''Grand Unification'' is the debut studio album by British
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
band
Fightstar, released on 13 March 2006 through
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
. Based upon the
''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise, ''Grand Unification'' was produced by
Colin Richardson and is considered a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
.
The
artwork
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
, drawn
digitally by Daniel Conway, portrays scenes similar to that of the ruined cities in ''Evangelion''.
It is also thought to believe the cover has taken influence from the song "Grand Unification Part 2" as the lyric "hold my hand until the waves come" and the cover features two persons holding hands waiting for what appears to be a flood. The lyrics are themed around
social commentary at the
end of the world, while the album's title refers to the ''Human Instrumentality Project''.
Preceded by the singles "
Paint Your Target" and "
Grand Unification Pt. I", the album debuted at number twenty eight on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and garnered positive critical reviews. Two further singles were released from the album, "
Waste a Moment" and "
Hazy Eyes"; the album was released over a year later in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
through
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American independent record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994. In 2010, the president of Trustkill, Josh Grabelle ...
.
Background and recording
After the release and promotion of debut EP ''
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead
''They Liked You Better When You Were Dead'' is the debut EP by English rock band Fightstar, released on 28 February 2005 through Sandwich Leg Records. The release proved a critical success, in spite of the cynics' initial expectations of the ...
'' (2005), the band were approached by their management with regards to whom they wanted to produce their debut full-length.
They requested
Colin Richardson, and although initially sceptical about their chances, Richardson agreed to collaborate after
demos
Demos may refer to:
Computing
* DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system
* DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR
* Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems
* plural for Demo (computer programming)
...
had been sent to the producer. The band explained, "As a producer, how he makes everything sound, the sound craft of what he does in the genre is so perfect. The production alone blows your fucking mind, never mind the music. We sent him the demos and our EP, and he got back to us in like a week. It's a dream come true for us."
The band entered studios in west London and
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
with Richardson during October 2005.
Richardson, who had previously produced albums for the likes of
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smith ...
,
Machine Head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
and
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. ...
, was particularly meticulous during pre-production, taking five days just tuning the drums.
However once recording had started, he praised the band for being "very focused" and that there was a "real buzz because nobody knows what to expect."
The band themselves referred to the sessions as "tone quests", detailing that they had been experimenting with the different
amps they had available, including those borrowed from friends. Bassist Dan Haigh explained, "We're currently on a mission to get the heaviest possible guitar sounds. We've got amps that were featured on records by
Carcass,
Arch Enemy and
SikTh, so there's a wealth of
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
history right there for us to tap into."
The band have stated that, when entering recording, they did not want to produce a "typical post-hardcore record".
Frontman
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
and co-lyricist
Charlie Simpson explained that "
ere's a
post-rock
Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
instrumental intro and a piano-led song. It flies through all these different sounds, but it's still in keeping with our style."
Simpson also explained that the band enjoy a shift in dynamics, often going from a heavy and aggressive style to soft and quiet passages during the same song.
Describing the evolution in sound from their debut EP, the band stated that ''Grand Unification'' is a lot "grander", both in terms of songs and production.
Second lyricist and lead guitarist
Alex Westaway spoke of the "dark" tone amongst many of the songs; "We really tried to veer away from the whole
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
thing. It's too easy to write in that vein and now there are too many bands doing it badly. Our songs became darker. We’re always trying to find the beauty of darkness. There's something fascinating about shaping shadows."
The band decided to
re-record three tracks that featured on their debut EP, those being "Hazy Eyes", "Lost Like Tears in Rain" and "Mono" (the latter is named in honour of the Japanese
band of the same name).
Upon completion of recording in December, Simpson stated, "We're so happy with what were doing. No matter how people perceive it when it comes out, we'll still be very proud and that's the most important thing."
Richardson was also "immensely proud" of the completed record, adding, "It's records like these that will go a long way to putting the
British scene back on the map. There's not a single weak song on it, and you can't say that about too many records these days. It's an album that will stand the test of time."
Concept and lyrics
''Grand Unification'' is a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
, which is influenced and based upon the
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series ''
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...
''. The lyrics are loosely based on the personal experiences of lyricists Charlie Simpson and Alex Westaway, but the basic concept revolves around two people who experience the last few days of life before the end of the world.
Westaway has explained that "
lationships and things we've actually experienced are involved, but the basic concept is about two people who experience the last few days of life as they know it before the world's ended. Neon Genesis and stuff. It's from a manga series called ''
Evangelion'', which is about angels that come down from heaven to wipe out human kind. It's related to that same kind of feeling, that only chosen people survive, and the world becomes a better place afterwards."
The album starts with sleeping and ends with waking up, portraying the subsequent events in between taking place in a
dream state
Dream State are a Welsh rock band from South Wales formed in 2014. They signed to Australian record label UNFD in 2017 and have released two EPs (their debut ''Consequences'' in 2015 and ''Recovery'' in 2018) as well as a studio album '' Primro ...
. The band have stated that because of this, they had more agency on a lyrical front, while the ethic of the subjects related to the modern day.
The single "
Waste a Moment" was written about the
2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings, often referred to as 7/7, were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamic terrorists in London that targeted commuters travelling on the city's public transport system during the mo ...
, which in the context of the album is told from a personal perspective, yet in a surreal setting.
The band have admitted though that the concept was not initially intended. Despite the fact that the track "Lost Like Tears in Rain" was lyrically based around the ''Evangelion'' story, the band only realised connections throughout the songs towards the end of recording.
The track "Lost Like Tears in Rain" contains the line "It's Neon Genesis" to support the band's interest in the
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series.
Simpson explained that "
starts with 'To Sleep' and ends with 'Wake Up', so it went in this big cycle. We never intended that to happen until we looked at the album and thought 'Oh, shit, it works like that'. That's the only way I would have done it. I wouldn't want to sit down and think, 'Let's write a concept record'. I was only happy because it naturally evolved."
Song meanings
All of the album's
artwork
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
was based upon the concept, with Haigh stating, "What we're doing is centered around hope and starting again, capturing things that are epic. All the videos, album and single artwork are going to be tied into this."
Haigh revealed that he had come across Daniel Conway's artwork after "trawling the internet looking for an artist". Haigh was immediately drawn to Conway because of the cohesion between his work and the album's lyrical and conceptual themes; "We’ve always been a visual band and I think people are going to realise that when they see the artwork. Dan Conway is the guy doing the artwork and he’s monumentally talented. His pictures already described our songs perfectly; it was as though he’d already been drawing them for us".
Reception
''Grand Unification'' was released on 13 March 2006 through Island. The band toured the UK in the same month. It was released in the US on 17 April 2007. After facing much scrutiny from the British
music press
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
during the band's emergence, ''Grand Unification'' was warmly received by the
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and
alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music:
*Alternative rock
*Alternative pop
*Alternative R&B
*Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul
*Alternative reggaeton
*Alternative hip hop
*Alternative dance
*Alternative metal
*Chris ...
circles.
Journalist Chris Long of
BBC Music wrote a favourable review and opined that "
ke no mistake, Fightstar are Charlie Simpson's proper grown-up band, a full-on rock machine. Bursting with energy and thrilling on several tunes, not least the dual powers of the split title track and the throbbing 'Paint Your Target', ''Grand Unification'' is a belting collection".
Sharon Mawar of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
was also complimentary in her review, awarding the album 3½ stars out of five; "
e album opens with a dreamy acoustic instrumental, 'To Sleep', and then the
feedback
Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handled ...
of Alex Westaway's guitar crashed in and the first part of 'Grand Unification' arrived. The second part, later in the album, had a spoken interlude and a softly sung melody over a chilled-out song, at least its first two minutes. Between the two parts was a hard rock album with heavy hitting guitar chords and screamed vocals. It's not quite as angry as
Slipknot, but not too far behind, either, although 'Build an Army' certainly sounds like a call to arms. If this was what Charlie Simpson had inside him, no wonder he wanted out of
Busted".
Rae Alexandra of ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' magazine awarded the album an "excellent" four K! score. He wrote: "Make no mistake that Simpson and co are very serious about this. 'Build an Army' lurches and rolls on enormous, sweeping riffs that the
Deftones would be proud of. 'Here Again (Last Conversation)' spins, splits and stabs, and wouldn't sound out of place on a
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential i ...
album. The gargantuan sprawl of six-minute epic 'Mono' showcases an awesome display of tunesmithery as it breathes and shifts from crescendo to crescendo. It really is difficult to find fault the Fightstar's music on any level. Unless, of course, your hell-bent on hating them for their frontman's former job".
The magazine's editor, Paul Brannigan, would late commend the album as "one of the best British rock albums of the past decade".
Andrew Kelham of ''
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, e ...
'' magazine gave a score of 9/10 and described the album as "a shockingly impressive debut that makes the naysayers look utterly foolish". He praised the band for maintaining a "fresh ground", despite wearing their influences on their sleeves. "After a delicate,
Mogwai
Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogw ...
-tinged start, the album thrusts to life, unveiling anthem after anthem – 'Waste a Moment' and 'Build an Army' are fiendish and addictive, while 'Sleep Well Tonight' is an immediate classic. Soon you realise that there isn't going to be a dip in quality, and that's that: the past is rendered irrelevant and stupid, and Charlie's a bloody hero."
MusicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
writer Vik Bansal also gave a favourable review, awarding the album four stars. Although he was disappointed with the exclusion of debut single "
Palahniuk's Laughter
"Palahniuk's Laughter" is the debut single by English band Fightstar, released as a promotional video in January 2005.
It is featured on their debut extended play, ''They Liked You Better When You Were Dead'' and is the first song on the UK v ...
", he praised the band for showcasing varied dynamics: "Where others are happy to be one-dimensional, Fightstar are not content unless a song moves fluidly through seemingly incongruous but ultimately coherent moods and musical dynamics. The interspersion of thoroughly heavy metal sections within the otherwise widescreen rock of 'Grand Unification Pt. I' and 'Sleep Well Tonight' encapsulates this perfectly". He later added, "And so endeth the lesson. Pop can turn to rock. Dark can be made light. Bad can become good. Time to go out and spread the good news."
''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine also offered high praise and rated the album at 8/10, commenting "rather brilliant",
while Scottish publication ''
The Fly'' gave a maximum five star rating and praised the album as "one of the 21st century's ultimate rock debuts".
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Grand Unification'' credits.
Fightstar
*
Charlie Simpson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar,
keys
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
,
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...
*
Alex Westaway – lead guitar, vocals, lyrics
*
Dan Haigh – bass guitar, design
* Omar Abidi – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
* Lucy Wilkins – violin
* Sally Herbert – violin
* Oli Langford –
viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
* Ian Burdge – cello
Production
*
Colin Richardson – producer,
mixing
* Matt Hyde –
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
* Daniel Conway –
artwork
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
*
John McMurtrie – photography
* Craig Jennings –
A&R
Charts
Release history
References
External links
Official website of FightstarOfficial website of Daniel Conway
{{Authority control
2006 debut albums
Fightstar albums
Science fiction concept albums
Island Records albums
Trustkill Records albums
Albums produced by Colin Richardson
Neon Genesis Evangelion