Metal Minds has a way of reminding us of how lucky we were to have acts such as Flotsam and Jetsam around. While they were another group that hung on the fringe of stardom with never really capturing the brass ring, they were just as talented and provided some outstanding metal to all of us over the years.
On this their fifth album, the band had been through some troubling times and this only seemed to fuel the fires that drove them. Right out of the gate, the band unleashes their fury with the terrific thrashy tune "Me". While they never forgot where the band came from, by this point the band had embraced a much more dynamic sound. With a major emphasis on lyrics and a much more well rounded sound, Flotsam and Jetsam was more than just a thrash band now. While there is still some fantastic moments of shredding on this disc such as the songs "Remember" and the dizzying "Smoked Out". The guys give you some other musical avenues to travel down like with the majestic sound of "Empty Air" or when they add a little acoustic magic in the mix with songs like "Missing" or the bonus tract "Destructive Signs".
This dark and very personal album was written in a very trying time for band member Jason Ward. Many of the songs deal with the tragedy of his older brother's suicide and it seems to have pushed the band to a much higher level of musicianship. Their previous effort Cuatro was a dynamic album, but there is a definite growth and maturity to drift that makes it one of my favorite albums by these guys!
Track listing:
1. me
2. empty air
3. pick a window
4. 12 year old with a gun
5. missing
6. blindside
7. remember
8. destructive signs
9. smoked out
10. poet's tell
Bonus Tracks:
11. destructive signs (radio edit)
12. fairies wear boots
13. smoked out (radio edit)
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