FM - Heroes And Villains

[Stefan]

 

 

From Frontiers Records:

 

Arguably the UK’s finest purveyors of Melodic Rock music, FM will release their new studio album ‘Heroes & Villains’ on April 17th in Europe and April 21st in North America.

‘Heroes & Villains’ is FM’s first album release since signing to Frontiers Music Srl, and follows the band’s highly acclaimed 2014 E.P. ‘Futurama’ and sell-out UK arena tour with Foreigner and Europe. FM’s UK tour kicks-off at in Bristol on Friday, 1st May, and includes dates in Wolverhampton, Portsmouth, Nottingham, Glasgow, Newcastle and Manchester, with the final night of the tour taking place at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on Sunday, 10th May and will be anticipated by the band’s eagerly awaited performance at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Trezzo sull’Adda (Milan) Italy on April 11th.

The fourth album since FM reformed in 2007, ‘Heroes and Villains’ sees FM staying true to their musical legacy, offering their classic sound updated, with great songwriting and performances spiced-up by the golden voice of lead vocalist Steve Overland. Self-produced, the recording session took place at Tremolo Studios, before being mixed and mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

 

Tracklist:

Digging Up The Dirt

You’re The Best Thing About Me

Life Is A Highway

Fire And Rain

Incredible

Call On Me

Cold Hearted

Shape I’m In

Big Brother

Somedays I Only Wanna Rock

I Want You

Walking With Angels

 

 

[Glen]

I really enjoyed Overland last year with Mike Slamer.

 

This just sounds like typical safe FM.

[Geoff]

I hate those EPK things so much I won't bother with it, but I'm quietly hopeful about this. Realistically I don't really expect much at all, but I do hope for it.

 

The last track on that Overland disc from last year is an absolute cracker.

[Jez]

I hate those EPK things so much I won't bother with it, but I'm quietly hopeful about this. Realistically I don't really expect much at all, but I do hope for it.

 

The last track on that Overland disc from last year is an absolute cracker.

The whole of the last Overland disc is an absolute cracker

 

 

Good, consistent stuff since they got back 'Together', so hoping this will be good. Initial thought from the EPK is good.

[Stefan]

Listen to 'You're The Best Thing About Me': http://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2015-02-10/fm-stream-new-track-announce-album-and-tour

[Geoff]

Well I do quite like that song!

[melodicrockoz]

If there's something that needs to be said about this upcoming FM record is that it better be an improvement on all thier albums since the reformation.

[JC_AOR]

I haven't really got in to the more recent FM releases but I can say that what I have heard from this upcoming disc sounds pretty good. Looking forward to this one.

[Dead Planet]

Their releases are always worth picking up....just a great rock band....

[Stefan]

[AlphaMale]

 

Damn.... love the hot girls in that video. Song isn't that bad either.

[Glen]

Its FM.

 

Sounds exactly as I thought it would.

[Geoff]

Parental Advisory on an FM song? WTF? Anyway, pretty good tune.

[heavyharmonies]

Maybe I haven't paid attention to recent FM albums, but this album is sounding quite spiffy... harkens back to vintage early '90s FM in places. Great listenability.

[Stefan]

[gener8tr]

They spoiled me with INDISCREET...

 

28 years later and I'm still waiting for Bon Jovi to write the next chapter of Tommy and Gina's lives, so I'm a bit stuck in the past and admittedly hard to please.

 

Still, FM is never a bad thing. Love that driving riff in "Digging."

[Stefan]

[Jez]

This really is a very very strong disc and definitely their best in a long while, and that includes the recent albums since they got back together. It's without doubt an FM record as soon as you start listening to it, so Glen is exactly right about that, but there are some absolutely cracking songs on here and it certainly isn't an FM by numbers album. Really good, and I'll definitely be playing this a lot over the coming weeks

[Dark]

I've never really gelled with FM. I'd heard good things about Rockville but it didn't really do anything for me. Having said that neither did Indiscreet or Tough It Out.

[PeterS]

Not sure why I've never really got heavily into FM as they have some great songs but I never get that excited about a new FM disc.

 

However been listening to this all day and I may be about to change my mind. 3 or 4 spins in and this one is gelling. Could probably live without some of the songs on here but there are some crackers for sure.

[Glen]

I've never really gelled with FM. I'd heard good things about Rockville but it didn't really do anything for me. Having said that neither did Indiscreet or Tough It Out.

 

What? really? I can understand with recent FM, but those 2 early discs are classics in my book.

[Dark]

I know, odd isn't it. At the time they were overshadowed by what else i was listening to i think and i've not been drawn to them since. I did listen to them again last year and they are good but to my ears not great albums. Each to their own i guess.

[simo]

Listened to it once and liked it, let's see how long it'll last

[Stefan]

[Geoff]

I gotta say, for me, this is another in the collection of okay recent FM albums... but overall it's not great. I will say right away, the production is fantastic. Really, really top notch. Props for that.

 

In terms of songs, so many average tunes, as per usual, but there were a few stand-outs. 'You're the best thing about me,' 'Life is a highway,' and 'Call on me' are 3 of the best songs I've heard from FM since prime-era FM. But sadly, these 3 great songs are surrounded by mostly decent but average stuff, and a few real clunkers. It's not a bad album, but it's typical modern FM.