FM - Old Habits Die Hard

[Stefan]

 

New album 'Old Habits Die Hard' out May 3.

From Frontiers:

2024 sees FM celebrate their 40th Anniversary with the release of the band’s fourteenth studio album OLD HABITS DIE HARD accompanied as ever by an extensive touring schedule.

The new album is exactly the bona fide, classy and breezy new FM album that all fans have been waiting for, with crisp and clean sounds, excellent musical performances and a Steve Overland’s voice which – in itself – is a fabulous added value. To no one’s surprise, it is another top notch album that will keep the band’s status as one of the premiere melodic rock entities firmly in place!

In the summer of 1984 singer Steve Overland and his brother, guitarist Chris (both formerly of Wildlife) teamed up with drummer Pete Jupp (ex-Wildlife and Samson) and bassist Merv Goldsworthy (ex-Diamond Head and Samson) to form FM. Joined by the keyboard talents of Didge Digital, by December that year they had secured a recording contract with CBS/Portrait and the band headed to Germany for a run of dates with Meat Loaf.

Further tours with Tina Turner, Foreigner and Gary Moore built up the momentum. On 8 September 1986 FM released their debut album INDISCREET (featuring the hugely popular single ”Frozen Heart”) to great critical acclaim and the year ended on a high with FM supporting the white-hot Bon Jovi on their ”Slippery When Wet” tour.

For the next nine years FM consolidated their position at the forefront of British melodic rock, touring extensively as headliners and also joining bands such as Status Quo and Whitesnake on tours to promote releases such as 1989’s TOUGH IT OUT album; TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS released in 1991 (with Andy Barnett on guitar replacing the now-departed Chris Overland); APHRODISIAC in 1992 and what was to be their ’final’ album, 1995’s DEAD MAN’S SHOES with new recruit Jem Davis (Tobruk, UFO) on keyboards. 

In 2007 – after a 12-year sabbatical – FM were persuaded to return to the stage for a ’one-off’ headline performance at a sold-out Firefest IV at Nottingham Rock City. 

The rapturous reception from the fans at Firefest led to FM quickly making the decision to record a new album and following a return to Firefest in 2009, in March 2010 FM released their much-anticipated sixth studio album METROPOLIS with Jim Kirkpatrick replacing Andy Barnett on lead guitar. 

FM haven’t stopped since… Headline tours both in the UK and overseas, Special Guest slots touring with Foreigner, Journey, Thin Lizzy, Heart, Saxon and Skid Row; festival appearances including Download, Planet Rockstock, Sweden Rock, Graspop, Steelhouse Festival, Frontiers Rock Festival, Hard Rock Hell and Ramblin’ Man Fair, and in 2018 their first-ever live show in the US at Melodic Rock Fest 5. 

Tracks:

1 OUT OF THE BLUE
2 DON’T NEED ANOTHER HEARTACHE
3 NO EASY WAY OUT
4 LOST
5 WHATEVER IT TAKES
6 BLACK WATER
7 CUT ME LOOSE
8 LEAP OF FAITH
9 CALIFORNIA
10 ANOTHER DAY IN MY WORLD
11 BLUE SKY MIND

 

 

 

Edited March 6 by Stefan

[Captain Howdy]

Never thought I would see the day a rock album was described as "breezy".

[Eric3]

Kind of a boring song in my opinion. Nothing they've done since they reunited has really moved me, a few great songs on each album but a lot of plodding, bluesy stuff as well that I just can't get into. I'll listen to anything Overland sings at least once though!

[gener8tr]

I've been a fan of these guys dating back to 1989.  Not sure how I originally missed Indiscreet in 1986 as it's proved to be one of my favorites from the genre and I was listening to music pretty much 24/7 back then as an 18 year-old. 

Of course it was hard for any band to get into the rotation of the cassette deck in my Celica the summer and fall of 1986 when 5150, Raised On Radio and Third Stage were literally being worn-out, and then when Slippery was released sometime shortly before Christmas... Forget about it, no one else stood a chance.

This new track doesn't suck by any means, but it's certainly not "Other Side of Midnight."

[jared]

Great! Great! Great! Few bands in this world can write such a brilliant rock song in this unfashioned but effective shuffle-uptempo-beat !

BuyOrDie!

[Mr.AOR]

Love that...

[Captain Howdy]

My first FM album was Tough it out on cassette probably back in 1990 as I ordered it from an old school mail order catalogue when it was on sale. Had never even heard them, just based it on the description in the catalogue.

Absolutely loved the album. Then a year later I heard their version of Grapevine and was working at the record distribution warehouse when Taking it to the streets came out. I remember later picking up indiscreet and being disapointed with how lightweight it was compared to the two albums I already had.

Aphrodisiac was another great album, and I remember it being highly lauded as the best album they ever made by a lot of the UK rock press.

After that, as far as studio albums went, I found their output to be a bit dull. Not bad, but just no longer excited me like they used to.

 

When they came back, I never bought any of their albums as pretty much every single I heard left me with those same feelings of "Sounds good, but just does not excite me".

I think my biggest issue is I am not the biggest fan of more blues oriented rock music, and only a few artists really nail it for me. Shame really as I love Steves voice.

[4LAST0R]

For those lookin for more exciting Overland stuf please do yourself a favor and buy last Overland solo album S.I.X. ! It's his best effort since decades, it's super in every department probably thank to the chemistry with the God RobertSall

[Stefan]

New video 'Don't Need Another Heartache'.

 

 

Edited April 11 by Stefan

[lettard]

Like that better than the last tune...in fact its as good as I've heard from em in a while.

[Jez]

2 strong tracks so far, so really looking forward to hearing the rest. I went to see them live last week and they seriously have still got it as a live band...great gig

[Thomas/Coastline]

Hope there will be many whoo-aaahhh...ooouuuooohh....aaaahhhh's on the new album.

[jared]

Hey guys.. but what you smoke ?

This 2nd single NO way on earth can be better than the 1st ! Also with its self-imposed bland pace does ruin the flow of the album.

I listened all samples, a more pop-laidback affair but definitely pleasant, but the tracklist (as with many other recent releases) seem messed up for me: throughout the album there's a continuous gap between songs.. one rockier immediately followed by a pop-ish one, no natural flow no coherence whatsoever.

With this bunch of songs a more better tracklist would be:

OutOfTheBlue

AnotherDayInMyWorld

NoEasyWayOut

CutMeLoose

Lost

BlackWater

BlueSkyMind

WhateverItTakes

LeapOfFaith

California

DontNeedAHeartache

!