Hard 20 |
Flotsam & Jetsam"Dreams Of Death" Flotsam And Jetsam are probably most famous for being the band that once featured former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. That's not really fair because they've always had a lot to offer as a band, but have never really been given a fair chance, and have always kind of been considered an "also ran" band of the 80s thrash metal scene. Unlike many of their partners in thrash, however, Flotsam have lived to tell the tale. They have survived through the past two decades of ever-changing musical monthly flavors, and have always stuck to their guns, never straying too far from their classic thrash roots. For that alone they deserve credit. "Dreams Of Death" is their latest offering, and frankly it's a bit of a musical checkerboard in style, with varying types of songs. There are of course some thrashin' tunes on here, like "Straight To Hell", "Parapsychotic", "Look Into His Eyes", and "Out Of Mind", but we also have a slower, dark, somber tune in "Bleed"; "Bathing In Red", another moody, sinister number played on acoustic guitar; an instrumental called "Nascentes Morimar", which I found to be a bit boring but it still has some good guitar work; and "Childhood Hero", which starts off slow on classical-style guitar, but picks up its pace as it goes along, becoming a thrasher. The band's sound on this album is raw and stripped down, with some down tuning, giving it a somewhat "modern" feel, but still keeping a foot planted in their classic roots. To some, this may not measure up to the classics the band has done in the past, but F&J have still got it in them. That thrashing fire they had on their earlier albums has dissipated more than a little, but they nonetheless can still play and know how to crank out a few good metal tunes. Some of these songs could use a bit more oomph but it's a decent album by a veteran band. |