FLOTSAM AND JETSAM: New Audio Interview With MICHAEL GILBERT

Made Of Metal recently conducted an interview with guitarist Michael Gilbert of Phoenix, Arizona-based metal veterans FLOTSAM AND JETSAM. You can now listen to the chat in two parts below.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM recently returned to Metal Blade Records to release their new album, "Ugly Noise". The lead single and title track is available for streaming below.

"Ugly Noise" is FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's eleventh full-length album, their first release on Metal Blade since 2001, and the follow-up to their 2010 album "The Cold". The record also heralds the return of original members Michael Gilbert on guitar and Kelly David Smith on drums, who hadn't recorded with FLOTSAM AND JETSAM since "High" in 1997.

Commented Smith: "We have just inked a distribution deal for the release of 'Ugly Noise' through Metal Blade Records. 'Ugly Noise' will be released worldwide in late March/early April of 2013. It was the obvious choice for us after our longstanding relationship and Metal Blade's 30-year history of metal. You can't match what they can do with 30 years of experience behind them. We are excited and looking forward to working with Metal Blade in 2013."

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM recently took part in "The Dark Roots Of Thrash" tour with TESTAMENT.

Funding for the new FLOTSAM AND JETSAM album was aided by the PledgeMusic.com project, which encourages fans to contribute funds to the recording of albums and the artists themselves to donate to charity as a part of their fundraising.

When asked about the songwriting process for the new album, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM guitarist Michael Gilbert told Metal Army America in July 2012, "I worked with [former METALLICA and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist] Jason Newsted on a few songs, and he's given me some tips about some things and opened my view up towards how I look at my music and how I want the listeners to perceive the points I'm trying to make."

He added, "[Jason] is really passionate about music, so when I called him and talked to him, I just wanted him to help out with some lyrical stuff and hear some of the music I was writing. He's a great songwriter, too. I'm not sure if everything that he got to do in METALLICA, if he was restrained a little bit, I'm not sure about all that sort of stuff, but as far as with me, anytime he wants to write with me, he's got full rein and he's got absolute say-so in everything that happens. It's a 50-50 relationship, as it would be with Eric ['A.K.' Knutson], our singer, writing music with us, or Kelly [David Smith], our drummer."

Regarding the musical direction of the new FLOTSAM AND JETSAM material, Gilbert said, "It's probably the most mature it's ever been, but if you wanna classify it as close to any other record that we've done, it's probably gonna be close to [1995's] 'Drift'. If we were gonna make a record right after 'Drift', which was out fifth record, 'Ugly Noise' would be the next one — with this lineup, you know."

The band's current lineup is the same as the one that recorded the "Cuatro" (1992),"Drift" (1995) and "High" (1997) albums:

Eric "A.K." Knutson - Vocals
Ed Carlson - Guitar
Michael Gilbert - Guitar
Jason Ward - Bass
Kelly David Smith - Drums

Part 1:

Part 2: