FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace USA Release 12" Vinyl LP Album

- A Relentless Thrash Metal Assault with Epic Riffs & Uncompromising Energy

Album cover of Flotsam and Jetsam's 'No Place for Disgrace' featuring a dramatic painting of two muscular warriors. One kneels with a blade held in both hands, preparing for ritual seppuku, his face tense with solemnity. The other stands behind, gripping a sword, ready to deliver the final stroke. The background is a fiery orange gradient, contrasting against the deep blue frame, with the band's logo in stylized metallic font at the top

"No Place for Disgrace" is the second album by Flotsam and Jetsam. It was recorded between December 1987 and February 1988 and released in 1988 . The album has been recorded and produced by an all-star team, which included: Bill Metoyer, Boris Vallejo, Brian Carlstrom, George Marino, Ken Paulakovich, Michael Wagener, Scott Campbell and others.

"Flotsam and Jetsam" originally started in 1981 as "Paradox", in 1983 "Paradox" transformed into "Dredlox". Around 1983-1984 "Dredlox" evolved into "Dohz" and at the end of 1984 or early 1985 the band became "Flotsam and Jetsam". Band-member remaining together during this period are Edward Carlson, Eric A.K. and Kelly David-Smith.

Flotsam and Jetsam's "No Place for Disgrace": A Thrash Metal Milestone

Emerging from the vibrant thrash metal scene of the late 1980s, Flotsam and Jetsam's sophomore album, "No Place for Disgrace," solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with. Released in 1988, the album showcased a band maturing both musically and technically, delivering a blistering assault of aggression, melody, and impressive musicianship.

Historical Context

"No Place for Disgrace" arrived at a pivotal time for thrash metal. The genre was experiencing a surge in popularity, with bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax leading the charge. Flotsam and Jetsam, having already made a mark with their debut "Doomsday for the Deceiver," were poised to capitalize on this momentum.

Musical Exploration

The album's musical landscape is a diverse one. From the furious opener "No Place for Disgrace" to the melodic closer "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," Flotsam and Jetsam displayed a remarkable range. Tracks like "Dreams of Death" and "Escape from Within" showcased their knack for crafting complex song structures, while the instrumental "Hard on You" highlighted their instrumental prowess.

Controversies

The album's release was not without controversy. The decision to include a cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" drew criticism from some fans who felt it didn't fit the band's thrash metal image. However, the band defended their choice, citing their desire to experiment and showcase their versatility.

Recording Studio and Production

"No Place for Disgrace" was recorded at several studios, including Music Grinder Studios in Los Angeles, where Bill Metoyer, known for his work with Slayer and Sacred Reich, took the helm as producer. The album's sound is raw and powerful, capturing the energy and intensity of the band's live performances.

Frontman Eric A.K.

Leading the charge was vocalist Eric A.K., whose distinctive high-pitched screams became a trademark of Flotsam and Jetsam's sound. His lyrics, often dealing with dark and introspective themes, added depth and complexity to the album's overall impact.

Listen to Flotsam and Jetsam performing: "Saturday Night's Alright ..."
Production & Recording Information
Album Packaging

This 12" LP vinyl music record comes comes in a Fold Open Cover (FOC), which is also also known as a Gatefold cover. The inner pages of this album cover contains photos, artwork.

Custom Inner Sleeve Text

Producers:
  • Bill Metoyer
  • Bill Metoyer – Producer, Sound Engineer

    Legendary Metal Blade in-house producer who helped define the raw, aggressive sound of 1980s heavy metal.

    Bill Metoyer is a highly influential producer and sound engineer whose work became a cornerstone of American heavy metal in the 1980s. As Vice President and in-house engineer at Metal Blade Records, he was directly responsible for capturing the raw intensity and unpolished power of bands like Slayer, Armored Saint, and Flotsam and Jetsam. His production style favored clarity without sanding off the aggression, helping underground metal sound dangerous, immediate, and unmistakably alive.

    Bill Metoyer Wiki
  • "Flotsam and Jetsam"
Sound & Recording Engineers:
  • Bill Metoyer
  • Michael Wagener for Double Trouble Productions inc
  • Michael Wagener – Producer, Sound Engineer

    The German set of ears that can make a wall of amps sound lethal, not muddy.

    Michael Wagener is the German-born producer/engineer who taught heavy guitars to sound huge without turning into soup. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s he helped shape Accept's steel-plate punch, then in the 1980s Los Angeles grind he became a go-to set of ears for Dokken—tight, glossy, and still mean. By the late 1980s he was guiding arena-sized hard rock for Skid Row and White Lion, and in the 1990s he kept that balance of bite and clarity alive for bands like Extreme. I can spot his signature fast: drums snapping, guitars spread wide, and reverb kept on a short leash. From his WireWorld room in Tennessee, he mixes like a craftsman: edges sharp, low end disciplined, vocals sitting just forward enough to start trouble.

    Michael Wagener Wiki
Assistent Sound & Recording Engineers:
  • Matt Freeman - Sound Engineer
  • Ken Paulovich - Sound Engineer
  • Brian Carlstro - Sound Engineer
  • Pete Magdaleno - Sound Engineer
  • Leon Johnson - Sound Engineer
  • Scott Campbell - Sound Engineer
  • Scott Campbell – Sound Engineer

    Freelance engineer whose late-1980s work captured the aggressive edge of American thrash and underground metal.

    Scott Campbell is a freelance sound engineer I associate with the no-frills, high-volume reality of late-1980s metal recording. During that period he engineered vinyl albums for a wide range of bands including Sacred Reich, Flotsam and Jetsam, Bitch, Masi, Heretic, Rigor Mortis, Dr. Kow, Tyrant, and Cryptic Slaughter. His work documents an era where speed, precision, and raw power mattered far more than studio gloss.

Recording Location:

This album was recorded during December 1987 until February 1988. at the sound studios listed:

  • Music Grinder, Hollywood, California
  • Track Record, North Hollywood, California
  • Pacific, Chatsworth, California
  • Preferred Sound, Woodland Hills, California
  • Enterprise, Burbank, California
Mastering Engineer and Location:
  • George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York City
  • George Marino – Mastering Engineer

    When my site brain goes full 1980s metal mode, his name keeps showing up like a hidden signature in the dead wax.

    George Marino is one of those behind-the-glass legends who made heavy music feel larger than the room it was playing in. Before the mastering console became his throne, he was a Bronx guitarist doing the NYC band grind in the 1960s with groups like The Chancellors and The New Sounds Ltd. Then he went pro for real: starting at Capitol Studios in New York (1967), and eventually becoming a long-running force at Sterling Sound (from 1973 onward). For a collector like me—living in that sweet spot where 1980s heavy metal, hard rock, and a dash of prog-minded ambition collide—Marino’s credits read like a stack of essential sleeves: Holy Diver (Dio), Tooth and Nail (Dokken), Stay Hard (Raven), Master of Puppets (Metallica), Somewhere in Time (Iron Maiden), Among the Living (Anthrax), Appetite for Destruction (Guns N’ Roses), Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi), and Blow Up Your Video (AC/DC). That’s the kind of resume that doesn’t just “master” records—it weaponizes them, but with taste. George Marino Wiki

    • Album Cover Design & Artwork:
    • A&R Coordination: Michael Alago
    • Album cover illustration: Boris Vallejo
    • Cover design and layout: Dan Altwies, Kelly Smith
    Photography:

    Randee St. Nicholas

    Music Genre:

    Thrash Metal

    Label & Catalognr:

    Metal Blade Records – 60777-1, Elektra – 60777-1

    Media Format:

    Record Format: 12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
    Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram  

    Year & Country:

    1988 Made in USA

    Musicians:
    • Eric A.K. (Full-name: Eric Andrew Knutson) - Vocals
    • Edward Carlson - Guitars
    • Michael Gilbert - Guitars
    • Troy Gregory - Bass Guitar
    • Kelly David-Smith - Drums
    Tracklisting Side One:
    1. No Place for Disgrace
    2. Dreams of Death
    3. N.E. Terror
    4. Escape from Within
    5. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
    Tracklisting Side Two:
    1. Hard on You
    2. I Live You Die
    3. Misguided Fortune
    4. P.A.A.B
    5. The Jones
    High Resolution & Quality Photos
    Front Cover Photo Of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace
    Album cover of Flotsam and Jetsam's 'No Place for Disgrace' featuring a dramatic painting of two muscular warriors. One kneels with a blade held in both hands, preparing for ritual seppuku, his face tense with solemnity. The other stands behind, gripping a sword, ready to deliver the final stroke. The background is a fiery orange gradient, contrasting against the deep blue frame, with the band's logo in stylized metallic font at the top.

    Album Cover Art of Flotsam and Jetsam - No Place for Disgrace (1988)

    This striking artwork features a dramatic and intense scene rendered in rich detail. At the forefront, a shirtless, muscular man with a white headband kneels on the ground, gripping a blade firmly with both hands, preparing for ritual seppuku—a traditional Japanese form of honorable suicide. His chiseled physique is illuminated by a warm, orange glow, highlighting the tension in his muscles and the solemnity in his expression.

    Behind him, another warrior stands tall, wielding a sharp katana with both hands. His posture is firm and resolute, his gaze locked onto the kneeling figure. His bare upper body and traditional dark pants emphasize his strength and discipline. The dramatic lighting casts deep shadows on his form, enhancing the intensity of the moment.

    The background consists of a fiery orange and red gradient, evoking a sense of heat, intensity, and impending finality. This vibrant contrast is framed by a deep blue border, giving the composition a striking balance between warm and cool tones. At the top, the band's name, Flotsam and Jetsam, is displayed in a bold, stylized metallic font, with the album title, No Place for Disgrace, elegantly positioned at the bottom in a classic, medieval-inspired typeface.

    The artwork, created by the legendary fantasy artist Boris Vallejo, embodies the album’s themes of honor, struggle, and sacrifice, making it an unforgettable and powerful visual statement in the realm of thrash metal.

    Photo Of The Back Cover FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace
    Back cover of Flotsam and Jetsam's 'No Place for Disgrace' album featuring a dark blue background with a centered tracklisting, band credits, and a rectangular band photo at the top. The text is arranged in three columns, including acknowledgments, production credits, and special thanks. The bottom features the Elektra/Asylum Records logo and copyright information.

    Back Cover of Flotsam and Jetsam - No Place for Disgrace (1988)

    The back cover of this album presents a structured layout against a deep blue background. At the top center, a rectangular band photo showcases the five members of Flotsam and Jetsam in a dimly lit setting, their faces illuminated in a warm glow, adding an intimate feel.

    Directly below the photo, the album's tracklisting is displayed in bold, white capital letters, split into two sections representing each side of the vinyl. The song titles are neatly aligned and clearly legible.

    The left column contains an extensive "Special Thanks" section, where the band expresses gratitude to industry figures, friends, and fellow musicians. The right column is dedicated to "XTRA Special Thanks for Support and/or Inspiration," which includes shoutouts to guitar manufacturers, fellow bands, and other industry contributors.

    The center column provides key production details, crediting Bill Metoyer and Michael Wagener for engineering and mixing. Below this, it lists the assistant engineers, recording locations, and cover design credits. A small Elektra/Asylum Records logo is featured near the bottom, alongside copyright details indicating its release under Warner Communications.

    The entire composition maintains a clean and structured aesthetic, ensuring all text is easily readable while keeping the dark blue color scheme consistent with the album’s front cover.

    Photo of side A: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace
    Side One of Flotsam and Jetsam's 'No Place for Disgrace' vinyl record, released under Elektra/Asylum Records. The label features a black background with the Elektra logo at the top, white text displaying the band name and album title, and a red-orange semicircle covering the lower section listing track titles and song credits in white text.

    Side One of Flotsam and Jetsam - No Place for Disgrace (1988) Vinyl LP

    This is the label for Side One of the 12" vinyl release of No Place for Disgrace, issued by Elektra/Asylum Records in 1988. The label design is distinct, featuring a bold black background with the Elektra logo prominently displayed at the top in gold and red. Beneath it, the band’s name, Flotsam and Jetsam, appears in large, white capital letters, followed by the album title.

    A red-orange semicircle dominates the lower half of the label, providing contrast to the dark background. Within this section, the tracklist for Side One is printed in white text, detailing the five songs, their durations, and songwriting credits. The tracks include:

    • No Place for Disgrace (6:11) - Written by M. Gilbert, J. Newsted, K. Smith, E. Knutson, E. Carlson
    • Dreams of Death (5:40) - Written by M. Gilbert, E. Knutson, E. Carlson, K. Smith
    • N.E. Terror (5:57) - Written by E. Carlson, J. Newsted, E. Braverman, E. Knutson, K. Smith, M. Gilbert
    • Escape from Within (6:47) - Written by M. Gilbert, K. Smith, E. Carlson, E. Knutson, E. Braverman
    • Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting (4:00) - A cover of the classic song by Elton John

    Further below, in smaller text, it is noted that the songs are published by Flotsam and Jetsam Music, BMI, with the exception of the Elton John cover, which is credited to Dick James Music, BMI. The catalog number 60777-1 is printed along the left edge, confirming its authenticity as the original U.S. pressing.

    At the very bottom, the record label’s contact details are printed in white text, showing Elektra/Asylum Records locations in New York and Los Angeles. The bold contrast and structured layout of the label maintain a professional and classic vinyl aesthetic.

    Photo of side B: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace
    Side Two of Flotsam and Jetsam's 'No Place for Disgrace' vinyl record, released by Elektra/Asylum Records. The label has a black background with the Elektra logo at the top, white text displaying the album and band name, and a red-orange semicircle in the lower half listing tracks and credits for Side Two.

    Side Two of Flotsam and Jetsam - No Place for Disgrace (1988) Vinyl LP

    This label represents Side Two of the original U.S. pressing of No Place for Disgrace, released by Elektra/Asylum Records in 1988. The label design follows the same aesthetic as Side One, featuring a deep black background, with the Elektra logo positioned at the top in metallic gold and red.

    The band's name, Flotsam and Jetsam, is prominently displayed in bold white capital letters, with the album title immediately below. The red-orange semicircle in the lower section contrasts against the dark background, providing a clear backdrop for the track listing and songwriting credits.

    The following tracks are printed in white text, detailing their durations and contributing writers:

    • Hard on You (4:51) - Written by M. Gilbert, E. Knutson, K. Smith, E. Carlson, M. Spencer
    • I Live You Die (5:50) - Written by M. Gilbert, J. Newsted, K. Smith, E. Carlson, E. Knutson
    • Misguided Fortune (5:29) - Written by K. Smith, T. Gregory, M. Gilbert, E. Carlson, E. Knutson
    • P.A.A.B (5:33) - Written by M. Gilbert, E. Braverman, E. Carlson, E. Knutson, K. Smith
    • The Jones (3:57) - Written by M. Gilbert, E. Carlson, K. Smith, E. Knutson

    Below the tracklist, it is stated that all songs are published by Flotsam and Jetsam Music, BMI. The catalog number 60777-1 is printed on the left side of the label.

    At the bottom, the label contains legal and copyright information, listing Elektra/Asylum Records locations in New York and Los Angeles. The structured and professional design ensures the clarity of all details while maintaining the classic vinyl aesthetic.

    FEATURED FLOTSAM AND JETSAM VINYL RECORDS

    FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Doomsday For The Deceiver 12" LP
    Thumbnail Of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Doomsday For The Deceiver 12" LP album front cover

    Metal Blade Records / RoadrunneR RR 9683 , 1986 , Netherlands

    This album "Doomsday For The Deceiver" is the debut album by Flotsam and Jetsam. It was released on 4 July 1986. This is the only album by Flotsam and Jetsam with Jason Newsted before his departure for Metallica. Most lyrics were written by Newsted.

    Discover the Shocking Truth Behind This Album
    FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace ( Holland Release ) 12" LP
    Thumbnail Of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace ( Netherlands release ) 12" LP album front cover

    Roadrunner Records RR 9549 , 1988 , Holland

    "No Place for Disgrace" is the second album by Flotsam and Jetsam. It was recorded between December 1987 and February 1988 and released in 1988

    You Won’t Believe What’s on This Record!
    FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace ( American Release ) 12" LP
    Thumbnail Of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - No Place for Disgrace ( American Release ) 12" LP album front cover

    Metal Blade Records – 60777-1, Elektra – 60777-1 , 1988 , USA

    Flotsam and Jetsam’s No Place for Disgrace (1988) is a thrash metal powerhouse, blending technical precision with raw aggression. Featuring blistering riffs, intricate songwriting, and the soaring vocals of Eric A.K., the album showcases the band's evolution after their debut. With intense tracks like No Place for Disgrace and a bold cover of Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, it's a defining thrash classic.

    Uncover the Secrets of This Rare Vinyl
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