FLOTSAM AND JETSAM released a ground breaking debut album in 1986. Considered an alltime-classic in Speed and Thrash Metal, it’s always a good idea to re-issue ‘Doomsday For The Deceiver‘!
On April 27th, right in time for the bands special ‘Doomsday’ show at the Keep It True festival, Metal Blade will release ‘Doomsday For The Deceiver‘ on Digi-CD as well as a Metal Blade Original vinyl including a vinyl remastering from Patrick W. Engel. Special treatment and 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves (inside out print), 60x60cm two-sided artwork posters and 250g inserts guaranteed!
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – ‘Doomsday For The Deceiver‘
• Digi-CD
• 180g black vinyl
• cannabis green marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – ltd. 500)
• red/white marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – ltd. 300)
• orange & black/red/white/splattered vinyl (EU exclusive – ltd. 200)
Heavy metal monsters HELSTAR have announced their their US tour with FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and HATCHET, kicking off November 4th in Tucson, AZ and running until December 9th. The tour is presented by Bravewords.com. Furthermore HELSTAR is the first band, confirmed for Metal Assault VII Festival 2017, set to take place on February 18th at the Posthalle/Würzbug in Germany.
Metal Assault Festival stated on their Facebook Page: “US Metal legends HELSTAR are the first band for METAL ASSAULT VII. With their new album “Vampiro” they return to their old school Helstar sound.”
The confirmed tour and shows are, so far:
November
4 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Expo Center
5 – Hollywood, CA – The Whisky (Hatchet joins the tour)
6 – Las Vegas, NV – LVCS (Helstar joins the tour)
7 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theatre
9 – Omaha, NE – Lookout Lounge
10 – Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s
12 – Cudahy, WI – The Metal Grill
13 – Indianapolis, IN – The Headquarters
15 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
16 – Chesterfield, MI – Club Diesel
17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Diesel
18 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance
19 – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Club
20 – Frederick, MD – Cafe 611 (new venue)
22 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
25 – St. Petersburg, FL – State Theater
26 – Winter Park, FL – The Haven
December
2 – Ft Worth, TX – Tomcats West
3 – San Leon, TX – 18th St. Pier
4 – Austin, TX – Dirty Dog
5 – Corpus Christi, TX – Ayers Event Center
9 – Phoenix, AZ – Club Red
February 2017
18 – Metal Assault VII Festival, Posthalle, Würzburg, DE
More European dates to be announced soon.
HELSTAR‘s new masterpiece “Vampiro” was released on August 26, via David Ellefson‘s EMP Label group! “Vampiro” is another opus of tales of Dracula and vampires like the band’s all time most acclaimed 1989 release “Nosferatu” (produced and mixed by Bill Metoyer) in the same vein musically with shades of who HELSTAR are today. First single “Black Cathedral” was released on April 9th, via EMP Label group. “Vampiro” is mixed by Bill Metoyer, and is certainly proving to the world that there is much much more left in these Texas Metal Legends!
Pick up your copy of VAMPIRO today, in stores or from empmerch.com!
Check out “Black Cathedral” video here:
“Vampiro” tracklist:
1. Awaken Into Darkness
2. Blood Lust
3. To Dust You Will Become
4. Off With His Head
5. From The Pulpit To The Pit
6. To Their Death Beds They Fell
7. Malediction
8. Repent In Fire
9. Abolish The Sun
10. Black Cathedral
11. Dreamless Sleep
Heavy metal monsters HELSTAR have announced the US tour with FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and HATCHET, kicking off November 4th in Tucson, AZ and running until December 9th. The tour is presented by Bravewords.com.
James Rivera comments: “So as the world turns. Here you go my friends. The kind of tour I have been waiting for a life time for! Funny thing is it couldn’t get any closer to home since I once filled in and sang with Flotsam myself. Wow! This is going to be one hell of a full on metal show. So for all of you who are into the real shit! This is the tour you do not want to miss! Vampiro is very happy and looking forward to transforming as many souls possible!!!”
November
4 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Expo Center
5 – Hollywood, CA – The Whisky (Hatchet joins the tour)
6 – Las Vegas, NV – LVCS (Helstar joins the tour)
7 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theatre
9 – Omaha, NE – Lookout Lounge
10 – Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s
12 – Cudahy, WI – The Metal Grill
13 – Indianapolis, IN – The Headquarters
15 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
16 – Chesterfield, MI – Club Diesel
17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Diesel
18 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance
19 – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Club
20 – Baltimore, MD – Holiday House
22 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
December
2 – Ft Worth, TX – Tomcats West
3 – San Leon, TX – 18th St. Pier
4 – Austin, TX – Dirty Dog
9 – Phoenix, AZ – Club Red
HELSTAR‘s new masterpiece “Vampiro” was released on August 26, via David Ellefson‘s EMP Label group! “Vampiro” is another opus of tales of Dracula and vampires like the band’s all time most acclaimed 1989 release “Nosferatu” (produced and mixed by Bill Metoyer) in the same vein musically with shades of who HELSTAR are today. First single “Black Cathedral” was released on April 9th, via EMP Label group. “Vampiro” is mixed by Bill Metoyer, and is certainly proving to the world that there is much much more left in these Texas Metal Legends!
Pick up your copy of VAMPIRO today, in stores or from empmerch.com!
Check out “Black Cathedral” video here:
“Vampiro” tracklist:
1. Awaken Into Darkness
2. Blood Lust
3. To Dust You Will Become
4. Off With His Head
5. From The Pulpit To The Pit
6. To Their Death Beds They Fell
7. Malediction
8. Repent In Fire
9. Abolish The Sun
10. Black Cathedral
11. Dreamless Sleep
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have released their first full video promo for the track ‘Life Is A Mess’ from their recently released self-titled album. Check it out below:
Upcoming UK shows with Destruction, Nervosa, Enforcer: 4th October, Audio, Glasgow 5th October, Voodoo Lounge, Dublin 6th October, Club Academy, Manchester 7th October, Underworld, Camden, London
Flotsam and Jetsam is: Eric “AK” Knutson – vocals Steve Conley – guitars Michael Gilbert – guitars Michael Spencer – bass Jason Bittner – drums
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to FLOTSAM AND JETSAM’s guitarist Michael Gilbert as the band is set to release their new self titled album on May 20, 2016 on AFM records.
On the difference in musical styles from their last albums to their new self titled album
“What we did differently is we really focused on the songs because the last two years the feedback we got is we really want you guys to go back to old school thrash. We have been experimenting with a lot of stuff, we have been using some samples here and there, we slowed some songs down, and we’ve gone to some different genres. Just exploring a little bit, which feels good to me but what really feels like home is the thrash metal, the fast, speed metal we were doing on the first two records. So we got together and writing this album made more sense to me to play that type of music and it just feels more like home, ok this is what we belong to, this is what we do.”
On their reason for writing and releasing as a first single a song called Iron Maiden
“It was never a convinced idea, hey let’s do a song that kind of sounds like an Iron Maiden song. It was never designed for that at all. This one was one of Steve’s ideas and by the time it was done and Erica A.K. put that vocal melody on it, it was like oh wow this is pretty cool. We have gotten a lot of really great feedback. I haven’t seen one bad review on it yet.”
On if the band was ever upset with Jason Newsted for leaving them in 1986 to join Metallica
“It’s was a great opportunity for him. I’m still great friends with Newsted I talk to him at least once or twice a month. Nobody was ever really mad at him. It was just a decision he wanted to make. We all knew Newsted was the guy for this, so we kind of expected it. Jason was definitely the right guy to fill Cliff’s shoes, really nobody can but Jason brought to Metallica his personality to that band. He has always been an over the top personality. Just an awesome character to hand out with, he is very funny, he is larger than life when you hang out with him.”
On if Jason Newsted regretted quitting Flotsam and Jetsam after Metallica lowered his bass parts on And Justice for all
“When he left this band he was deep into it, he was a full member and there would be no other band that he would leave to go join Metallica. Garage Inc came out before that and you can hear the bass on that and it sounded killer. And when Justice came out there was no bass and I am not speaking because he told me this or that. Oh shit what the hell did I just do, I’m still in this band and but I am not heard. Which is awful because that guy is a tremendous bass player? “
U.S. thrash metal legends FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have inked a worldwide deal with AFM Records. The band’s new album, simply titled “Flotsam and Jetsam” will be released on May 20th. The band have released a lyric video for the track ‘Iron Maiden’, check it out below:
Flotsam and Jetsam is a band from Phoenix, Arizona with a legacy that goes back well over 30 years. Originally signed to Metal Blade records in the mid 80’s, Flotsam and Jetsam released their highly acclaimed debut “Doomsday for The Deceiver” in July of 1986. At this time the band consisted of Eric AK Knutson (Vox), guitarists Michael Gilbert and Edward Carlson, and founding members Kelly David Smith (Dr) and bassist Jason Newsted. Soon after the release of “DFTD”, Newsted left the group to join Metallica shortly after the passing of their bassist Cliff Burton. Shortly after, Flotsam hired bassist Michael Spencer (Sentinel Beast) and continued to tour and write for their next album, “No Place For Disgrace.” In theory, the band FLOTSAM AND JETSAM started in January 2015 when Eric AK, Mike Gilbert, Michael Spencer, Steve Conley and Jason Bittner got in a room together to start rehearsing for upcoming 2015 European tour dates, and to commence writing for the band’s next record. Initially the band concentrated on the back catalog and most recent setlists to make sure the touring obligations would be fulfilled, and the band was comfortable playing together. Soon after, the band focused on it’s writing and started pre-production for the new songs that were taking shape. After a 5 month initial writing process, the band completed 18 rough ideas to start having Bittner track drums to. At first the band thought about a double release, but realized it would be better to concentrate on an album’s worth of killer material by what essentially is a new band with a 30-year history.
After picking the final songs, the band compiled some demos to start gathering label and producer interest. Shortly following summer festivals, a short US tour, and another fall European headline tour, the band finally secured Chris Collier (Prong/KXM) to produce the band’s “return to form”, as well as AFM records to provide the much needed label support that the metal veterans required.
The end result is the self- titled effort “FLOTSAM AND JETSAM” which is the culmination of a year of hard work which shows five very distinct personalities and influences come together for the common goal of creating another soon to be metal classic, as well as another pillar in the foundation of a band that has managed to stay alive and current amongst an ever-changing music scene.
In addition to being available as a digipak CD, the album will also be available as a limited gatefold 2LP edition in black and gold, both limited to 500 copies.
A limited edition boxset (500 copies) will also be released and includes the digipak, a Flotsam And Jetsam flag (official tour backdrop design), patch, printed autograph card, and certificate of authenticity. Order details can be found at the AFM Records Shop.
The album’s available to purchase from: http://promo.afm-records.de/flotsam_jetsam/en.html “Flotsam and Jetsam” album tracklisting:
01. Seventh Seal
02. Life Is A Mess
03. Taser
04. Iron Maiden
05. Verge Of Tragedy
06. Creeper
07. L.O.T.D.
08. The Incantation
09. Monkey Wrench
10. Time To Go
11. Smoking Gun
12. Forbidden Territories
Upcoming UK shows with Destruction, Nervosa, Enforcer: 
