05/09/2026 06:50

Flotsam And Jetsam

Flotsam And Jetsam: new album 'Rats in the Temple' out in August

Thrash metal icons Flotsam And Jetsam, known for their trailblazing blend of blistering thrash and soaring power metal - established on breakthrough records like the Kerrang! championed classic 'Doomsday for the Deceiver', (1986), 'No Place for Disgrace', (1988), and 'Cuatro', (1992) and refined in their current renaissance with the German chart climbing 'The End of Chaos', (2019), 'Blood in the Water', (2021), and 'I Am the Weapon', (2024) - are back with their newest diamond, and Napalm Records debut, 'Rats in the Temple', out August 28, 2026. With nearly four decades on the scene, countless world tours, and appearances at prestigious festivals like Wacken, Graspop, Bloodstock, Alcatraz, and Rockhard, they've carved their sound down to a fine point, piercing listeners with earth-shattering blast beats, scorching guitars, epic string arrangements, and exalted frontman A.K. Knutson's unmistakably haunting wail.

Track listing:
1. Harvesting the Hate
2. Damnation
3. Absolution
4. Blame the Knife
5. Rats in the Temple
6. The Ghost Behind My Door
7. First on the Spike
8. The Edge of Nowhere
9. Last Rites
10. A Taste for War
11. Her Blood Your Pain
12. Anthem for the Broken
13. Not Going down That Way

As the temple is besieged by vermin, Flotsam And Jetsam line the walls with grim tales of death, abuse, betrayal, and war, inviting listeners into a dark world not too distant from our own. 'Rats in the Temple' opens strong with the stadium-ready hooks and dizzyingly precise performances of 'Harvesting the Hate' and 'Damnation', before delving into thrash virtuosity on 'Absolution'. The iconic guitar duo of Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley paint vividly ghoulish images on tracks like 'Blame the Knife' and 'Rats in the Temple', then continue to flex their metal muscle on 'The Ghost behind My Door' and 'First on the Spike', invoking pure first-wave excellence with a pummeling modern menace. 'The Edge of Nowhere' builds inescapable suspense before firing listeners out of a gun, full throttle into 'Last Rites', another standout track for the band. The legendary rhythm duo of drummer Ken Mary and bassist Bill Bodily take center stage on the anti-war anthem 'A Taste for War', their methodical syncopation invoking images of tanks and boots on the ground. 'Her Blood Your Pain' brings ornate, medieval guitar harmonies before 'Anthem for Tthe Broken' goes full balls to the wall, and 'Going down That Way' hits listeners with heavy riffs and even heavier truths. 'Rats in the Temple' remains enthralling throughout, giving listeners entry to numerous of the band's metal chambers, sampling a refined and eclectic serving of influences.

Churning like magma beneath the Earth, Flotsam And Jetsam have only been growing more and more fiery with time, and 'Rats in the Temple' sees the band exploding to the surface in a magnificent and awe-inspiring blaze. For fans new and longstanding, you cannot escape them; they're through the walls.

(source: Napalm records)