Flotsam and Jetsam: Ugly Noise

Flotsam and Jetsam need no introduction. They are one of the early—and very influential—thrash bands from the early 1980s. Many people know their name because Jason Newsted played bass for them prior to joining Metallica. He also wrote many of the band's lyrics. Over the years, the band has seen quite a few personnel changes and has released nearly a dozen albums with varying degrees of quality. This newest album actually received funding from fans so that it could be completed.

Ugly Noise also received a boost when the band took part in the recent Dark Roots of Thrash Tour, a series of shows headlined by Testament. I'd never seen Flotsam and Jetsam live before, but I was impressed with their sound generally and was especially heartened to see the fans go crazy for the older material, singing the words, jumping up and down, stirring up a mosh pit. I was a little surprised at first that the band actually performed so many new songs in their set; I guess I've always been a little wary of newer stuff from bands that have such a popular back catalogue. I remember thinking that "Ugly Noise," the album's opener, sounded pretty good. Hearing it on this album brought back memories of the show and cemented in my mind a sense of how strong these guys can sound.

The new album is good, certainly evidence that this band has fuel left in the tank. The best songs on this album are those that have the highest levels of energy. I wouldn't describe the music here as thrash so much as just straight up heavy metal. For me, the best tracks on this album were "Ugly Noise," "GittyUp," "Rabbits Foot," "Rage," and "Machine Gun." The rest of the album, though, doesn't quite reach the same level of quality and excitement. Still, with a strong handful of new songs to offer fans, Flotsam and Jetsam certainly continue to demonstrate that they aren't merely old news. Give it a listen.

Track Listing:
1. Ugly Noise
2. GittyUp
3. Run and Hide
4. Carry On
5. Rabbits Foot
6. Play Your Part
7. Rage
8. Cross the Sky
9. Motherfuckery
10. I Believe
11. To Be Free
12. Machine Gun

Added: April 16th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2380
Language: english

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