FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Releases New Single 'A New Kind Of Hero' From Upcoming 'I Am The Weapon' Album

Veteran Arizona thrashers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have released a new song called "A New Kind Of Hero". The track is the fourth single from the band's upcoming 15th studio album "I Am The Weapon", which will arrive on September 13, 2024 via AFM/Believe.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM guitarist Michael Gilbert comments: "People have been asking us what this song, 'A New Kind Of Hero', is all about. Well, here's the short version: the old hero is gone. It's a new era, and that calls for a new kind of hero. This new hero is a little bit different than what you're expecting..."

In an increasingly fast-paced world that appears to be interested only in the latest innovations, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM continues to be the proverbial rock in turbulent waters. For almost 40 years, the thrash metal act from Phoenix, Arizona has released new albums on a regular basis and toured successfully around the globe. The band has never shown any loss of form or weaknesses to speak of, on the contrary: since the arrival of their 1986 debut "Doomsday For The Deceiver", FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have delivered an impressive number of awesome offerings.

Friday 13th, September 2024 will see the release of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's 15th studio album, "I Am The Weapon", a recording that more than deserves its self-confident title. "I Am The Weapon" not only takes up seamlessly where its two outstanding predecessors "The End Of Chaos" (2019) and "Blood In The Water" (2021) left off, but also goes one step further in terms of musical skill and composition.

"We're very excited to unleash this album onto the metal community," states singer Eric "A.K." Knutson. "We took our time and crafted an album that every one of us in the band is happy with. We went through a ton of songs and ideas to end up with the final choices for this record."

"I Am The Weapon" was composed and produced by the whole band and the eleven songs were recorded at SonicPhish Productions, Gnome Lord Studios, Wayne Manor Studios and Seventh Spike Studios. The cover artwork was again created by Andy Pilkington.

Along with the album pre-orders, which are underway, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM has also announced a repress of its eponymous 2016 album, issued as a strictly limited, gatefold clear 2LP.

"I Am The Weapon" not only takes up seamlessly where its two outstanding predecessors left off but also goes one step further in terms of musical skill and composition. While they fully live out their core competencies such as their aggressive style with fast tempos, "I Am The Weapon" features more surprising moments than ever before. From brutal high-octane tracks like "I Am The Weapon" to the atmospheric but not superfast "Burned My Bridges", each track on the album is convincing in its own way.

The album was once again mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen.

"I Am The Weapon" track listing:

01. A New Kind Of Hero
02. Primal
03. I Am The Weapon
04. Burned My Bridges
05. The Head Of The Snake
06. Beneath The Shadows
07. Gates Of Hell
08. Cold Steel Lights
09. Kings Of The Underworld
10. Running Through The Fire
11. Black Wings

It's been 38 years since FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, formed in Phoenix, Arizona, released its landmark debut, "Doomsday For The Deceiver", the only album to ever receive a 6K rating from the influential British magazine Kerrang! Bassist Jason Newsted would jump ship to METALLICA while the band released "No Place For Disgrace" in 1988. "Cuatro" (1992),"Drift" (1995),"High" (1997) and "My God" (2001) all still rank extremely high in heavy metal circles. But it was the first part of this unofficial trilogy in 2016's self-titled "Flotsam And Jetsam", followed by the crushing 2019 successor "The End Of Chaos" that a certain rejuvenation and reset was clearly felt.

In 2019, Knutson told Glendale Star about the band's career: "We've been through a lot of crap. For a while I had a lineup with me who was just together to go out on vacations then have the promoters pay for it. And it's a little different now. We are back to a real band making a stab at growing and becoming a bigger entity in the music industry. Our goal in writing a record is to put out the coolest music we can. 'The End Of Chaos' hits the mark."

Gilbert said: "We're making a bit of a comeback. They're starting to revisit and buy the new stuff as well. We're seeing a lot of younger people at the show. They're in the front row, singing songs that were out 20 years before they were born. It gets us all excited. That was happening when we did the self-titled album. There's this spark again. The power metal music fans are digging A.K.'s voice."

Photo credit: Shane Eckart