Loading details…
Artist
Flotsam and Jetsam
12+ albums
thrash metalspeed metalheavy metalmetalthrash
about
Flotsam and Jetsam is an American thrash metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1981. The band was initially known as Paradox, then Dredlox, and later The Dogz before adopting the name "Flotsam and Jetsam" in 1984. The current lineup consists of vocalist Eric "A.K." Knutson, guitarists Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley, bassist Bill Bodily, and drummer Ken Mary. The band has experienced several lineup changes over the years, with Knutson as the only constant member. Jason Newsted, who later joined Metallica, was the band's bassist from 1981 to 1986. Flotsam and Jetsam has released fifteen studio albums, with the most recent being "I Am the Weapon" in 2024. The band emerged during the mid-to-late 1980s as part of the second wave of thrash metal alongside bands such as Sepultura, Testament, and Death Angel. They achieved moderate commercial success with the albums "No Place for Disgrace" (1988), "When the Storm Comes Down" (1990), and "Cuatro" (1992), with the first two reaching the Billboard 200 chart and the latter appearing on the Heatseekers chart. The band was founded by drummer Kelly David-Smith and guitarists Pete Mello and Dave Goulder, who were joined by Jason Newsted after responding to a newspaper advertisement. Eric A.K. Knutson joined in 1982 after auditioning. Ed Carlson joined in 1983, and Michael Gilbert joined in 1985. The band released early demos including "Iron Tears" and "Metal Shock" and contributed to compilation albums before signing with Metal Blade
