FM - Heroes and Villains

British melodic hard rock masters FM do it again on their 9th studio album. Outstanding, boys.Good melodic hard rock is one of those things that's harder to find than you'd think, but when you do it's like comfort food (banana pudding, anyone?). The reason pop songs are so pervasive is that everybody loves a good melody; they're catchy and they stick around long after the song ends playing over and over in your head. And melodic hard rock adds the satisfying crunch of guitar and amazing lead work that tips it in the net for metal fans with a sweet tooth.

Such it is with Britain's FM, who've been kicking around for 30 years. And while Heroes and Villains is only their ninth studio album, they sound better than ever - which is in no small part due to guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick's tasteful solos and the band's lush harmonies behind lead singer Steve Overland's fantastic voice. This is the stuff, people.

As far as actual songs, it's solid, mid-tempo goodness reminiscient of bands like Sweden's Nation (one of my favorites) from back in the 90s. To say this music is "by the numbers" - which equates to formulaic - would be pejorative in most cases. But I say that in the sense of a well-trained group of professionals that know their roles and what's expected of them, hitting their marks with a precision and fluidity that's impressive.

The Bottom Line: FM may not be new kids on the block, but their sound is as vital as ever in the genre. Steve Overland's solid, powerful vocals are the frosting on this melodic hard rock cake, and Jim Kirkpatrick's guitar work is the sprinkles. Cut me a big slice of that, please.

Tracks to Go Full Tom Cruise To When No One's Looking: Digging Up The Dirt, Fire And Rain, Call On Me, and Shape I'm In

- Genghis would love to see this guys rock a small club...