I have a vivid memory of when I first heard Flotsam and Jetsam. It was spring of 1993. A group of friends went down to the riverfront following the senior prom to continue the party. While we were goofing around there in the late (early?) hours, a friend’s car had this music blasting from it. I asked him who it was; it sounded pretty good. Turned out to be Flotsam and Jetsam’s Cuatro, more specifically, it was the song “Swatting at Flies.”

I would not go so far as to say it floored me, but it definitely had a good sound and stood out from much of what I was listening to. (I was stillon a grunge kick at the time). A couple of days later I picked up the cassette, and to date it remains the only Flotsam and Jetsam music I have ever heard. Why? I don’t know, perhaps that will change one day. Anyway, Metal Mind Productions is releasing a limited edition remaster with bonus materials in a digipak casing. It is limited to 2000 copies, so make sure you get it quick.

Listening to Cuatro now, for the first time in many years, I am instantly reminded of how good this album is, not to mention my expanded experience likely helps me appreciate it more now than I ever did then. With the passage of time, now fifteen years removed from that initial listen, I must say that this album has aged well. It is a shame that they never achieved the stature of some of their metal brethren of the era, as this album displays excellent musicianship, strong songwriting, and a sound that can appeal to the thrash metal fan as well as the average radio listener. Cuatro definitely has a broad range of potential appeal. If you appreciate metal give this album a listen, you will not be disappointed.

It is far from brutal and it is nowhere near the heaviest music you will ever hear, but looking for that here would be missing the point. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great head banging riffs to be found, just don’t expect Slayer. Flotsam and Jetsam is more like a cross-breed of thrash and power metal, containing the riffs but also containing a healthy dose of melody behind cleanly sung vocals. It is a sound that is as unique as it is comforting. It is a welcoming sound that invites you and keeps you hooked until the last note fades.

It is difficult to boil down the best tracks, so many of them a really good. Seriously, the first five tracks are fantastic. Those first rate cuts are followed by a bit of a lull, although those songs are also quite good, before the quality amps back up for a strong finish. While this album is no different than any other in the existence of a lull, it is not something to be concerned about, as it is hard to remain at the level of the first five all the way through.

page 1 | 2