Metal Mind Productions has released another limited edition re-mastered Metal CD, this time it's the 1990 release When The Storm Comes Down by Flotsam and Jetsam. By 1990, Flotsam and Jetsam were known as "the band that Jason Newsted left to join Metallica". Flotsam's first CD, Doomsday For The Deceiver, from 1986, was an instant Thrash Metal classic, but when chief songwriter Newsted left, there also went a lot of F&J's thunder. When The Storm Comes Down was the second release after Newsted's departure and F&J tried to branch out in creativity on this 10 song CD.
Re-mastered and sounding sonically pleasing, When The Storm Comes Down opens with CD standout, "The Master Sleeps". A very Anthrax-ish sounding and manic song, this is a great CD opener and shows the promise that should be on this record. However, much of this CD falls short and is simply all over the place. F&J never seems to be able to nail down the direction that they want to go on When the Storm Comes Down. Progressive changes and sub par complicated song structures that don't really seem to work or make much sense are an anchor around the throat on this record. Singer Eric A.K. tries his best and delivers his unique brand of vocals, which are very take it or leave it. Much of this album was written by Newsted's replacement, bass player Troy Gregory, and this is unfortunately not his best work. That coupled with two barely adequate guitarists that always seemed to play in and out of key and offered nothing musically in an age where most Metal bands had barnstorming players in their midst, was also not a big help to flourishing the careers of F&J or this CD.
Overall this is a very disappointing and actually quite boring CD. I would recommend this ONLY to the Flotsam and Jetsam diehard's out there. An old school Thrash record yes, but at its core this record just simply misses the mark. Not one of Flotsam and Jetsam's best pieces of work by any means.
Track Listing
1. The Master Sleeps
2. Burned Device
3. Deviation
4. October Thorns
5. No More Fun
6. Suffer The Masses
7. Six, VI
8. E.M.T.E.K.
9. Scars
10. K.A.B.
11. Bonus Track-Interview
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