Grand Unification (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Grand Unification
Type = Album
Artist = Fightstar


Released = flagicon|United Kingdom March 13 2006
flagicon|United States April 17 2007
Recorded = 2005
Length = 49:36
Label = Island
Producer = Colin Richardson
Reviews =
*Kerrang! Rating|4|5
*Ultimate-Guitar rating-10|9
*NME rating-10|8
Last album = "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead"
(2005)
This album = "Grand Unification"
(2006)
Next album = "One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours"
(2007)Singles
Name = Grand Unification
Type = Studio
single 1 = Paint Your Target
single 1 date = June 13 2005
single 2 = Grand Unification, Pt. I
single 2 date = October 31 2005
single 3 = Waste A Moment
single 3 date = March 6 2006
single 4 = Hazy Eyes
single 4 date = June 5 2006

"Grand Unification" is the first full length album by British post-hardcore quartet Fightstar. It was released on 19 March 2006.

This album is considered a concept album about sleep by many fans. (The opening track being "To Sleep" and the closing song, "Wake Up") There is also discussion amongst fans that the album is about the end of the world. The writing has supposedly been inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion ["GIG Fightstar", by Beth Pearson, from The Herald, March 16, 2006, GOING OUT; Pg. 2] with the track "Lost Like Tears In Rain" containing the last line, "It's Neon Genesis". The artwork also portrays scenes similar to that of the ruined cities in "Evangelion"

4 tracks from their debut album were re-recorded for the final track listing. These were, "Hazy Eyes", "Mono", "Paint Your Target" and "Lost Like Tears In Rain".

Track listing

# "To Sleep" - 1:38
# "Grand Unification, Pt. I" - 3:19
# "Waste A Moment" - 3:39
# "Sleep Well Tonight" - 4:15
# "Paint Your Target" - 3:18
# "Build An Army" - 4:03
# "Here Again (Last Conversation)" - 3:16
# "Lost Like Tears In Rain" - 4:02
# "Open Your Eyes" - 4:09
# "Mono" - 6:26
# "Hazy Eyes" - 3:15
# "Grand Unification, Pt. II" - 3:58
# "Wake Up" - 4:38

All Tracks Written by: Fightstar

B-sides

;"Paint Your Target"
*"Until Then" – 4:40
*"Cross Out The Stars" – 5:02
*"Paint Your Target (Acoustic)" - 3:12;"Grand Unification Pt. I"
*"Take You Home" – 3:21
*"Waste A Moment (Acoustic)" – 3:25
*"Days I Recall Being Wonderful" (Last Days of April Cover) - 4:24;"Waste A Moment"
*"Ghosts On 31" – 3:51
*"Call To Arms" - 3:59
*"Minerva (Acoustic)" (Deftones Cover) - 3:33;"Hazy Eyes"
*"Fight For Us" - 4:07
*"Hazy Eyes (Live Acoustic)" - 3:34
*"Sleep Well Tonight (Live Acoustic)" - 3:46
*"She Drove Me To Daytime Television" (Funeral For A Friend Cover) - 3:34

US/CA Release

On April 17th 2007, Fightstar released Grand Unification, this time on Trustkill Records, in USA and Canada. The track listing is exactly the same as the UK's except it Includes the track Fight For Us, previously unreleased, however was part of the Hazy Eyes Single.

US/CA track listing

# "To Sleep" - 1:38
# "Grand Unification, Pt. I" - 3:19
# "Waste A Moment" - 3:39
# "Sleep Well Tonight" - 4:15
# "Paint Your Target" - 3:18
# "Build An Army" - 4:03
# "Here Again (Last Conversation)" - 3:16
# "Lost Like Tears In Rain" - 4:02
# "Open Your Eyes" - 4:09
# "Mono" - 6:26
# "Hazy Eyes" - 3:15
# "Grand Unification, Pt. II" - 3:58
# "Wake Up" - 4:38
# "Fight For Us" - 4:07

The Album was released in Japan as well as the UK with a slightly different track listing, which is as follows:

Japanese track listing

# "To Sleep" - 1:38
# "Grand Unification, Pt. I" - 3:19
# "Waste A Moment" - 3:39
# "Sleep Well Tonight" - 4:15
# "Paint Your Target" - 3:18
# "Build An Army" - 4:03
# "Here Again (Last Conversation)" - 3:16
# "Lost Like Tears In Rain" - 4:02
# "Open Your Eyes" - 4:09
# "Mono" - 6:26
# "Hazy Eyes" - 3:15
# "Grand Unification, Pt. II" - 3:58
# "Wake Up" - 4:38
# "Call To Arms" (Japanese Bonus Track) - 3:59
# "Ghost On 31" (Japanese Bonus Track) - 3:51
# "Paint Your Target (Acoustic)" (Japanese Bonus Track)- 3:12
# "Grand Unification Part 1 (CD-ROM Music Video)" (Japanese Bonus Track) - 3:00

Both versions of the album were released through Charlie Simpson's Sandwich Leg Records.

Reception

After facing much criticism from the British music press in the band's early days, "Grand Unification" gained high praise and critical acclaim from the Rock press. Kerrang! gave it KKKK stating "stunning post-hardcore", while NME gave it 8/10 commenting "rather brilliant"

Chart Performance

Personnel

* Charlie Simpson - vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
* Alex Westaway — vocals, Guitar
* Dan Haigh — Bass Guitar
* Omar Abidi — drums, percussion

Other Contributors

* Produced by Colin Richardson
* Engineered by Matt Hyde
* Mixed by Colin Richardson
* Recorded at The Chapel (Lincolnshire), Jacobs (Surrey) and Town House Studios (London)
* Artwork by Daniel Conway

References

External links

* [http://www.fightstarmusic.com The Official Website of Fightstar]
* [http://www.artofconway.com/ The Official Website of Daniel Conway]