Flots Till Death

Let me start off by saying I've been a fan of Flotsam and Jetsam since '86. I picked up their first record Doomsday For The Deceiver (on vinyl) and was blown away. Shortly after that it was announced their then bassist Jason Newstead was leaving the band and joining Metallica. I was a huge fan of the late great Cliff Burton, and was siked to see the big "M" pick up a very talented Newstead. The rest is metal history which I can rant for days about.. (Maybe in another entry)

Flotsam and Jetsam continued on and replaced Newstead. I saw them live for the first time in '88 on tour for their second record No Place For Disgrace. Flotsam easily became one of my favorites for many years to come. They put out some quality records up to the mid to late '90's. Then it seemed things just started to fall apart. Members were leaving and the music suffered. I would hear some of what they were putting out from 2000 on but it just wasn't cutting it for me until last year's (2010) The Cold was released..

Flotsam fans Rejoice!! This record is one of my top picks of 2010. It fucking shreds period. Some of the best Thrash you will ever hear is on this release and I demand that you pick it up. I play this all the time and still can't get enough of it.

"Flotsam and Jetsam's new record The Cold was released on September 14, 2010. It was the last album with Mark Simpson on guitar. He left the band in friendship and was replaced by returning guitarist Ed Carlson, who had quit the band in March 2010, to be replaced by Michael Gilbert.

GROAN

I came across GROAN on Twitter just recently, and I'm here to tell you fuckers this is some heavy ass shit! They're easily becoming a favorite of mine and I look forward to hearing more from these UK DOOM merchants in the near future.

Please take some time and check them out on their ReverbNation by clicking their banner to the right in the "Bands To Check" section of this blog. They can be found on Twitter as well, @GROANUK. DOOM ON!!

Bio Taken from the ReverbNation Page..

"At the tail end of 2009, an eighteen year old Riff Wizard wrote and recorded a whole heap of demos. Through the power of the internet, he enlisted Mazzereth (previously of Battlewitch and Trebuchet) to add some MIGHTY vocals. With the additions of Thor's Hammer and the Forest-Dwelling Fuzz Creature on drums and bass respectively, this solo project soon became a fully-fledged band. With each member recording their parts separately without ever meeting each other, Groan's debut album, "The Sleeping Wizard" was released on Doomanoid Records in October 2010 to overwhelming critical praise.

Despite being spread across the country, Groan's chemistry shines through on record as much as it does on stage. To compliment this, the band released a free download only bootleg album: “Live in London” in March 2011.

Unlike other doom bands who are glued to the spot on stage, Groan invite you to bring your dancing shoes to live gigs and leave any notions of taking yourself seriously at home."

Hammer Fight

My childhood friend Rob Guidotti (Faith or Fear, Call The Paramedics, ex Street Dogs) has a new project called Hammer Fight.

Straight out of Atlantic City, NJ! This band spews out some badass gritty RnR in the style of Motorhead, Zeke, etc...

Check them out at their ReverbNation page, and Like them over at their Facebook page.

http://www.reverbnation.com/hammerfightmetal