Flotsam & Jetsam

Long-running thrash metal outfit Flotsam and Jetsam emerged during the 1980s alongside numerous other thrash ensembles that shaped the genre's foundational years. The group originated in Phoenix, Arizona, and cycled through multiple configurations until it stabilized in 1985, issuing a pair of demo recordings that paved the way for the 1986 debut full-length Doomsday for the Deceiver. Founding bassist Jason Newsted exited soon after that album's appearance to become part of Metallica, yet the ensemble persisted across the 1980s, 1990s, and subsequent decades, amassing more than a dozen studio releases while remaining anchored in its thrash origins.

Drummer Kelly David Smith and guitarists Pete Mello and Dave Goulder established Flotsam and Jetsam in 1981. During its initial period the act operated in flux, adopting successive monikers such as Paradox, the Dogz, and Dredlox while undergoing repeated personnel shifts until it coalesced around 1985. At that stage the lineup comprised vocalist Eric A-K, guitarists Michael Gilbert and Edward Carlson, Michigan-born bassist and lyricist Jason Newsted, and the sole remaining original member, drummer David Smith. The musicians performed locally in Phoenix as well as on California's metal circuit, appearing alongside Megadeth and Mercyful Fate, and drew early notice through the 1985 demo cassettes Metal Shock and Iron Tears. Bolstered by those recordings and a circulating video, the band secured a deal with Metal Blade Records and issued its raw yet ambitious 1986 debut, Doomsday for the Deceiver. Metallica soon recruited Newsted to fill the bass position vacated by Cliff Burton following his fatal tour-bus accident.

Flotsam and Jetsam next aligned with Elektra—Metallica's label—where it tracked the 1988 follow-up No Place for Disgrace featuring replacement bassist Troy Gregory. Although the departure of primary lyricist and songwriter Newsted left a noticeable gap (despite several retained contributions), the record showed modest gains over its predecessor and included a distinctive rendition of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." The group maintained an intensive touring schedule, moved to MCA, and delivered When the Storm Comes Down in 1990, Cuatro in 1992, and Drift in 1995. After the first MCA album Gregory departed for Prong and Jason Ward assumed bass duties. Returning to Metal Blade, the band explored fresh variations on its established metal approach with 1997's High, the final album to include Gilbert and Kelly David Smith. Unnatural Selection arrived in 1999 with guitarist Mark Simpson and drummer Craig Nelson in their stead, yet by the time the well-received My God surfaced in 2001 the act had entered an extended hiatus while A-K pursued his country endeavor the A.K. Corral. The members reconvened in 2004 for a series of sold-out Japanese dates supporting Overkill and Death Angel, then issued their ninth studio album, Dreams of Death, the following year. The 2006 concert DVD Live in Japan documented the 2004 performance at Tokyo's Citta Club, and a new studio effort, The Cold, appeared in 2010. The 2012 release Ugly Noise employed the PledgeMusic platform and marked the first Flotsam and Jetsam album since 1997 to feature original guitarist Michael Gilbert and drummer Kelly David Smith; Jason Newsted, although absent from the recording, co-authored several tracks. Smith's return proved temporary, and by the self-titled twelfth album in 2016 he had again departed, selecting Jason Bittner as his successor. Bittner's stay ended in 2017 when he joined Overkill, prompting the arrival of veteran drummer Ken Mary, who debuted on 2019's The End of Chaos. Two years afterward the band delivered its fourteenth studio album, Blood in the Water.