On June 13, 2010, when FM appeared on the main stage at Download as last-minute replacements for Ratt, they sealed a comeback that surprised many people – themselves most of all.
In the 80s, FM had made two great albums – Indiscreet and Tough It Out – and had been hyped as Britain’s answer to Bon Jovi. But the big break never came, and in 1995 the band quietly broke up. 12 years passed before they played live again.
But with 2010 album Metropolis, FM achieved something that had eluded them in the 80s – mainstream UK radio support. And on that day at Download, they received a welcome that was, in singer Steve Overland’s words, “beyond anything we could have dreamed of”.
Rockville is the follow-up to Metropolis, and it delivers the same high-quality, radio-friendly melodic hard rock. There’s a flavour of Def Leppard to the anthems Tough Love and My Love Bleeds. Only Foolin’ is even better – a swaggering, big-hitting rock song that takes you back to the glory days of the 80s. And with Story Of My Life, which begins like Heart’s Alone, FM have created a classic power ballad.
For Britain’s greatest AOR band, these really are the best of times.
