FM keep on rocking and releases another great album for melodic rock lovers that will have a lot of fun with “Synchronized”
2020 will see the release of the twelfth FM studio album, “Synchronized”. It is no surprise that this new album is a delight to the ears of those seeking more melodic sounds within the rock spectrum.
About FM
The band was founded in 1984 when singer Steve Overland and his brother guitarist Chris (both formerly from Wildlife) teamed up with drummer Pete Jupp (ex-Wildlife and Samson) and bassist Merv Goldsworthy (ex-Diamond Head and Samson), the group joins Didge Digital on keyboards and in December of that year they were already in the ointment with a recording contract with CBS / Portrait and toured Germany in a series of appointments with Meat Loaf.
Other tours with Tina Turner, Foreigner and Gary Moore provided FM with the necessary boost and on September 8, 1986, FM released their debut album INDISCREET (with the popular single “Frozen Heart”) with critical success and the year ended on a halt with FM supporting red hot Bon Jovi on his “Slippery When Wet” tour.
Over the next nine years, FM consolidated its position at the forefront of British melodic rock, touring extensively as headliners, and also joined bands like Status Quo and Whitesnake on tours to promote releases like TOUGH IT OUT from 1989. 1989’s TAKIN ‘IT TO THE. STREETS (with Andy Barnett on guitar replacing now-defunct Chris Overland); APHRODISIAC from 1992 (with Tony ‘Slim’ Mitman from Romeo’s Daughter on keyboards), and what would be his ‘final’ album, DEAD MAN’S SHOES from 1995 with new recruit Jem Davis (Tobruk, UFO) on keyboards.
In 2007, after a 12-year gap period, FM was persuaded to return to the stage for a one-off date at Firefest IV in Nottingham Rock City.
The enthusiastic reception of fans at Firefest led FM to quickly make the decision to record a new album and to return to Firefest again in 2009, in March 2010 FM released their highly anticipated sixth studio album METROPOLIS with Jim Kirkpatrick replacing Andy Barnett at the head of the guitar. & nbsp;
The gang hasn’t stopped since then! Tours both in the UK and abroad, luxury escorts with Foreigner, Journey, Thin Lizzy and Heart, festival appearances including Download, Planet Rockstock, Sweden Rock, Graspop, Steelhouse Festival, Frontiers Rock Festival, HRH and HRH AOR , Cambridge Rock Festival, and in 2018 their first live show in the United States at Melodic Rock Fest 5.
When not on tour, FM has been busy in the studio and since their 2010 ‘comeback’ album they have released four original albums, a re-recorded version of their debut album and a live CD / DCD.
About FM’s “Synchronized” album
Now that we are all situated in who these monsters of the melodic are, we are going to see what has fallen in this new installment.
The album starts with the song of the same name to the album “Synchronized” which, after introductory voices, offers us a classic halftime, with a guitar riff and signature keyboards, in a direct song that makes clear what’s going on.
“Superstar” brings us a more delicate theme, with highly protagonist voice lines in a melody that is not as linear as in other themes, but that catches you and keeps you shaking your head to the beat.
Turn for “Best of Times” which, as the title indicates, starts with a good head. Stanzas on acoustics for a song that grows to a chorus that despite leaning on a ballad base has been born to make you feel good. Ole ole and ole!
With “Ghost Of You And I” we get into a “real” ballad by experimenting with somewhat canned drum sounds in the beginning and then downloading it into a melodic book ballad. We have gone from good vibes to melancholy but we maintain quality and feeling.
“Broken” is a super complete cut with fantastic harmonies, a bass that stands out for its solidity and endless details that make this song one of the best on the album for my taste.
“Change for the Better” begins in a tricky way, presenting what looks like a new ballad but that soon becomes one of those songs that could have been part of any of those eighties movies that were so cool to us. Another great hint to loop.
An organ and a Radio transmission serve as an intro for “End of Days” which breaks with the roar of Steve Overland as saying “here I am to protest all this. It is a song with a critical message and a dramatic setting without escaping the defined style of the band. To highlight the constant tinkering of the background guitar and the “solo” combined keys and guitar.
“Pray” brings us the funkiest version of FM in a cool song, clean, but with enough strength and a very singable chorus.
In “Walk Through The Fire” we have a 2×1 with a first part almost a cappella with the basic support of the background beat. But all this breaks with a battery hit, dragging us to a chorus of high-flying again, where we will surely chant in his live shows with all our strength.
The joke returns with “Hell Or High Water”, from the first riff it is noticeable that we have in our hands one of those themes of moving the “ass.” Stanzas, bridge and chorus in a classic structure for a happy and motivating theme like this that is completed with a major solo.
Did you have a good time with the previous topic? Well get ready because now your hairs are going to get like scarps with this great song. “Angels Cried” is a cut that has it all. I will not say more, it is simply a wonder.
After touching the sky we return to the plane of mortals with “Ready for Me” where the band gets closer to Hard Rock in another great song that serves to finish off this great album.
When the world was “normal” and we had concerts, watching FM live was something that was not excessively difficult and now that we can’t see how much we miss it. What is clear is that this work has all the ballots to be the main part of their next setlists and there we will be singing and singing as the most because these guys from FM deserve it.
