A new level of dark
Here we have the 14th studio album by Flotsam & Jetsam entitled “Blood in the Water” released in June of 2021.
This album is a perfect mix of thrash and dramatic emotion. Is much darker than their usual musical delivery and almost bordering power metal more than ever before, in my humble opinion.
There is a certain underlying desperation oozing out, you can feel it in the excellent vocal delivery of the always brilliant A.K Knutson. Everything in this record shines in the depths. Every melody is a cry underwater, every riff is just a passage to the next darker level.
Blood in the Water brings a palette of changes in density, color and state.
Blood in the Water has no limits but there is a clean and dominant thrash metal speed, but also moments of mid tempo, short homages to classic heavy metal here and there. Talking about a very dark introspection where every instrument is serving the aquatic darkness.
There is no fun in this opus and every instrument has the chance to shine in the abyss. You can find guitar effects, epic melodies, choral ensembles, solos with classical music flavor and riffage with sharp edge precision and I can assure you that every vocal melody can easily be forever drowned inside your brain in a matter of minutes. So catchy, so memorable and invoking demons to dance.
I know it is very customary to recommend songs, but I will do something different and I will recommend you to sit your behind down and listen to this album in one go. Flotsam and Jetsam has nothing to envy the recent offerings from bands like Testament and Overkill.
5 stars are well deserved for a simple reason: Since 1985 there is no place for disgrace.
Flotsam & Jetsam: Website, Facebook, Bandcamp
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