Flotsam And Jetsam are a true anomaly in the annals of thrash and arguably the most underrated entity in heavy metal history. True fighters, the Phoenix-based five-piece currently led by originals Eric “AK” Knutson and guitarist Michael Gilbert (along with bassist Bill Bodily, guitarist Steve Conley and drummer Ken Mary) have been doing battle in the trenches since the early ‘80s. And although people point to their first album (1986’s “Doomsday For The Deceiver” ) as a game-changer, the band didn’t need the first (and only) 6K rating in Kerrang!’s history to gain accolades.

Like a prize-fighter that refuses to kneel down, Flotsam And Jetsam treaded onward with black eyes and bloody noses. Their 2017 eponymous album saw a band firing on all cylinders, writing/performing years younger than a band with three decades of power and glory notched on their bullet belts. Despite how high the bar was set with their previous album, Flotsam and Jetsam has not slacken the reins, and “The End Of Chaos” (2019) was nothing else but the band at the very top of their game

If the Phoenix disciples arose from their ashes in 2016, now the mythological bird is angry, and out for blood. Flotsam and Jetsam goes for the jugular from the get-go and they are pulling all the stops in the process.

2014 – Energized from the writing, recording, and mixing process, the band is ready to destroy all that comes within its path. Helstar is set to release This Wicked Nest, worldwide to the masses on April 25, 2014. An album that promises to return the band to its roots of power metal while combining the thrash elements of Glory of Chaos, This Wicked Nest will certainly prove to the world that there is much more left in these Texas Metal Legends!

Growing up in the San Francisco area suburbs as young metal heads can make it quite likely to take influence from the pioneers of metal that spanned the area in the 1980’s. So it’s no surprise that Hatchet describes their sound as “Pure, Uncompromising, Bay Area Thrash Metal”.

Since hitting the Bay Area Metal scene in early 2007, Hatchet quickly made a name for itself. They worked hard to gig as often as they could and also not compete with, but group together bands of the like to help strengthen the scene. Focusing on playing with other young starting thrash bands in their area, the fan base grew. Eventually they reached out to the neighboring Los Angeles thrash scene which was also flourishing and invited various bands up to the bay area to diversify their shows, and spread overall thrash metal awareness.

After self-releasing two demos, the band’s debut album, “Awaiting Evil”, was released in mid-2008 via Metal Blade Records. The album was well-received by thrash enthusiasts around the globe and proved a great beginning for Hatchet. Since the release of the debut, the band has completed 3 full DIY U.S. tours that have helped put them on the map for up and coming thrash metal bands. Unfortunately in this time, the band also saw its share of lineup changes, which stalled overall progress of the group. Throughout the changes, founding member Julz Ramos always had the passion to keep the band going, even moving to take on vocal duties. Now in 2012, the band has never been stronger with its most dedicated, mature, and musically inclined members since its birth.

Their sophomore effort, “Dawn of the End”, released on their new label, The End Records, showcases a much more aggressive and professionally oriented band. The group has stated its hunger to hit the road and prove that thrash metal is still a force to be reckoned with.

The killer street thrash band known as REIGN was formed in 2013 in Chicago IL. Fusing death metal rhythms , progressive song layering, old school thrash riffs, and a punk attitude, REIGN is a sonic force to be reckoned with.

Throughout 2013 they built an underground following, gained a reputation for high energy shows and toured the midwest (without any recorded material!). In 2014 REIGN released a single, “New World Order”(DEMO). In early 2015 REIGN released their first self-produced EP “WMD” and began a small scale national tour, playing dates on the West Coast and Midwest.

Hailing from Indiana, TESTIMONY was formed in late 2009 by drummer Taylor Lambacher who later went on to draft guitarist Michael Gawel, his older brother Derek Lambacher on bass and vocalist Adrian Harris. With their line-up cemented, TESTIMONY set out to create complex, challenging metal music that, while rooted in tradition, has a quality and sound all its own.

With influences that range from musical genres like jazz and funk to legendary metal bands such as Death, Voivod, Iron Maiden, Metallica and Megadeth, TESTIMONY combines elements of thrash and progressive metal, yielding a sort of spacey travel through time that rips like any other band from the ‘80s, but has an artistic flair of its own. In January 2012, TESTIMONY released their debut EP, Transcending Reality. The six track album puts a twist on the classic thrash sound that came out of the 1980s with its dazzling and sometimes drawn out technical performances that truly capture the minds of listeners.

Transcending Reality was a hit and almost overnight the name TESTIMONY began to spread like wild fire amongst the legions of underground thrashers around the world. The album’s success opened new doors for TESTIMONY and soon after Transcending Reality was released TESTIMONY went on to share the stage with national acts like D.R.I., Lazarus AD, Vektor and Revocation. While TESTIMONY was enjoying their new found success the band never once lost focus or let things go to their head, instead TESTIMONY remained hungry, diligently taking notes and learning as much as they could from bands that were on the “next level” while constantly looking to improve on every single song, riff, fill and solo.

In late 2013, nearly two years after the release of Transcending Reality, TESTIMONY announced they would be releasing a brand new EP entitled “The Beast That Prays” in 2014. Following the success of Transcending Reality, TESTIMONY is more motivated than ever before and looks to put the progress in progressive with The Beast That Prays by creating an album that is more complex, better thought out, and heavier than its predecessor.

Look for The Beast That Prays to be released on Tuesday, September 16th.