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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – Thames Side Brewery, Staines, 8 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Gig review: THE SHEEPDOGS, THE COMMONERS – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 December 2024
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Gig review: GUN – Barrowlands, Glasgow, 14 December 2024
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Gig review: THE DAMN TRUTH – The Grace, London, 26 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: THE STANDARD LAMPS – Long Lost Love
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Album review : BRIX SMITH and MARTY WILLSON-PIPER – Lost Angeles
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Album review: SOLEY MOURNING – The Rocket Pool
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Album review: TROY REDFERN – Thunder Moon
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Album review: THE NEVERLAND EXPRESS + CALEB JOHNSON – Paradise Found: Bat Out Of Hell Reignited
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Album review: THE NEAL MORSE BAND – Alive Again
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Tag Archives: FM
Album review: KINGS OF MERCIA – Battle Scars
Metal Blade Records [Release date 25.10.24] One thing you can’t accuse Steve Overland of is being work shy. The revival of his first love, FM, is not enough for the industrious frontman. Since 2004 he’s also produced albums as Shadowman … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Battle Scars, Fates Warning, FM, hard rock, Jim Matheos, Kings Of Mercia, melodic, review, Steve Overland
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Gig review: FM – The Carlisle, Hastings, 17 October 2024
Recently in the news, we heard how tours have shrunk and cover fewer towns and cities than they did 30 years ago. For FM the opposite seems to be the case – as well as playing the established big cities, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, FM, gig, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Steve Overland, The Carlisle, White Skies
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Album review: ATLANTIC – Another World
Escape Music [Release date 21.06.24] Atlantic is the brainchild of guitarist and songwriter Simon Harrison, who released their debut album ‘Power’ back in 1994 (re-issued by Escape in 2008). It was originally planned to be a one-off – until now … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Another World, AOR, Atlantic, Dare, Escape Music, FM, Grim Reaper, Journey, Lionsheart, Mark Grimmett, melodic rock, review, Simon Harrison, Steve Grimmett
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Album review: FM – Old Habits Die Hard
Frontiers Records (Release Date 03.05.24) FM appear to be constantly on tour, and yet between that activity they somehow find time to consistently write and release a new album every two or three years. ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ actually marks … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, FM, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Old Habits Die Hard, Steve Overland
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Gig review: FM – Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury, 18 May 2024
To quote Led Zeppelin, “It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled”, and as much as I love music my live mojo has been in retirement, bar supporting local folk gigs. However, when a band as classy as … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Arlington Arts Centre, classic rock, Collateral, FM, gig, melodic rock, Newbury, review, rock, Saturday 18 May 2024, Steve Overland
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Album review : CRUZH – The Jungle Revolution
Frontiers [Release date : 22.03.24] Welcome to The Jungle Revolution, third album on the Frontiers label from Swedish band, Cruzh, and their second with vocalist, Alex Waghorn, winner of Idol Sweden in 2017 (singing Journey’s ‘Faithfully’). Among their admitted influences … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alex Waghorn, Cruzh, eighties, FM, Idol Sweden, Journey, Jungle Revolution, melodic rock, review, Toto
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Album review: ROBERT HART – Circus Life
Escape Music [Release date 26.01.24] A new solo album by former Bad Company and Distance singer Robert Hart is always a ‘must listen’ for any melodic hard rock fan. On this album he is joined by Heartland’s Steve Morris and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bad Company, blues rock, Circus Life, FM, hard rock, Harry James, Heartland, Lonerider, melodic rock, review, Robert Hart, Solo, Steve Morris, Steve Overland, Thunder
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Gig review: FM – The Forum, Tunbridge Wells, 1 December 2023
Yet another busy gigging year in FM’s ever hard working calendar ended in the unlikely surroundings of Tunbridge Wells, the genteel Kent town famous for its spa and the mythical disgusted letter-writing retired colonel. Its commutable from both the South … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Ben Christo, Diamond Black, FM, gig, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Merv Goldsworthy, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland
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Gig review: FM/DARE/TYKETTO – Islington Academy, London, 25 May 2023
The package tour is growing in popularity in the current economic climate as a way of bands combining forces to save on overheads and play in front of maximum audiences. Announced just before Christmas, this particular triple header was most … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Chris Childs, Danny Vaughn, Dare, FM, Ged Rylands, gig, Harry Scott Elliott, Jim Kirkpatrick, Johnny Dee, melodic rock, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland, Tyketto, Vinny Burns
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News: Melodic Rockers FM enter The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness in June 2023
The latest inductees to “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” are melodic rockers FM. A major retrospective tracking FM’s comeback in the millennium will be published on 1 June by rock website Get Ready to ROCK! and throughout the month Get … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged AOR, classic rock, feature, FM, Grotto, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, retrospective, Steve Overland
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Gig review: JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 4 May 2023
Guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick seems to have been everywhere recently. After FM’s December tour with the Dead Daisies and January dates with Band of Friends, his third solo album ‘Dead Man Walking’ was released to critical acclaim including in these pages … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 4 May 2023, blues rock, FM, gig, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Leon Cave, London, melodic rock, Ollie Collins, Raynes Park, The Cavern
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Album review: JIM KIRKPATRICK – Dead Man Walking
US One Records [Release date 21.04.23] Second solo album from FM guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick, who is joined by fellow FM band member Jem Davis on keyboards and Status Quo’s rhythm section of bassist John ‘Rhino’ Edwards and drummer Leon Cave. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Dead Man Walking, FM, guitarist, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, review, rock, Solo
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Album review: THE FLOOD – Hear Us Out
Escape Music [Release date 24.03.23] The Flood are an interesting proposition featuring vocalist Chris Ousey (Heartland/Virginia Wolf/Snakecharmer), FM guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick and former FM keyboards player Didge Digital. So far, so melodic hard rock and blues rock. However, it is the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Billy Sheenan, blues rock, Chris Ousey, Didge Digital, FM, hard rock, Hear Us Out, Heartland, Jim Kirkpatrick, Mr Big, Nigel Glockler, review, rock, Saxon, Snakecharmer, The Flood, Winery Dogs
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Gig review: THE DEAD DAISIES – 02 Forum, London, 6 December 2022
The constantly revolving lineups of travelling supergroup The Dead Daisies, the plaything of rhythm guitarist and businessman David Lowy, seem to have reached some belated stability, fronted by the equally mercurial Glenn Hughes. They were back in London to promote … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Brian Tichy, classic rock, Dead daisies, Doug Aldrich, FM, gig, Glenn Hughes, Graham Bonnet
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Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Melodic Rock – Primer
Melodic Rock Editor Andy Nathan witnesses the melodic revival… When GRTR! started in late-2002 traditional melodic rock and AOR was still in something of a prolonged hangover from the years of grunge which swept away the genre, and indeed much … Continue reading
Posted in FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer
Tagged anniversary, AOR, Def Leppard, Europe, Firefest, FM, Foreigner, H.E.A.T., Journey, melodic hard rock, melodic rock, primer, summary, Whitesnake
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Album review: TURKISH DELIGHT – Volume 1
Escape Music [Release date 21.10.22] Turkish Delight celebrates the joy that Escape Music co-owner Khalil Turk has for the kind of music he loves so much, namely AOR and melodic rock. This selection was personally chosen by Khalil, with material … Continue reading
Gig review: FIRESTORM MCR – Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 12-14 August 2022
One of the consequences of the current wretched state of our world in 2022 is that, even though live music has returned from its Covid hiatus, travelling abroad for both fans and bands has become logistically more difficult, and we … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Attic Theory, A’priori, Bad Touch, Bastette, Black Roze, Buck And Evans, Empyre, festival, Firekind, Firestorm, Firestorm MCR, Florence Black, FM, gig, Gorilla Riot, Inglorious, King Herd, King King, Mason Hill, New Wave of Classic Rock, NWOCR, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Revival Black, Ryders Creed, Scarlet Rebels, Scruffy Bear, South Of Salem, Stone Broken, The Dust Coda, The Hot Damn, The Quireboys, The Treatment, These Wicked Rivers, Those Damn Crows, Unknown Refuge, Valhalla Awaits, Wayward Sons
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Album review: WHITE SPIRIT – Right Or Wrong
Pete Feenstra chatted to Mal Pearson and Mick Tucker of White Spirit for his show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 7 August 2022. Conquest Music [Release date: 29.07.22] ‘Right Or Wrong’ is White Spirit’s first album for … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, AOR, Asia, Brian Howe, classic rock, Deep Purple, FM, Foreigner, HammerFall, Jeff Scott Soto, Journey, Lee Small, Lionheart, Mal Pearson, Mick Tucker, Neil Murray, NWOBHM, Pontus Norgren, Rainbow, review, rock, Russell Gilbrook, Steve Overland, Van Halen, White Spirit, Whitesnake
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Album review: LONERIDER – Sundown
Escape Music (Release Date 20.05.22) The concept of a quiet life sees alien to peerless singer Steve Overland who must have one of the prolific recording schedules of any artist. Barely two months after releasing ‘Thirteen’ with his main band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bad Company, blues rock, Chris Childs, FM, Lonerider, melodic rock, Simon Kirke, Steve Morris, Steve Overland
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Gig review: FM- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 7 April 2022
They release albums at regular intervals but touring has always been FM’s lifeblood. They dipped their toe back in the live environment with selected shows last year, but this twice postponed London show was part of a tour to promote … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, FM, gig, Grand Slam, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Laurence Archer, melodic rock, Mike Dyer, Steve Overland
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Album review: FM – Thirteen
Frontiers Records (Release date 18.03.22) Over a decade since reforming, FM’s run of quality product since seems to be coming at an ever faster rate, their suitably titled 13th studio album coming less than two years after its predecessor ‘Synchronised’. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, FM, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland
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Gig review:JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 3 February 2022
One of my favourite gigs of last year was when FM guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick played The Cavern bar in suburban South-west London. The occasion was special enough, being my first show after the 2021 lockdown was relaxed, but the musical … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues rock, FM, gig, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Leon Cave, melodic rock
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Album review: BITE THE BULLET – End of the Line
Escape Music [Release date 22.01.22] Bite the Bullet trace their origins back to 1986 and still feature the original duo of Mick Benton (Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards) and Graham Cowling (Drums). They released a strong comeback album, ‘Black and White’, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bite The Bullet, End Of The Line, Escape Music, FM, hard rock, melodic rock, Mr Mister, review
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Album review: GROUNDBREAKER – Soul to Soul
Frontiers Records (Release date 12.11.21) Groundbreaker’s debut album was a Frontiers Records project to reunite Steve Overland with the pure AOR sound of early FM. That was a collaboration with Work of Art’s Robert Sall, but the latter is not … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, AOR, FM, Groundbreaker, melodic rock, Steve Overland, Sven Larsson
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Album review: PEPPERKID2 – Adventures In Pepperland
Website [Release date 12.11.21] Pepperkid2 is the brainchild of FM’s keyboardist Jem Davis. Joining Jem is Mike Dyer (Grand Slam) as the main vocalist/co-writer. Also appearing on the album is Dyer’s fellow Grand Slam band member guitarist Laurence Archer, along … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Adventures In Pepperland, album, Cats In Space, FM, Grand Slam, Jellyfish, Jem Davis, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review
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