FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

Flotsam And Jetsam are a true anomaly in the annals of thrash and arguably the most underrated entity in heavy metal history. True fighters, the Phoenix-based five-piece led by originals Eric “AK” Knutson and guitarist Michael Gilbert (along with longtime bassist Michael Spencer, guitarist Steve Conley and drummer Ken Mary) have been doing battle in the trenches since the early ‘80s. And although people point to their first album (1986’s “Doomsday For The Deceiver” ) as a game-changer, the band didn’t need the first (and only) 6K rating in Kerrang!’s history to gain accolades. There was much more to come, a helluva lot more. And without the ghost of Jason Newsted hovering – he jumped onto the Metallica freight-train just after the debut was released – Flotsam And Jetsam were off and running.

But sadly their melodic thrash brilliance was overshadowed by many. And that’s where the injustice lies. The brilliant follow-up “No Place For Disgrace” (1988) is still a mainstay in the live setting, whereas “When The Storm Comes Down” (1990) and “Cuatro” (1992) saw the band on a roll. But label fumbling and a serious change in the music landscape led to their metal hearts getting bruised and battered from all angles of the aorta. Record sales were stale, tours were thin, meanwhile quality-wise, they were heads and tails above most metal bands in the community. And it remains a travesty that future albums like the deeply emotional “Drift” (1995), the drug-frenzied “High” (1997) and truly under-rated “My God” (2001) to this day get overlooked. Their diehard fan-base were still screaming Flotz ’Til Death, but the band’s stock hadn’t increased in value, despite being led by one of the most gifted singers in the history of rock music.

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