While these Phoenix veterans were lumped in with 80s thrash, they were always more of a power metal band. They had lineup changes and released some questionable work before re-recording their excellent 1988 album No Place For Disgrace in 2014.
Now the question is: can they produce anything that equals or betters it? On this evidence, the answer is no, but they whip up one hell of a storm while trying – and it’s mostly in the heavy Flotsam style we once knew.
For some reason, Eric AK doesn’t always employ the classic tone that makes his voice unique, but whenever it does return the material feels more distinctive. Select tracks like Life Is A Mess, L.O.T.D., Smoking Gun and Forbidden Territories are brilliant and vividly recall the band’s heyday. Perhaps inspired by Anthrax’s song Judas Priest, they include a track called Iron Maiden. Guess which band it sounds like? While Flotsam should probably have waited until the next album before making the ‘eponymous and definitive’ title statement, there’s certainly no disgrace here.
