punchy to grooving and catchy. It was a real pleasure to hear the transitions throughout the tracks and on the album in general. A stale listen, this is not. Of course the vocals are well done, and I love the natural, old school feel of the snarly delivery flowing smoothly into more operatic elements. Having said all of that, though: the rhythm section is well impressive. The drums are off the hook; what energy, and it really shines through on each track. It is worth making mention that the engineering on I Am The Weapon is pretty stellar. Polished, sleek, and clean are all words that come to mind when thinking about the sound. That isn’t really my jam, but for some albums, it just wouldn’t make sense for the overall feel and sound to be a bit grainy and rough.
Ultimately, these dudes just showed up to rock. In that regard, Flotsam and Jetsam succeeded. It is a bit like stepping back in time, and we all need to do that now and again. My only real issue is that lyrically there is something lacking here and there, but not to the point that I couldn’t get through the album. I feel much the same about Megadeth, too. Let me put it this way-listening to this has piqued my interest enough that I will work through other Flotsam and Jetsam albums. No matter if you are a seasoned fan or someone like me that is just now “discovering” these dudes, I hope you enjoy the listen!
(4 / 5)
