I’ve always had a soft spot for Flotsam and Jetsam. I don’t know if it was because I discovered them simultaneously with Anthrax, but I associate the two more than any other thrash duo. It’s also probably because A.K. has a powerful voice similar to Joey Belladonna’s. That said, Jetsam has always retained its unique twist: one second they are ripping through a thrash lick, and another, they are swooning through a power metal ballad. It’s a style that has suited them well for years, even if there was a point when the band looked like they were falling off the edge of a cliff. After a strong start to their career, the band floundered a bit in the late ’90s and early ’00s, making fans question their success regardless of their prolific album delivery since their inception in 1984. But these Arizona bois have begun to impress me once again, dropping bombs since their stellar self-titled release in 2016. This resurgence has brought back that spontaneity of yesteryears, making it easier and easier for me to rediscover them. One can only hope this feeling continues with this year’s I Am the Weapon.
While I was happy to see longtime guitarist, Ed Carlson, return after a brief hiatus following the surprisingly decent The Cold, he didn’t do much to keep the ball rolling when he returned. During his second era with the band, they dropped their worst releases to date. Not only was 2012’s Ugly Noise an utter abomination to my eardrums, but its follow-up was the despicable re-recording of their 1988 classic, No Place for Disguise. When Steve Conley hit the lineup, things began to change. After his inclusion in Flotsam and Jetsam, I can confidently say the band has been knocking out good-to-great albums ever since. Thankfully, I Am the Weapon continues this trend, delivering some blazing thrash riffs, soaring vocals, and a fluidity that works throughout. After I completely abandoned this band, it has been a real pleasure listening to them in the last decade, and this new one is a hella good time.
On that note, the album opens with “A New Kind of Hero,” which has some of the worst lyrics I’ve heard in a long time. Thankfully, it has a kickass thrashy drive, emphasized by rumbling bass and charging drum work. Even though A.K.’s vocals are lively as always, as long as I can ignore the “Superman is gone” line, I can enjoy this massive Anthraxy kickoff to I Am the Weapon. Other stellar tracks are the back-to-back “Burned My Bridges” and “The Head of the Snake.” The first has a good amount of melody driving the blastbeats and steady riffage. It also has a nice touch of power metal character and a memorable chorus that soars into Dio-ish territories. “The Head of the Snake,” on the other hand, has a badass, pounding riff strengthened beautifully by the rough vocal approach. When the chorus hits, its melodic nature takes hold, building it up to its breaking point before your head snaps back into the groove.
Similarly aggressive but pulling out other tricks, “Cold Steel Lights” and “Running Through the Fire” push further into melodic and ballady areas of their sound. After opening with a blistering-fast guitar lick, “Cold Steel Lights” charges headlong into a marching riff and solo work before powering into a melodic chorus. On the back half, the song quiets to smooth clean guitars as A.K. swoons you with a lullaby. Then, they fire back into the chorus to close it out. “Running Through the Fire” is another that suffers from dreadful lyrics, but it’s an interesting song that does a lot in five minutes. After marching through a bass-heavy riff and strong chorus, the song flips a bitch and slows to 15 mph in the slow lane. Reverberating clean guitars and popping bass lead the song’s second half as the vocals cry for survival. It’s not my favorite song by any means, but Bill Bodily’s bass work cannot be ignored on this track.
A couple of tracks not as strong as others are “Primal” and the closer, “Black Wings.” The first is nothing special, acting as a filler between the opener and the title track. The closer is not a good song and a dumb way to end the record. With a dark, atmospheric character, it trudges along boringly, even introducing some near-spoken-word segments that fall flat on their face. To these ears, the punchy “Kings of the Underworld” would have been a great way to end the album. But what do I know? Regardless, I Am the Weapon continues the stellar rebirth of the band, pushing hard to continue bringing memorability into the band’s consistent album delivery. The master is also sharp and clean, letting that great bass and drum work rise without being obliterated by A.K.’s upfront vocals. Though these gents have been around the block, their wind-whipped, rattlesnake-infested, sun-scorched Arizona approach is fun to listen to once again. If you’ve been following Flotsam in the last decade, you’ll find plenty to enjoy on I Am the Weapon.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: AFM Records
Websites: flotstildeath.com | facebook.com/flotsamandjetsam.official
Releases Worldwide: September 13th, 2024
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