UMUR "No Place for Disgrace" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US, Arizona based thrash metal act Flotsam and Jetsam. The album was released through Elektra Records in May 1988. There´s been one Lineup change since the debut album as Troy Gregory has replaced Jason Newsted, after the latter left to play with Metallica.

Stylistically there have been a few changes too since "Doomsday for the Deceiver (1986)". The basic musical style is still thrash metal, but "No Place for Disgrace" is generally a bit more heavy metal oriented than it´s predecessor, and even features a couple of rock´n´roll elements. Most notably in the inclusion of the Elton John cover "Saturday Night´s alright for Fighting", but there are other tracks too which feature that influence. When Flotsam and Jetsam thrash they do thrash pretty hard though, and the many genre elements make for a pretty varied listen.

The material on the 10 track, 54:40 minutes long album is also generally of a high quality, and the album features a relatively good flow despite the diversity of the material. Highlights include the opening title track, "Dreams of Death", and "Escape From Within". I think the quality of the material drops slightly the longer you get into the album, but it´s nothing serious, and there´s nothing really bad featured on the album, just a couple of tracks which don´t stand out as much as the ones mentioned above.

One of the greatest assets is the high class musicianship. These guys are very well playing, and Eric A.K. is a phenomenal singer. He is a pretty unusual thrash metal vocalist who sings more then he yells/screams. Sort of like listening to a mid-range Rob Halford (Judas Priest) singing thrash. Eric A.K. delivers a couple of piercing high pitched screams on occasion too. His performance throughout the album is of a high, high class.

So "No Place for Disgrace" is in many ways a great sophomore release by Flotsam and Jetsam. Unfortunately the sound production leaves a bit to be desired. It´s actally alright when it comes to vocals, bass, and drums, but the rhythm guitars features an unpleasant thin tone, that takes power out of the music. That aside "No Place for Disgrace" is still a great quality album, and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Kingcrimsonprog No Place For Disgrace is the sophomore full-length album by the cult US Thrash Metal band Flotsam & Jetsam. It was released in 1988 as their old bandmate Jason Newstead was working on Metallica’s …And Justice For All album.

The Phoenix, Arizona band’s musical style here is mostly more or less a direct continuation of that found on their fondly remembered debut album Doomsday For The Deceiver. Its quickfire but not Slayer levels of fast. Its not succinct but never progressive. Its got melody but isn’t overly sugary or radio-pleasant. It reminds me a little bit of Death Angel’s The Ultraviolence at times.

Highlights include the Title Track, especially when it breaks down to a soft section where singer Eric AK describes a man killing himself via hari kari (hence the album’s artwork) as well as the brief instrumental ‘The Jones’ and ‘I Live, You Die’ which is perhaps the fastest song on the album and has some of the finest guitar work.

On an interesting note, there is a rather odd decision here to cover Elton John’s ‘Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting’ which does hold some gimmick value but doesn’t really match the rest of the material.

Compared to some of the more famous bands like Exodus or Anthrax or Overkill or Megadeth, Flotsam & Jetsam are maybe lacking something in character, however they are far from the most generic or forgettable band to play Thrash. A possible exception to this would be the very fun, PMRC-baiting track ‘Hard On You’ which is arguably the catchiest track they’ve made to this point. For me this track, as well as the improved production job, arguably tip this album over their debut, which admittedly was more charming than this at least.

If you like Thrash and want to try something less obvious, this is definitely worth checking out. If you are interested in the band, this is definitely the first album of theirs I’d recommend for you check out (unless you’re just in it for the Newstead connection in which case although some songs were still co-written by him here, the debut he actually plays on is the more obvious way to go).

Vim Fuego Flotsam and Jetsam will be eternally remembered as the band that supplied Metallica with bass player Jason Newsted. They should really be remembered for their music. This is the band's magnum opus, never to be approached even distantly ever again. Flotsam and Jetsam were magnificent songwriters. The title track is a moving account of a disgraced samurai's final moments before absolving himself through suicide. It shows an empathy with the thoughts of such a character. The riffs, from the introduction to the finale, are original and memorable. Some of the subject matter for the remaining tracks on the album is a little lame (‘I Live, You Die’, ‘Misguided Fortune’), but even some of the thrash elite at the time were dealing in cheese of the stinkiest vintage at the time (anyone want crackers with Megadeth's ‘502’ and Anthrax’s ‘13’?). Newsted was one of the main songwriters for the band before his departure, and his creativity, long stifled by the rampant egos in Metallica, shines through here, as he co-wrote the best tracks on the album. Lyrics aside, the music is near faultless. The production is sharp, clear and heavy. Highlights include Egyptian sounding guitars and bass run on ‘N.E. Terror’ are particularly impressive, the transition from the acoustic introduction to the power ballad-ish feel to the high velocity thrash out of ‘Escape from Within’, the soloing throughout the entire album. The twin instrumental tracks, ‘P.A.A.B’ and ‘The Jones’ showcase some stunning riffs and solos without getting self-indulgent. As with many bands of the time, the drummer had a thing for showing his double kick drum prowess. In every song. Constantly. What put many people off the band were Eric AK's seemingly helium fuelled shrieks. Even Candlemass' Messiah Marcolin would have been hard pressed to hit some of these high notes. Eric AK had strong mid-range vocals, but seemed obsessed with hitting the stratosphere as often as possible. A definite highlight of the album is a beefed up rendition of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", complete with shouted backing vocals, a double kick drum barrage, and even a piano. As a demonstration of the heights thrash could reach at its best, this album is a must own for all dedicated fans of the genre. Unfortunately, the band could never escape from the shadow of a past member.