Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: FM
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2018
Duration: 52:58
Rating: 4.5/5
An intro for the cult AOR outfit from the British Isles, FM, who at one point even teamed up creatively with members of Iron Maiden, is totally unnecessary. The legendary AOR heavyweights, especially in the mature era of their career, have caught an incredible creative wind in their sails, and this fresh breeze keeps driving them onward, unstoppable! With an intensity the band members have probably never felt before in their career, even though the years of commercial success were left far, far behind them long ago.
In 2015 came the excellent »Heroes And Villains«, followed a year later by a »remake« of their debut studio album »Indiscreet« (retitled »Indiscreet 30« for the album’s 30th anniversary), which counts as one of the best »remakes« my ears have ever heard, since at times you could swap it for the original without noticing. Meanwhile the band’s frontman, the incredibly charismatic vocalist Steve Overland, is constantly busy, whether with his solo career or with the Shadowman project. In short, there’s no rest. Luckily the creative charge isn’t fading, and the majestic British AOR quintet is serving up another excellent studio album.
»Atomic Generation«, despite its »atomic« name, is a touch more finely polished sonically than its predecessor »Heroes And Villains«. So at times it’s even a smidge closer to pop production aesthetics. That’s really the main departure from the band’s otherwise staked-out sound and style, which remains a constant and a staple. Everything on this album is exactly where it should be, and as an achievement, set against the older studio siblings, it certainly doesn’t disappoint in quality and holds that quality at the extremely high level of its predecessors.
Here’s a fresh batch of seductive, »first listen« ultra-melodic, infectious choruses, and another bravura vocal performance from Steve Overland, with that unmistakable soulful flavor, proving that his voice hasn’t lost a speck of punch and character when you compare it to his delivery in the golden eighties. Overland’s voice really remains one of the most appealing trademarks of this band’s entire era and body of work. Everything is once again wrapped very skillfully in layered vocal harmonies that similar bands can only learn from. The stereo split across the monitors, with the guitar solo clearly distinct and coming from the left, the true spatial »3D depth« of an extremely dynamic, organic and warmly alive production, remains an element of pure perfection for the band. FM have pushed this trait of surrounding the lead vocal with layered vocal harmonies to its expressive peak, and it’s no exaggeration to say the songs hit their atmospheric crescendo in superbly polished choruses, where these layered vocal harmonies deepen the dramatic, theatrical moods and create plenty of pomp and bombast. Perhaps the band caught some of the energy from the comeback album of Canadian AOR outfit Boulevard and so wove in horn arrangements of their own on Playing Tricks On Me, which really is a case of rock getting as close to pop aesthetics as it can, though the occasional use of horns is no longer anything new for FM either.
The last track stands out on the album, the chunky, generously Hammond-organ-laden Stronger, which brings the band’s catalog close to the pioneering spirit of the likes of Deep Purple. For FM that’s almost a proper experiment, and it works full-blooded at the tail end of the album. Right at the very end, though, sits an acoustic version of Love is the Law, which is really an unnecessary move and a waste of running time. It would belong on an album of acoustic reworkings. Luckily it’s stuck at the tail end, so it doesn’t take away from the record’s exceptionally high dynamic flow and big energy »boost«.
In short. Fans of this band won’t waste any time! Today is the official release date of the album, so they’ll be hunting it down fast, if they haven’t pre-ordered it already (copies ordered from the band are signed). From the deep, booming opening »beat« of the possessive Black Magic all the way to the closing Stronger, »Atomic Generation« is a fresh example of the great musical doctrine of this brilliant AOR band, a lost new AOR gem in time and space, repeatable only by the band itself. The dying AOR genre is handled so skillfully and with such character today only by musicians of the generation that put it on its feet in the eighties (the nostalgic Golden Days especially echoes that). And FM definitely belong in that category. It doesn’t get any better, and we’ll definitely catch the band’s show when FM stop by Milan at the end of this April! That’s the least you can conclude after listening to »Atomic Generation«. In short, another crowning jewel in the band’s rich discography!
Lineup
Steve Overland – vocals, guitar, backing vocals
Merv Goldsworthy – bass guitar, backing vocals
Pete Jupp – drums, backing vocals
Jem Davis – keyboards, backing vocals
Jim Kirkpatrick – guitar, backing vocals
Production
FM & Scott Ralph
Tracklist
a video, namely for the song Playing Tricks On Me.
You can watch the full video for the song Playing Tricks On Me below!
The album “Atomic Generation” will once again be released by the Naples-based Italian label Frontiers Music Srl.
“Atomic Generation” is the band’s 11th studio album in total, featuring eleven new songs recorded at the Coal House studio in Staffordshire and at London’s West3 Productions studio. The band worked with sound engineer Scott Ralph on the recording, while Jeff Knowler handled the final mix.
Vocalist Steve Overland said the following about the album: “I think this is the most mature and polished FM album we’ve made to date!”
The tracklist for “Atomic Generation” is as follows:
1. Black Magic
2. Too Much Of A Good Thing
3. Killed By Love
4. In It For The Money
5. Golden Days
6. Playing Tricks On Me
7. Make The Best Of What You Got
8. Follow Your Heart
9. Do You Love Me Enough
10. Stronger
11. Love Is The Law
