Fightstar’s road to success has been quite an interesting one. Initially formed when then-Busted guitarist/vocalist Charlie Simpson wanted a new outlet to satisfy some of his creative outlets that weren’t a fit for the band. To realize the gravity of this situation, consider that Busted was a band who, at the height of their popularity in the UK in the early 2000s, were starting to sell out venues like the Wembley Arena – a capacity of 12,500 people. Yes, this was one of the bigger pop-rock bands of the day, but creatively, it stifled Simpson’s creativity.
After releasing a successful EP soon after leaving Busted, Charlie Simpson, Alex Westaway, Dan Haigh, and Omar Abidi went on to debut with Grand Unification, released on March 13th, 2006. To say it was quite the statement is, well, an understatement. For those who ever doubted that Charlie Simpson could make such a transition, songs like the epic “Mono” and the album’s frame of reference on “Lost Like Tears In Rain” displayed a diverse mixture of post-hardcore, alt-rock, and alternative metal with distinct melodies. Since the album’s release, they’ve expanded on this album’s sound with three more full-length albums – notably 2015’s Behind The Devil’s Back, which may be the best distillation of their distinct sound. Even though the band’s influences are clear (especially Deftones, but also a bit from bands like Funeral For A Friend), they created a sound that was notable right from the outset. The cool thing about this record is that it took a huge risk, mainly by making it a concept album about the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. A vital record, really.
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