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░ ██ ██ Artist: FM ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Transformation █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-01-14 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Esoteric Antenna ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Progressive Rock has seen an absolutely incredible █
█ resurgence in recent years with many classic bands █
█ making surprising and excellent comebacks. █
█ Canada's FM returns to the scene here with their █
█ first new studio album in almost 30 years (and █
█ almost 40 years since the band's original █
█ formation in 1976). Transformation is a stellar █
█ album showing a more mature sound and eclectic █
█ style than the band's early albums. What remains █
█ is the strong presence of violins here also █
█ further augmented by viola and mandolins over the █
█ standard drums, bass, keyboards, and vocals. I █
█ think I can also hear some flutes and even brass █
█ instruments occasionally. Unlike most Rock bands, █
█ FM does not however involve any guitars, but █
█ sometimes the violin takes on a guitar-like sound. █
█ I can hear similarities with acts as diverse as █
█ Curved Air, Gentle Giant, Kansas, and Nektar. █
█ There is a folky flavour to some of the songs, █
█ especially in virtue of the mandolin and fiddle. █
█ Comparing this album to what I've heard from the █
█ band before, the sound of Transformation is quite █
█ different. The sole original member left is █
█ Cameron Hawkins, perhaps symbolized by the lone █
█ figure on the cover? While the band's new sound █
█ intrigued me right away, the melodies took a few █
█ listens to sink in and make their proper impact. █
█ After several listens it became clear that █
█ Transformation is indeed an excellent album and █
█ personally I think that it surpasses the band's █
█ early albums. Though, as pointed out, this is █
█ obviously a rather different beast, and which you █
█ prefer will depend on which style you like more. I █
█ would recommend this album even to people who were █
█ not very impressed by earlier albums of the band. █
█ Fans of Crossover, Eclectic Prog, and Prog Folk █
█ might want to give this a chance. A very nice █
█ surprise and an excellent album in its own right! █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ I originally started listening to this band in the █
█ late 70's, when I found "Surveillance", and then █
█ "Black Noise" at used record stores. I later found █
█ "City Of Fear", but then, as I liked this band, █
█ but wasn't blown away by them, I missed their █
█ later releases. █
█ Listening to the 4 tracks the latest edition of FM █
█ posted this year on ProgStreaming, I was intrigued █
█ enough to purchase the CD. █
█ This new album, with only Cameron Hawkins from the █
█ early albums (Martin Deller had performed with the █
█ band as late as 2006), does not veer much from █
█ their original sound, but does seem to qualify, to █
█ my ears, as a fully qualified prog album. Their █
█ use of odd time signatures is quite adept, and █
█ often so smooth that the listener may easily █
█ overlook that they are not hearing 4/4. █
█ There is still a similarity to Rush in the █
█ composition of the songs, but the performance is █
█ markedly lighter than their country mates. Also █
█ helping the sound to become more original are the █
█ strings of Edward Bernard and Aaron Solomon. Their █
█ dueling violin/viola create some of the best █
█ moments on the album. █
█ The absolute best song here is "Children Of Eve". █
█ It is the darkest track of the album, with █
█ syncopated verse sections, and a delightfully odd █
█ blues-related chorus. █
█ The biggest problem of the album is production. █
█ You can discern all of the individual instruments, █
█ but the mix has an overly compressed sound, and █
█ even on my best stereo, the very lows and highs █
█ just have no punch. █
█ All-in-all, this is a good album, and just barely █
█ earns a 4 star rating from me. Hopefully they will █
█ continue in this vein. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Brave New Worlds 5:37 ░
░ 2. Cosmic Blue 4:43 ░
░ 3. Reboot Re-Awaken 5:30 ░
░ 4. Children of Eve 4:56 ░
░ 5. Safe and Sound 6:21 ░
░ 6. Tour of Duty 7:35 ░
░ 7. The Love Bomb (Universal Love) 5:29 ░
░ 8. Soldiers of Life 4:14 ░
░ 9. Heaven on Earth 3:58 ░
░ 48:23 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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