The British veterans return at last, with a new album and you can take it for granted that lots of smiles will break at the first listen of “Metropolis”. Bands like FM were always well respected (if not loved), not only due to their expertise in performing but also due to their low profile since 1984 that they commenced out of London. Therefore, news about a brand new full release from the melodic rock heroes, are good news and let’s see how “Metropolis” fares.

Securely starting with “Wildside” (which was presented earlier as a beacon for this album), the band’s self-confidence is quite evident. Steve Overland still retains his warm, bluesy, melodic voice to its fullest and leaves room for no doubt. If you loved his voice (with FM, the Ladder, the Overland, the Shadowman or earlier with Wildlife) this album is nowhere short, magically, from what this guy offers for thirty years now. To make a long story short, all vocals in “Metropolis” are excellent.

Moving on to performance/composition: Many say, that today, putting aside new beliefs and opinions or visions, we still follow the good old recipes when it comes to composing or performing. FM have the advantage that they do not follow anybody but themselves. So, in a little more than an hour (some might find this tiring) we never worry as to where this band is targeting with this new CD. Major and minor melodic lines to worship, ethereal keyboards that add up to the cuts, plain but decisive guitar parts that target for the soul. Put the magnificent vocals on top and, please, tell me what more you could ask for.

Is “Metropolis” a must-buy? Lets step back a bit and make a verdict. Well, not necessarily. And that’s because there is no actual hit in the album, the song that will break our hearts. It also never moves any forward from the first two FM albums (Indiscreet and Tough It Out). In these troubled times, though, for melodic rock and AOR music, songs like “Wildside”, “Flamingo Road”, “Over You”, “Bring Back yesterday”, “The Extra Mile” and “Who’ll Stop The Rain”, have to be considered as beacons of quality and aesthetics. We have to give FM credit for the fact that they are the keepers of good rock music, so buying “Metropolis” can be a certificate of approval and credit to the important British band and its contribution in general.