•
Rating:
Today we review "Grand Unification," debut album by Fightstar released in 2006.
But who are Fightstar? Perhaps some of you remember Busted, a very mediocre teen pop-punk band, who made the usual cheap tunes for teenage girls, selling millions of copies at the beginning of the millennium. The youngest and most talented member was Charlie Simpson, who had much greater musical ambitions. Around 2004, he unexpectedly decided to leave Busted, giving up on easy success and money, to form a band with which to make the music he truly deemed fitting for him, that is, heavy metal. Already this would be enough to make the guy my personal hero and to blindly sign a hypothetical petition to erect a monument for him.
Fightstar was formed in 2004 with Charlie Simpson on vocals, guitar, and piano; Alex Westaway on guitar and backing vocals; Omar Abidi on drums (both met by Simpson at a party) and Dan Haigh on bass. They debuted in 2005 with the EP "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead," which was released mainly, as the title suggests, to counter the wall of skepticism that had formed around the project, due to Simpson's musical past. The EP was a critical and public success.
In 2006, their debut was released. Defining the genre is difficult. Fightstar is usually grouped with that wave of post-hardcore/emo bands that has arisen in recent years, but this is extremely reductive. Their music incorporates orchestral elements (almost always a string section), a piano, acoustic parts, thrash riffs, falsetto vocals alternated with screamings and, more rarely, spoken word narrations. It would be more accurate to define them as an alternative metal band with strong hardcore influences and, especially in terms of atmospheres and pathos, progressive and post-rock. It's no coincidence that the group cites among its influences Deftones, Radiohead, Mono, and Explosions In The Sky (!).
The first thing you notice about the CD is the beautiful cover, which introduces us to the concept, namely the last day of life of two people aware that the world is about to end. The album opens with "To Sleep," an introduction just over a minute long that, between ethereal and subdued voices, perfectly welcomes us to what the listening will be.
The first real song is "Grand Unification pt.1," one of the singles, which already presents all the typical elements of Fightstar's sound. The song opens with a massive riff and then flows into a lighter part, where the pathos increases progressively until the final point where Simpson is accompanied by Westaway's second voice in screaming, which, I swear, gives me goosebumps. The part of the text reads:
If I wake up
On my own
If something happens
Please come home
And, as banal as it might be, it manages to be very moving. It continues with "Waste a Moment," a quieter song with fantastic choruses and a refrain that sticks in your head (I'm not asking for much, I'm not asking for anything...), it’s also the first where Simpson uses screaming. "Sleep Well Tonight" is one of the best songs on the record and one of the few that impress on the first listen, thanks to the intelligence with which the band alternates heavy parts with melodic arpeggios. "Paint Your Target" is the first single but also the song I like least, not because it’s bad, but simply because it’s less good than all the others. "Build An Army" starts with an arpeggio and then becomes appropriately intense to be considered the most metal track of the album, with a fierce Simpson showcasing a convincing scream; yet, despite this, it is not one of the best. The band bounces back greatly with the stunning "Here Again (Last Conversation)" which starts with a simple guitar, followed by the bass and drums before flowing into metal distortions and a wonderful chorus that Simpson sings with true belief:
It hasn't been perfect
For a long time
And now we're here again
In short, we’ll find ourselves singing along with him. For "Lost Like Tears In Rain," the same discourse made for "Sleep Well" and "Here Again" applies, a fantastic song, magnificently interpreted, vying for the best spot on the album. "Open Your Eyes" is beautiful but in my opinion too "standard" for a band like Fightstar. And now we arrive at what could objectively be the high point of the album, "Mono" (the name is a tribute to the Japanese band) is a song over six minutes long, containing an epic crescendo of emotions and pathos, and is undoubtedly the one most tied to prog and post-rock. A must-listen at least once in a lifetime. "Hazy Eyes" is pretty and catchy, but unfortunately, coming after "Mono," it pales in comparison. "Grand Unification pt.2" is perhaps the most challenging on the album, with narrated parts both at the beginning and the end (the voice is of a famous English physicist) and Simpson sweetly singing in falsetto accompanied only by the piano, before reaching the chorus (Hold my hand until the waves come, the waves come...).
"Wake Up" is the last song (note that the album opens with "To Sleep") and is partly sung by Westaway. The protagonist wakes up and, aware that the end is coming, gently shakes his partner (Simpson's pleasantly hypnotic voice whispering "wake up, wake up..."). There isn't much more to say, we remain on very high levels, as with everything we have listened to so far.
So, is "Grand Unification" a masterpiece? Personally, absolutely yes. Especially given the state of modern music, such an original band can only be beneficial. But then why hasn't it been heard of in Italy? The only review found (of the second album, "One Day Son, This Will Be All Yours," also amazing) is here on DeBaser, but on other sites, a cosmic void.
Perhaps we "alternative"/"expert musicians of nothing" should indulge less in fantasies about Gentle Giant or Van Der Graaf Generator albums and help new realities grow. Far be it from me to insult great bands that I adore and that have made history, but that belong to a past that will never return, unless we do something.
On October 16 of this year, the fourth by Fightstar, "Behind The Devil's Back," will be released after a long break due to Simpson's solo career.
I'm getting it, and you?
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Grand Unification, Part 1 (03:17)
Covered and coarse
I could wait my turn
Too pay them all back
So Original,
Let's take it all back
You could hide but I won't, how do you know?
I can't believe it!
Take it away!
One look and you'll never leave,
Cause this can't hold, us down.
If I wake up
On my own
If something happens
Please come home
Wake me up before you go.
If you never know
It can never hurt
As much as this does
It's so original
Let's make this all work
You can run but I won't, how do you know?
I can't believe it!
Take it away!
One look and you'll never leave,
Cause this won't hold us down.
If I wake up
On my own
If something happens
Please come home
Wake me up before you go on.
You can't hold us down
This won't hold us down
You can't hold us down
If you wake up
On your own
If something happens
Please come home
Wake me up before you go
I hope you're happy on your own
03 Waste a Moment (03:37)
I'm not asking for much,
I'm not asking for anything.
I'm alone and self-anaemic,
But sometimes you wake up,
If I could hold this hope inside my hands,
You'd understand they let us down.
I'm not asking for much,
I'm not asking for anything.
I won't waste a moment,
I won't waste a moment with fear.
We're alone or self-anaemic,
But sometimes we win,
I'm not asking for much,
I'm not asking for anything.
I won't watse a moment,
I won't watse a moment.
I could run,
I could run,
I could run,
I could run,
Let me go.
Just cover up your eyes,
So I can make sense of it all,
Waking me up,
Just shut your eyes,
So I can make sense of it all.
05 Paint Your Target (03:16)
You hide it everytime you move
impatience waits around for me
You dance under the question mark
without even trying
I'm just not sure it's gonna work
I'm just not sure it's gonna work
You can burn it all
Rally around the table
If you want to
Just to argue all the last scenes of us
You can end it all
I'm sorry enough to tell you
That i'm okay
and I'm never going to see you again
The killer's walking amongst us
Look around, they'll find your ashes
You cradle over your mistakes
and every heart you'll never break
I'm just not sure it's gonna work
I'm just not sure it's gonna work
You can burn it all
Rally around the table
If you want to
Just to argue all the last scenes of us
You can end it all
I'm sorry enough to tell you
That i'm okay
and I'm never going to see you again
You stumble, through questions
that you could never answer
That barrel is loaded
So go and Paint Your Target
So and again you stomp around
With beautiful faults
06 Build an Army (04:01)
We'll hold this off to build these machines.
Crush these empires to ashes and make them wonder.
Jjust look out of your window and you'll find us here,
We can make a stand to stop the uproars,
If you can fight in wars for that.
Crush these empires to ashes and make them wonder.
If you could give us answers now.
Help us to end all the suffering,
We'll clean the blood from all our eyes,
Take the rage away from us.
If you could give us answers now.
We could crush these empires to ashes and make them wonder.
I hope that I'm okay with all of this.
[Thanks to Andy (a.alexander11@gmail.com) for these lyrics]
08 Lost Like Tears in Rain (04:00)
I'm not from around here
I'll hold on to you but
I cant hold on to this day its all gone
waiting always untouched open
it cam down to save us and end us all
cause im under the outside
and over all
cause im a thousand miles away
and im out of oxygen
and im falling faster than id like to be
and im closer to the sky
than ill ever be to you again
find the exit signs and disappear
we were hated it seems we were all wrong
find me bleeding peacefulness
we looked up to lose our way again
cause im under the outside
and over all
cause im a thousand miles away
and im out of oxygen
and im falling faster than id like to be
and im closer to the sky
than ill ever be to you again
find the exit signs and disappear
somethings dont, somethings dont,
somethings dont, somethings dont,
change
fall
born from angels
lets start this all over again
with the same generation
born from angels
lets start this all over again
with the same declaration
born from angels,
lets start this all over again
with the same generation
it's neon-genesis.
10 Mono (06:24)
If time can break us down
And not keep us around
I wont wait
I wont mind
Not this time
I've started up the clocks
It's time I left behind
And everything we've lost, disappears
I'm calling, I'm calling out
For answers on the long walk home
I've started up the race
It's something I cant change
I'm calling, I'm calling out
For answers on the long walk hole
And now we're not the same
I'm running past the words
To finish up the faults
Cant come back
I wont wait
Wont live like that
I've started up the clocks
It's time I left behind
And everything we've lost, disappears
I'm calling, I'm calling out
For answers on the long walk home
I've started up the race
It's something I cant change
I'm calling, I'm calling out
For answers on the long walk home
And now we're not the same
I'll find myself once more again
I've started up the race
I'll find myself once more again
It's something I cant change
And now we're not the same
I cant help by myself again
11 Hazy Eyes (03:13)
I wish I knew where I came from
I wish I knew where I'd been
I don't need you
I don't need you
The lights are going down
Look at us we're fading out
It's been good to have you
The look across your face
Distorted, crushed and hazy eyed
Go fuck your white lies
You strung me all for this time
I won't wait, I won't wait
You dragged me back without mine
I won't fall down
I wish I knew where I came from
I wish I knew where I'd been
I don't need you
I don't need you
The lights are going down
Look at us we're fading out
It's been good to have you
The look across your face
Distorted, fucked and hazy eyed
Go fuck your white lies
Just look away
Oh..
And I'll be there
You find
13 Wake Up (04:38)
If you have the answers to all of my questions,
Why are you her,
Turn around, face me now,
I promise you they'll let you in.
I don't mean to make you so upset,
But the air is so thin and I'm losing sleep.
Blackened and unrested,
Replace your armour to make this stand.
Bring me round to let me down,
Take this for ever so I can sleep quiet,
I'll wait around to let you in,
What has begun.
I don't mean to make you so upset,
But the air is so thin and I'm losing sleep.
I don't mean to make you so upset,
But the air is so thin and I'm losing sleep.
Wake Up.
You laid me down to sleep.
Loading comments slowly
