THRASH LEGENDS FLOTSAM AND JETSAM UNLEASH RABID TITLE TRACK FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM RATS IN THE TEMPLE — WATCH
ALBUM OUT VIA NAPALM RECORDS AUGUST 28 — PRE-ORDER
Finally, the time has come, the first look into thrash legends FLOTSAM AND JETSAM‘s new album Rats In The Temple, out August 28 via Napalm Records. The album’s title track is a ghoulish hit packing sweeping guitarmonies, thunderous drums, and exalted frontman Eric A.K. Knutson‘s haunting wail. After four trailblazing decades, countless world tours, and 15 groundbreaking studio albums, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM remain refined and revered.
Eric A.K. Knutson says about the track:
“We’re super excited to release the first single from the album, which is very fittingly the title track, ‘Rats In The Temple’! This song has a lot to say, and we hope the fans love the song as much as we do. This is possibly one of the most technically challenging songs FLOTSAM has ever recorded, and we look forward to delivering this song live as well!”
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. 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.
Frontman Eric A.K. Knutson about the album:
“This record is a BEAST, truly our best effort to date!! Do yourself a favor. Dim the lights, grab a drink, put the headphones on, and crank this up. You will not be sorry you did!!!”
Pre-Order Your Copy of Rats In The Temple HERE.
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 guitarmonies before “Anthem For The 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.
RATS IN THE TEMPLE TRACK LISTING:
“Harvesting the Hate”
“Damnation”
“Absolution”
“Blame the Knife”
“Rats in the Temple”
“The Ghost Behind my Door”
“First on the Spike”
“The Edge of Nowhere”
“Last Rites”
“A Taste for War”
“Her Blood your Pain”
“Anthem for the Broken”
“Not Going Down that Way”
Rats In The Temple will be available in the following formats:
2-LP Gatefold (White Label Edition), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Splattered Vinyl), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Solid Red), incl. LP-sized Booklet – Napalm Mailorder exclusive
2-LP Gatefold (Black)
1-CD Digisleeve
Digital Album
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM LIVE 2026:
28.05.26 DE – Schönenberg / Iron Fest
30.05.26 DE – Essen / Turock
31.05.26 DE – Osnabrück / Bastard Club
03.06.26 BE – Kortrijk / DVG Club
04.06.26 DE – Siegburg / Kubana
05.06.26 NL – Zoetermeet / Boerderij
06.06.26 NL – Leeuwarden / Neushoorn
07.06.26 NL – Maastricht / South of Heaven Festival
28.–30.08.26 DK – Næstved / Næstved Metal Fest
30.09.26 AUS – Brisbane / Crowbar
1.10.26 AUS – Adelaide / Lion Arts
2.10.26 AUS – Melbourne / Max Watt’s
3.10.26 AUS – Sydney / Crowbar
27.–28.11.26 DE – Wangels / Metal Hammer Paradise
11.–12.12.26 NL – Eindhoven / Einhoven Metal Meeting
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM ARE:
Eric A.K. Knutson — Vocals
Michael Gilbert — Guitars
Steve Conley — Guitars
William Bodily — Bass
Ken — Drums
