j o n f

The least well known of the major Canadian progressive rock groups (including Rush, Saga and Klaatu), FM produced a classic in Black Noise comparable in quality to any work by any of those other, more successful bands. FM's recipe for success consisted of tight playing on a wide variety on conventional and unconventional instruments, sparse but compelling vocals and a knack for great melodies. FM consisted of a trio of musicians: Cameron Hawkins on lead vocals, bass guitar and synthesizer, Martin Deller on drums and Nash the Slash on electric violins and mandolin. In addition, each musician plays other instruments throughout the work, which can give you an idea of the level of chops that these fellows had. The result is a varied and lush sound that carries the instrumentals as easily as the vocal-orientated pieces. Hawkins' synthesizer is simply magnificent as he generates the spacey-sounding accompaniment to his (primarily) science fiction lyrics. Hawkins' lyrics may turn off some listeners at first, as three of the eight songs ("One O'Clock Tomorrow," "Journey," "Aldebaran") deal with intergalactic travel and several others touch upon related fantastic themes. Notable tracks on Black Noise include: "Slaughter in Robot Village," a wonderful percussion-orientated instrumental that tells the story behind it as easily as any lyrics would "Black Noise," the mini-epic of the album and, in my opinion, is the only piece that goes on too long; "Phasors on Stun," the rocking opening track (despite its title, this last piece has nothing to do with Star Trek). Another interesting piece is "One O'Clock Tomorrow," which changes at the three-minute mark into a remarkable Beach Boys pastiche. If you enjoy more rock-orientated progressive music and can tolerate some science fiction in your songs, I'd definitely recommend this one. FM seem to have struck a fine balance between experimentation and good old rock and roll here, creating a minor classic along the way. review by Jon Fry — undated —

s e a n

Black Noise was the first album by Canadian trio FM. The band lineup here featured Cameron Hawkins on keys and vocals, Martin Deller on drums and Nash the Slash on violin and mandolin. The music is generally in the accessible vein, rhythmically conventional and consonant. The album gets some non-standard rock tones, however, from the use of violin and mandolin instead of a guitar (there is a little bit of bass here and there, played by Hawkins, but it's almost not noticeable). The lyrics are kind of campy, mostly dealing with futuristic and utopian themes. This overall space-ace feel is enhanced by the absolute crystal-clean production of the CD (mine is the Canadian CBC issue), one case where this approach really works. There are eight tunes here, and they are mostly on the short side. Those tracks featuring vocals are often fairly poppy in nature, with some pretty vocal harmonies. Nash the Slash gets some vocal credits, but I suspect many of the harmonies are actually Hawkins multi-tracked. Hawkins' voice is pleasant and clear, soft but not wimpy. There are some instrumentals that get busier and approach fusion territory in parts thanks to the violin work, although that superficial space vibe is omnipresent. Finally there is the requisite "epic prog" track, the ten-minute title track at the end. Although featuring a somewhat anti-climatic ending, it generally delivers the goods. In all, this is not a very challenging album, but it is a pleasant listen safe in the symphonic camp and would certainly be appreciated by fans in that sphere. review by Sean McFee — undated —

j o e

FM was a trio hailing as part of the low-key Canadian prog scene of the 70s, out of which only Rush managed to garner high-profile success. Today, Black Noise can best be viewed as both a strong torch carrying the fading embers of late-decade prog and as a presage of the early new wave that would explode a few years away in the beginning years of the 80s decade. What's interesting is the various echoes of other bands one can hear in Black Noise; and yet, FM does not sound like a reproduction of any of them. Particularly, I hear a lot of Yes circa Drama and 90125. "Phasors on Stun" and "One O'Clock Tomorrow" sound very much like something Chris Squire would write and vocalist Cameron Hawkins at times sounds like Trevor Horn. Also, "Journey" sounds like an upbeat Trevor Rabin number. The instrumentals penned by Martin Deller, whose drumming style reminds me of Andy Ward of Camel, are perhaps the most full-fledged prog offerings on the album. Other bands you might hear traces of as you listen: U.K. (the band they most resemble instrumentally), Klaatu, and Rush. Anyway, this is a very enjoyable album, striking just the right blend between prog and the accessible (and soon dominant) pop of the era, with the emphasis shifting depending on the song in question. review by Joe McGlinchey — undated —