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Flotsam and Jetsam – Iron Tears & Metal Shock
Vicrecords
Release Date: 25/03/22
Running Time: 49:31
Review by Simon Black
7/10
Well, someone’s cashing in, and as there’s no mention of this on Flotsam and Jetsam’s website, it’s probably not the current incarnation of the band (but then they probably didn’t know this even existed in a usable format). Having scored a palpable 10/10 from me with last year’s fantastic “Blood On The Water” album, it’s interesting to go back to the very beginning of this hugely influential, but criminally less successful founder of Thrash and Speed Metal’s birth.
This is really for the collectors (yup, like me) and comprises the band’s original two pre-signing demo tapes plus a few live tracks some of which were allegedly recorded in Jason Newstead’s apartment, which the neighbours must have loved. It’s fascinating hearing early versions of classic tracks that made it onto “Doomsday For The Deceiver” and “No Place For Disgrace”, which for me are the seminal two albums from these chaps. The problem is of the nine tracks, three repeat themselves, but it’s fascinating to hear the evolution of the arrangements in comparison to the album versions when Newstead was still a spotty youth pre-Metallica coming a knocking.
There’s a raw, naïve charm to these versions that is surprisingly effective, given we must be looking at material transferred from analogue tape and remastered to within an inch of its life, but it does work rather well across nearly four decades. If you are a fan and collector, go for it; but if you are curios start with last year’s release and work backwards.
‘Blood In The Water’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Iron Tears
02. I Live You Die
03. Hammerhead
04. The Evil Sheikh
05. I Live you Die
06. The Beast Within
07. Iron Tears
08. Hammerhead
09. She Took An Axe
LINE-UP:
Jason Newstead – Bass
Kelly Smith – Drums
Eric “A.K.” Knutson – Vocals
Mark Vazquez – Guitars
Michael Gilbert – Guitars
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Simon Black and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of [user_login] and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.