A fine set of songs that anyone who loves good music will adore.

When it comes to doing reviews there are two ways that they can go and that's easy or hard. Easy because you know after only a few listens that you're going to like what you're hearing, or hard because no matter what time and effort you put into to the album that you're reviewing, you know you're never going to get what's going on.

Shadowman fall happily into the first category and that I suppose is down to my abiding love for the real voice of music, Steve Overland, who (and I've said it many times) could sing the phone book from A-Z and I'd enjoy it. However, that is only part of Shadowman's charm because without the collaboration of the other Steve (Morris, Heartland), Harry James and Chris Childs (Thunder), this band would fall flat on its arse. It takes the two Steve's combined song-writing talents and the two other musicians to make Shadowman a band, and it's this combination that helps the songs on this – their fifth studio release 'Secret And Lies' – to shine through. For all FM fans, it's worth noting that the guest keyboard player on this release is the legend that is Didge Digital who does a magnificent job throughout.

As for the songs, 'Gravity,' the Bluesy Rockers 'Automatic' and 'Broken Bones', the classy ballad 'Put It All On Love', 'No Smoke Without Fire', the stunning 'Face The Night' and the AOR giant that is 'Best Things In Life' all showcase a band who, despite the fact they don't get together that often, are so comfortable with each other that they slip into writing playing and recording wonderful Rock music with consummate ease.

Shadowman have recorded a fine set of songs that anyone who loves good music will adore. Okay, I'll admit that they won't change the world with this album or re-define the genre, but why should they? This is Classic Rock for the 21st century and long may Overland, Morris, Childs and James continue to release albums such as this.

Ian Johnson