BLACK NOISE

The first album by FM was only released for a short run on a special CBC record label, and only after the song "Phasers on Stun" became played frequently on some radio stations (after they had already released their second album) did this album get a proper release (on Passport records, which eventually went under). This is the quintessential FM album, and despite the difficult start, the best known, largely due to "Phasers on Stun". That song is really great, containing a progressive ethos but with some new wave electronica mixed in, it is understandable why it was played so often. The rest of the album is largely in the same vein, although with nothing quite so catchy as Phasers. The second side (of the vinyl) is the better one. "Dialing for Dharma", "Slaughter in Robot Village" and particularly the closing title track, "Black Noise", are great (indeed the title track is awesome). The other tracks are, well, middling, and were it not for being on this album would not likely garner much attention, although they are all pleasant enough. While this band only made a small mark on the history of music, even in Canada, this album stands as their most important testament to that mark. I give this album 7.1 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to 3 PA stars.

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