Album Review: Flotsam And Jetsam - I Am The Weapon
Reviewed by Gareth Pugh
Arizonian veterans Flotsam & Jetsam shouldn’t need much of an introduction, as I’m sure all of you will know, they’re most famously known for being the group co-founded by Jason Newsted, who left shortly after the brilliant debut album ‘Doomsday for the Deceiver’ to join Metallica on bass guitar. That’s ancient history, and since then the band has been consistently releasing albums every two or three years with, it has to be said, varied quality since the debut sophomore album ‘No Place for Disgrace’.
For me, after third album, the underrated though admittedly patchy ‘When the Storm Comes Down’, the band hasn’t seemed to have been confident with itself or sound, or how they fit into an ever changing metal scene, lurching from style to style and one identity crisis to another. The original thrash sound being more or less diluted on some albums or even non-existent on others, that is until the release of the self-titled album in 2016. Aomehow, and whether this was due to original Newsted replacement Michael Spencer rejoining the ranks, or the slightly ill-judged re-recording of ‘No Place for Disgrace’, the injection of riffs from then new guitarist Steve Conley, or a combination of all three, or something completely different, but something lit a fire under the band and they released their best album since said sophomore effort and produced a pure thrash album that few thought they had left in them, myself included.
Thankfully rather than being a one-off, this upward trajectory has continued with the brilliant ‘The End of Chaos’ and ‘Blood in the Water’. The question being, was this rejuvenation going to be continued with album number fifteen? Well thankfully, the resounding answer is yes, ‘I Am The Weapon’ continues the speed, power and aggression of the previous three, although I’m not sure the band realise quite the connotation that ‘weapon’ has in the UK!
‘A New Kind of Hero’ bursts out of the speakers, spitting plenty of vim and vigour, bringing plenty of aggression and of course the band’s trademark melody. Yet it boasts a slightly peculiar arrangement. ‘Primal’ quickly establishes why it was chosen as lead single with its massive hooks and catchy chorus.
Although cut from the same cloth as the other recent albums, you get the distinct feeling the band has worked hard to keep things fresh and not just repeat the successful formula, and with all but one of the songs at around the three and a half to five minute running time, there’s hardly a moment wasted. The song writing is super tight, take ‘The Head of the Snake’ for example, which sees guitarists Mike Gilbert and the aforementioned Steve Conley utilize drop tuning and the ever-present Erik A.K. using a more forceful approach to his always impressive vocal performance, while the title-track exploits almost death metal heaviness, drummer Ken Mary proving he’s as versatile as he is powerful, with some remarkable double bass work.
Perhaps the most unusual experimentation is the almost swing beat employed in the memorable ‘Beneath the Shadows’, it certainly caught me a bit off guard, and as if to offset that the band pummels you back to your senses with the brutal ‘Gates of Hell’. The album finishes on a suitable high with the only five minutes plus song ‘Black Wings’ which is a touch more epic with a huge drum intro and an extended middle eight section.
Overall, ‘I Am The Weapon’ is a real triumph, forty years into the bands existence and they can still produce an album of this quality. If like me you’ve been with the band on this recent return to form, or if you’ve yet to appreciate this Indian summer in the Flotz career, or if for some reason you haven’t heard the band before, ‘I am the Weapon’ won’t disappoint on any level. Enjoy.
