Review FLOTSAM AND JETSAM “I Am the Weapon”

Their debut album ranks among the masterpieces of speed and thrash metal, and the following “No Place for Disgrace” could easily match the quality of the furious “Doomsday for the Deceiver” record. After these two gems, Flotsam and Jetsam went through a phase of rather average releases before finding back to their own strength with “Ugly Noise”.

Since then, the quintet from Phoenix, Arizona has released a number of powerful longplayers, and “I Am the Weapon” is the latest offering from Flotsam and Jetsam. The five-piece picks things up where they left off with their previous album. The title track is the lead single of the album and it shows what the band is capable of. It’s a raging metal track that shows the band’s passion for fast paced metal. At the same time, the guys add a solid dose of melody to the mix, making “I Am The Weapon” a blistering metal anthem that has everything it needs to be the name giver for an album.

The album starts off with “A New Kind Of Hero”, which is another sonic wrecking ball, and the same goes for the following “Primal”, one of the best songs on the album.

Evil and dark is “The Head of the Snake”. Some twists are the surprising element while the guys find the sweet spot of melody and heaviness. Furious is the right word to describe “Gates of Hell” with Ken Mary’s drumming being the driving force behind this smashing metal anthem.

“Kings Of The Underworld” is a bit different from the rest of the album in terms of arrangement, but the song still fits perfectly. The same goes for the wild and untamed “Running Through the Fire”. These songs show Flotsam and Jetsam’s goal of constantly evolving as a band while keeping their trademark sound alive. “I Am the Weapon” reflects this in a great way, which is also symbolized by the closer “Black Wings” and its dramatic intro. It is certainly the most versatile song the band has written to date, reflecting 100% Flotsam and Jetsam.

The speed metal veterans from Arizona continue their streak of excellent metal releases with “I Am the Weapon”. The album contains the power of the early days and shows a band that doesn’t stand still. This album is pure metal bliss from start to finish. Horns up.