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Although the band reunited three years ago following teary-eyed scenes at the Firefest, FM have wisely kept their powder dry till now. Aware of the inadequacy of 1995's final pre-split album Dead Man's Shoes, they knew their comeback disc had to be something a little bit special. And that's exactly what it is.
With guitarist Andy Barnett unexpectedly bailing out, FM struck gold in Jim Kirkpatrick, a 31-year-old from Cheshire who grew up weaned on the band's signature pink-suited AOR. If FM have gravitated away from blues-rock and back towards the Indiscreet and Tough It Out albums, Kirkpatrick was a catalyst.
Metropolis, the quintet's sixth studio set, really does offer something for all palates. The riff-heavy Wildside grabs the listener by the scruff of the neck. Hollow, Unbreakable and Days Gone By are mellow and intoxicating, allowing Steve Overland's still-golden voice to really shine. I Ain't The One is a nod towards pre sell-out Bryan Adams; Still The Fight Goes On a scarf-waver that'll go down a treat on stage. But the absolute pick of the bunch is Over You, a Velcro-sticky Foreigner-meets-Queen rocker with some Thin Lizzy twin guitars thrown in.
Y'see, good things do come to those that wait.
- Dave Ling / Classic Rock
Arguably the UK’s best AOR band, FM return to the fray after a long hiatus. Will they fare any better than Thunder, contemporaries whose reunion fizzled out despite a string of fine releases?
Opening track “Wild Side” is a bit disjointed, trying to be too many things at once.
Things improve however, with both “Hollow” and “Unbreakable” being more concise. “Flamingo Road” sounds like it could’ve been plucked straight off “Tough It Out”. Title track “Metropolis” is a short instrumental ditty. I know it’s the drumbeat at the beginning, but it reminds me of Ultravox. The Chris Rea style guitars are quite refreshing. “Over You” is the first tune with a really massive hook.
AOR without ballads? Quite impossible, and FM obliges with “Days Gone By”. It’s a ballad of the ballsy kind, rather than the twee variation though.
“Bring Back Yesterday” and “I Ain’t The One” both have a big sing along chorus. Is that a hint of “Unskinny Bop” I hear in “Don’t Need Nothin’”? Poison, begorra… Quite a good song actually.
“The Extra Mile” is the “big” ballad of the album. This is lighter waving material and one of the standout tracks on the album. If someone were to ask a song that best sums up FM, “Who’ll Stop The Rain” would be a great candidate. An unassuming highlight. “Still The Fight Goes One” ends the album on a subdued, slightly epic note, allowing it to gently fade out.
With the whole of the creative core back in the fold, FM is definitely more than a ploy to milk some money from a nostalgic name. Steve Overland’s distinct voice is still in fine form. Mainstays Pete Jupp and Merv Goldsworthy are a solid rhythm section. New kid Jim Kirkpatrick leaves an impressive calling card. Jem Davis, the other new addition, plays a more subtle part, underscoring the songs with carefully layered keys.
There’s a distinctly proggy feel to FM’s brand of AOR that sets them apart from their overseas counterparts. After Giant and Y&T this is another amazingly strong comeback album.
- Sancho / Virtuosityone.com
It has taken a long time for the guys to get back together and for this album to materialize, but it has been worth the wait. I can't see any FM fans being disappointed by this as it is simply FM at their very best. The production is great; there is a real solid thump to this album, which features material on the heavier side of what FM have delivered over the years. Steve Overland sounds as sharp as ever, the harmony vocals are all in place and the trademark British melodic rock sound is delivered over 13 quality songs.
Overland may be appearing on different records quite a bit in recent years, but there is no repeating himself here. The stand alone sound of FM is unique and this album is no different. Rocking with tracks like the opening thumper Wildside, Flamingo Road and the Foreigner-esque Over You; to the moody monster Hollow, Bring Back Yesterday and Unbreakable. All great songs.
Uptempo, mid-tempo and smooth ballads are all featured on this classic British melodic rock album capturing a band that sounds fresh and energetic after a long time in hiatus.
- Andrew McNeice / MelodicRock.com
Next up this month sees us give a welcome return to the elder statesmen of UK AOR, FM. Their new album "Metropolis" is their first new studio album since the nineties and the first to feature new guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick since the departure of Andy Barnett. If I’m honest I didn’t know what to expect from this album at all. I mean, anyone remember "Dead Mans Shoes"? That last studio album showed a band on the slide and in its death throes. Fast forward fifteen years and we see a band that are both rejuvenated and refreshed and "Metropolis" is the proof. To say that this is their finest album since the eighties would be an understatement. It may have more in common with "Tough It Out" and "Aphrodisiac" than "Indiscreet" but this album is it’s own man and copies no one. This is a FM album for the new millennium. This album is a huge slab of modern day AOR that nods its head at the past, but has both eyes on the future. Tracks like "Hollow", "Unbreakable", "Over You", "Days Gone By" and "The Extra Mile" are future FM classics in the making. This is a mature, thoughtful and challenging album that will reward its listener with every play. FM has made an album that is the equal of any of its predecessors. Long may they continue! - Powerplay Magazine
Discography
Indiscreet - (1986)
Tough It Out - (1989)
Takin' It to the Streets - (1991)
Aphrodisiac - (1992)
Closer to Heaven - (1993)
No Electricity Required (Double live album) - (1993)
Only the Strong - The Best of FM - (1994)
Dead Man's Shoes - (1995)
Paraphernalia (Double album - the second one is live) - (1996)
Long Time No See (Triple album - the third one is live) - (2003)
Long Lost Friends (Double album) - (2005)
Metropolis - (2010)
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Bio
Comprising the ex-Samson pair of bassist Merv Goldsworthy and drummer Pete Jupp; the Overland brothers vocalist/guitarist Steve and lead guitarist Chris - both formerly of Wildlife; plus the keyboard talents of Philip Manchester (AKA sci-fi nutcase Didge Digital), FM's first public appearance on Valentines Day of 1985 was swiftly followed by the release of their début album, INDISCREET. FM hit the road in Europe supporting the likes of Tina Turner, Meat Loaf, Foreigner, Gary Moore, Status Quo and the white-hot Bon Jovi on the Slippery When Wet tour.
For the next 12 years FM consolidated their position at the forefront of British melodic rock, touring everywhere they could to promote releases such as 1989's TOUGH IT OUT and 1992's APHRODISIAC. In 1996, with 'grunge' fever sweeping the world, the band decided to call it a day...
until October 2007, when FM at last played together again for the first time in 12 years, headlining a sold-out Firefest IV at Nottingham Rock City.
New guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick made his FM live début at Winstanley College in March 2009, followed by a return headline spot at Firefest VI the following October, as well as playing on the WILDSIDE EP released that same month.
'Wildside' set the scene for FM's first new album in 15 years. The highly acclaimed METROPOLIS (released March 2010) spawned singles 'Hollow' and 'Bring Back Yesterday' which found the band playlisted on many radio stations, not least on the UK's biggest station - BBC Radio 2. FM played to packed houses across the UK throughout 2010 culminating with main stage appearances at Download in June and Hard Rock Hell IV in December.
2011 sees the promise of a follow-up to METROPOLIS and FM returning to many overseas strongholds of years gone by headline shows in Holland and Spain; a show with D-A-D in Portugal; Sweden Rock; Graspop in Belgium; dates with Journey and Foreigner in Germany, Belfast and Dublin, and the guys are honoured to have been invited back to play at Download again in June.
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