Blood in the Water

Flotsam and Jetsam have been at this thrash thing for a long time and the polish of so many years of practice is eminently apparent on their fifteenth (counting the rerecorded No Place for Disgrace from 2014) album, Blood in the Water. It's full of sharp riffs, powerful vocals and biting lyrics. Singer Erik A.K. and crew attack this new material with precision doses of aggression. As a result, most thrash fans will have a hard time disliking Blood in the Water with cuts like "Brace for Impact", "Too Many Lives" and "Seven Seconds 'til the End of the World" being solid tunes. On the flip side, there's nothing here that jumps out of the speakers and demands your full attention. It sounds familiar, especially if you've heard any of Flotsam and Jetsam's recent albums. Everything from the songwriting to the hooks to the solos are good, but not really amazing. I admit, this is a band that has never impressed me overly much, but even so, unless you are a diehard Flotsam and Jetsam fan or you live and breathe thrash, I don't know how much you need Blood in the Water.