FM's 'Brotherhood' - Album Review

One thing that I have learnt over the years is that something new from the UK-based melodic rock/AOR five-piece FM is never far away. Considering that the band, who made a bit of a splash in the late 1980s/early 1990s without ever really taking off in a big way, only reunited in 2007 for a one-off performance at the now-defunct Firefest, what was clearly intended to be a celebration of what had come before and perhaps a full-stop on a career has since morphed in a full-blown second wind - with FM perhaps as well-respected now as they have ever been. Whilst the early days of their reunion were characterised by short tours and festival appearances - in more recent years the band have undertaken much longer tours, and have even regularly ventures outside of the UK. As a big FM fan since 2014, seeing the band so active again is great. I generally get to see them live at least once a year these days, given their activities, and they must now be my third-most seen live act behind Mostly Autumn and The Quireboys. The deeper into their reunion the band get, too, the more likely a new album from them seems to be. In truth, even when their live shows were a bit more on the sporadic side a new album was always fairly likely - and since relaunching in 2010 with Metropolis FM have never really looked back. Including Metropolis, the reunion years have now heralded nine new albums of original material - plus a re-recorded version of 1986's Indiscreet, a number of EPs which include non-album tracks, and a handful of live albums. The only band I can really compare FM's reunion activity with is Magnum - and whilst none of FM's newer albums are quite as good as those early classics, as was also the case with Magnum, each new release is full of memorable songs, strong songwriting, and classy arrangements. A number of new songs have become setlist staples over the years, too, and each tour tends to feature at least a handful of songs from whatever the latest album is. FM keep things fresh, then, and the ninth of these reunion-era albums was released last week - with Brotherhood hitting the shelves. The band's 14th studio album overall, not counting 2016's Indiscreet 30, Brotherhood follows only 18 or so months after 2024's Old Habits Die Hard (which I reviewed here) which was released in May last year to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary alongside a pretty lengthy UK tour. Even for FM, though, releasing albums in consecutive years is prolific. Both Rockville and Rockville II dropped in 2013 - but generally there has been a two or three year gap between new albums. Considering how I started this review, I was still not expecting Brotherhood quite so soon - but the 11 songs here are all of a standard which has become expected of FM in recent years. Frontman Steve Overland still possesses one of the best voices in the melodic rock world - and the band really have a knack for writing memorable, upbeat, and soulful AOR songs which include both a 1980s synth flourish and something of a blues rock base. The last few albums have leaned more towards the former, though, and that is largely the case here, too, although the use of some female backing vocals on a few of the songs adds a slight gospel edge at times to shake things up.

Otherwise, though, there is nothing especially new here, and I am not sure that Brotherhood is quite among the cream of the reunion crop, but that does not stop it from being another enjoyable release. It is quite frontloaded, too, with many of the best songs coming early on - with the opening Do You Mean It kicking things off nicely. Rumbling Hammond organ and a bluesy guitar pattern open the mid-paced rocker well, with guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick immediately impressing with a good mix of chunky riffing and bluesy guitar leads. Whilst the core of the album steel leans more towards an AOR sound, this track channels the somewhat tougher feeling of the band's early reunion albums - with Jem Davis moving back and forth between percussive electric piano chords and washes of organ and Overland channelling the emotion of Paul Rodgers as he has often done over the years. The aforementioned female backing vocals are utilised here, too, and they give the pre-chorus and chorus an edge - with the gospel-esque additions singing in a call-and-response manner with Overland in a way which is a little different from the norm. Throw in a short organ solo and a bluesy guitar solo - and FM here feel slightly more muscular and soulful than has perhaps become the norm, with a retro, organic sound backing their trademark sense of melody. Living on the Run, which follows, is a bit more typical of the band's other recent albums. With the previous song having more of a mid-paced groove, this track feels a little more up-tempo during the intro - which is filled with some hooky guitar leads from Kirkpatrick and more of a synth backing. As such, the song is much more of a classic-sounding slab of AOR - and the way the band drop away somewhat to allow clean guitar melodies and a simple drum pattern from Pete Jupp to dominate the verses is a trick from the 1980s playbook. Overland's voice is front and centre as a result, and he is full of character as always - whilst the later chorus oozes quality thanks to some earworm vocal melodies, the guitar leads from the intro repurposed, and some propelling bass playing of Meryvn Goldsworthy. The keyboards are there to create a synth backing, but they are not as bombastic as has sometimes been the case with FM, especially on the last handful of albums, which means that the track remains guitar driven - either by the clean melodies or the hooky leads. A later solo builds on these leads - and the track is another memorable cut by the veteran band. Coming for You builds on the 1980s AOR tropes of the previous song, with a big gated drum fill opening the track up before a pulsing riff kicks in which sees the guitars and keyboards teaming up for a staccato stab which will be familiar to anyone familiar with the genre as a whole. This is a much more keyboard-driven song over all, with Davis' playing essentially the key feature of the verses - his pulsing keyboard motifs the main focus as the rhythm section groove away and the guitars add colour in the background. The synth sounds are not as a bombastic as they could be, though, and some organ is also added at times to ground the piece - but the stabbing synth melodies are very much rooted in the 1980s, with the chorus doubling down with sugary hooks and plenty more keyboards.

Perhaps the song here which goes all in for 1980s AOR tropes, though, is Raised on the Wrong Side - and the bombastic track is one of my favourite cuts here. With an opening synth flourish and atmosphere which recalls Michael Bolton's 1980s albums, before a Bon Jovi-esque snaking guitar line kicks in - the song is one of those earworms that grabs hold from the off and never really lets go. It is a song that we have all heard a number of times, but the formula never seems to get old. Overland's soulful verse vocals are a great counter to the guitar lines, with occasional screaming leads thrown in, whilst vocal harmonies during a building pre-chorus and the flashy synth stabs during the chorus are pure AOR - with shades of the sound of Indiscreet present. The chorus is the best here, and it is surely made for the stage - whilst a clean guitar-led bridge section and a flashy guitar solo only add to what is already a stellar piece. Returning to something of a smoother sound, Love Comes to All reins in some of the AOR tropes of the previous tracks to instead go for a pop rock sound with breezy vocal melodies, joyous clean guitar chords and a decent amount of drive from the rhythm section. Musically, the song feels quite simple. There are no big riffs or melodies here, with guitar chords and a simple beat generally the base of the track - which means that Overland's voice is the star of the show. He sings with his usual class here, although there is perhaps more of a soulful injection - particularly during a slightly more downbeat bridge section with some additional piano backing. It is a jaunty piece which feels a little different from the norm for FM - but the approach to melody is recognisable. Just Walk Away is the album's big ballad - and it opens with a big wall of synths and some acoustic guitar melodies. Overland emotes before the song starts proper as he tends to do, adding emotion to the track, before his soulful vocals ooze over a bed of acoustic guitar chords and piano countermelodies. Unlike some of the band's big ballads, though, this one generally remains fairly stripped back - at least early on. Subtle drumming does add a little drive, but really this is all about the acoustic guitars and piano - and the chorus does not feel especially bigger than the verses, with tweaks in the vocal melodies signalling the change. The drumming does get a little more prominent after the first chorus - but the organic nature of the piece remains, and Overland's voice remains king. Kirkpatrick's solo is on the acoustic guitar too, which keeps the song feeling stripped back - as does a brief organ solo from Davis. Don't Call It Love, one of the album's singles, returns to feel-good AOR - with chugging guitar chords early on, a jaunty riff, and the occasional harmony guitar melody. Whilst the keyboards are perhaps not as big as some of the band's jauntiest pieces, with Davis generally opting for atmosphere, there is still a lot of melody here - with busy guitar melodies during the instrumental sections and plenty of vocal hooks from Overland. The chorus is another of the album's best, with harmonies and hooks aplenty, whilst the mix of clean guitar-led verses and a chunkier chorus works well as such an arrangement tends to for the band. A great guitar solo from Kirkpatrick is the icing on the cake - with the track being another album highlight.

Time Waits for No-One is a slightly funky-feeling track - with a bit of a Toto-esque groove whilst the band's core AOR sound remains. Goldsworthy's bass playing really drives the track, his busy playing adding that funky edge - whilst the choppy guitar rhythms and keyboard arpeggios are packed with fluid 1980s goodness. This is not a track which jumped out at me at first, but repeated listens have made it something of a favourite thanks to the similarity at times to Toto and its joyous vibe. FM have not really written many funky songs in the past - and the bass grooves here are something a bit different for the band. Organ is mixed in with the synth melodies to help ground the track, though, whilst Kirkpatrick throws in another busy guitar solo which shreds compared to the guitar playing elsewhere in the song. Overland's vocal hooks are perfectly placed, too, and the track is a surprise winner here. Because of You has quite an atmospheric opening with spacey synths and a bit of a build up with slide guitar lines - but generally the song is quite a smoother rocker with ballad-like verses and a bigger chorus which utilises more weight and harmonies. Despite this typical approach, the spacey elements remain - with occasional synth flourishes and guitar melodies which feel slightly proggy. As such, the song does do something a little different in colour - even if at its core it is something quite familiar. Chasing Freedom is much more organic in nature - but it is no less melodic, with a slight country twang added to the band's usual AOR sound. There is a strong acoustic guitar presence throughout, with the verses being based around a downbeat drum groove and big acoustic guitar chords. Overland sings in his usual melodic way, though, and his smoothness works well against this acoustic backing. The chorus is much bigger overall, though, with a more expansive drumbeat and plenty of big harmonies. Kirkpatrick swaps to his electric guitar for a bluesy and expressive solo, but really much of the prominent guitar work is acoustic-based - whilst the rhythm section add what grit there is and the keyboards add depth. FM have done songs like this before and they tend to work well - and this piece is another pretty expansive and melodic track given how much of what is heard is acoustic-based. The album then comes to a close with The Enemy Within which, following a couple of slightly more interesting tracks in terms of arrangement, is a bit more of a typical mid-paced FM track. Sadly, though, it is probably the album's least interesting song. The big hooks which FM are generally known for are not so prominent here - with the chorus not really being much of an earworm. Some of the bluesy rock of the early reunion albums is present here, with a guitar melody during the chorus feeling that way, but generally the song feels like a bit of a plodder - without any of the easy on the ear melodies which FM tend to make songs like this fly with. I do not think it helps that the song is just under six minutes long, too, and the piece does not really evolve as it moves forward. The song is a rare miss for FM in my opinion, then, and it is a shame that the album does not end on a high. Despite this, though, much of the rest of the album is strong - with Brotherhood being another very enjoyable melodic rock release. There are a handful of songs which have already become favourites, and the band have added to their impressive canon here with another record which fans of melodic rock will digest with glee.

The album was released on 5th September 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Don't Call It Love.