Origin of the species: Humble beginnings in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1980s gave us some of the most influential heavy music of all time. Fusing the high energy, speed and DIY ethic of punk music, along with the classy galloping geetars of the NWOBHM, the latest genetic mutation of metal began to spread its wings. Call it speed or thrash; it was fast and dirty, with little room for error. These bands were on a mission: to take the world by the balls, and they didn’t give a shit how it got done. There was only one rule: NO SELLING OUT! With the locks flowing, torn jeans tighter than a wool sock straight from the drier, rockin’ high-tops and leather jackets, bands burst onto the scene
and then evaporated almost as quickly. Arizona's
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM was not one of the bands who would go away quietly. Formed
in Phoenix, Arizona in ’81, they have survived to this very day. They took
their influences from metal's earliest inclinations like KISS, AC/DC, NUGENT,
as well as the bands that pioneered the sound, SLAYER, POSSESSED, EXODUS,
and of course, METALLICA. FLOTS’s earliest effort, “Doomsday for the Deceiver”
was almost a METALLICA rip-off, coming on the heels of thrash classic “Master
of Puppets”. As time went on, FLOTS evolved into a more complete band, and
contrary to popular belief, they are not simply the band that traded bassist
Jason Newsted to METALLICA. FLOTS continues to release quality records to
this day, which is more than you can say for you-know-who.
First, buy: "Cuatro", 1992 (MCA)
- While some may think of F&J as a band of the 80s, when it's all said and
done, the 90s saw their best releases. There are many bands that can survive
20+ years putting out the same tired bullshit, but the bands that can tweak
their sound to stay current without alienating their fans tend to be the
ones that last. FLOTS made the transition on ‘92’s “Cuatro”. No longer just
a thrash band, their sound branched out with the addition of Jason Ward
on bass, giving them the anchor they needed to pull of a record catapulting
them into ‘elite’ status. Ward’s addition gave the music a new depth and
purpose, not only with composition; but lyrically as well.
This was the band's second release for major label
MCA, (better known for its association with jazz and R&B artists). A thrash
band slowing down the hyperdrive can be a double-edged sword, sometimes
exposing technical inadequacies. But FLOTS pulls this off on heavy-as-hell
tunes like “Swatting at Flies” and “Cradle Me Now”, both featuring the impressive
vocal-flexing of Erik "A.K." Knutson. Changes, lead work, and drop-the-bottom-out
drumming shtick of Kelly David Smith all swirl together in a lesson of first-rate
headbangery. Neil Kernon’s production (DOKKEN, SHY...even HALL & OATES?)
brings things into sharp focus, capturing the F&J boys in classic form.
Then buy: "Drift", 1992 (MCA)
- Another great FLOTS release, this time including the quintessential angry-man’s
anthem, “Pick a Window”, which features spectacular chorus lines like ,
“Pick a window, now you’re leaving" and "Can your mother sew? Have her stitch
this!”"Drift" saw the F&J boys stretching out with hopes of being the next
big thing. Tunes here are brash and in-your-face, Eric’s vocals are more
emotional than your girlfriend watching “Father of the Bride”, during a
worldwide chocolate shortage. The use of acoustic guitar on the aforementioned
“Pick a Window” and the sitar on “Me” create better exercises in tension
and release than any FLOTS record to date. "Drift" shows
FLOTS had developed the perfect mix of heaviness
along with subdued ‘thinking man’s’ changes.
Then buy: "No Place for Disgrace", 1988
- Here it is, ladies and gentlemen… the first truly great FLOTS record. Oh sure, "Doomsday for the Deceiver" may have been a jovial romp, but it was plagued with all sorts of problems which, thankfully, were all rectified by its follow-up. Jason Newsted's embarrassingly cheesy lyrics are replaced with a far darker narrative style, as seen by their ode to the samurai ritual of seppuku (the title cut… no pun intended) and the troublingly familiar tale of terrorism ("N.E. Terror"). Also, Erik A.K.'s vocals, which were a shrieky mess on the debut, are far more controlled this time around. Most importantly, this album is heavy as fuck from beginning to end, and even when they
lay a ballad ("Escape from Within") or an Elton John cover ("Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting") on ya, the aggression still doesn't let up. At this point, that's far more than could have been said for the band Mr. Newsted left 'em for!
Then buy: "My God", 2001 (Metal Blade)
- With Bill Metoyer back twisting the dials, “My God" gave old fans something
cheer about, as FLOTS seemed to find their angry edge once again. Tracks
like “Dig Me Up To Bury Me” and “Trash” are instant "best of" material:
crunchy, thrashy, and never losing its edge. The solos on “Dig Me Up…” recall
“Hell Awaits”-era SLAYER. Highly recommended listening for bouncing through
the 'ol trailer park. Far and away the best disc of the current Simpson
/ Carlson / Ward lineup.
Live and rare: "Saturday Night's Alright
for Fighting", 1988 (Roadrunner) - FLOTS-wise, there are only
few live tracks to collect; some are B-sides, like on the back of the 1988
release of the 12” “Saturday Night’s All Right for Fighting”, which include
cool live versions of “Hard On You”, “Misguided Fortune”, and “Dreams of
Death” (all from the “No Place For Disgrace” album). Also, on the B-side
of “The Master Sleeps” 12” is a 25-minute interview from the band, and it
is worth picking up on Ebay. Only a few rare FLOTS tracks to find, most
can be tracked down pretty easily. Versions of SABBATH’s “Fairies Wear Boots”
and METALLICA’s “Battery” done with some members of SUICIDAL
TENDENCIES, (the sessions are from a METALLICA tribute DVD
- isn’t that ironic Robert Trujillo?) are also worth mentioning. Also, quite
recently FLOTS has managed a live DVD, recorded in Japan in January of 2005.
Release date is Feb. ’06, and it will contain classics like “Doomsday for
the Deceiver”, “Hammerhead”, and “No Place for Disgrace”.
Avoid: "Dreams of Death", 2005 (Crash
Music) - Sorry to say that 2005's FLOTS release has seen a decline
in the style that has made them a favorite. Although “Dreams of Death” has
been a sort of reunion record for disgruntled vocalist A.K., the disc has
been lumped into the “concept album” category. While a decent effort overall,
very few of the songs can stand on their own two feet. Many bands have had
this type of release in the past, but sadly in this case, the songs don't
grab the listener in the classic F&J fashion. Produced by Mark Simpson and
Tom Giatron (HERBIE HANCOCK, MANHATTAN TRANSFER), the best features of the
band are ill-used. Eric’s vocals are most affected
by the mix, but songwriting suffers as well, and
a lot of the familiar harmonies are missing.
And in closing: F&J has always
been one of the most underrated bands in metal. The talent these guys possess
should have been enough to propel them to the top of the scrap pile. They've
been at it for almost 25 years now (has it been that long?) and I wouldn't
be surprised to see new FLOTS records for years to come. Just think, thrash
is making another comeback with bands like EARLY MAN, RUMPLESTILTSKIN GRINDER,
and ICARUS WITCH just to name a few. But FLOTS just soldiers on, After 9
records and counting, a vinyl copy of “Doomsday for the Deceiver” still
turns heads, and rightfully so. Pick up some of the above-mentioned essentials
and earn your right to chant "FLOTS ‘TIL DEATH!"
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