Review Summary: Fightstar proves "Busted" is a thing of the past, with their melodic, accessible debut of an album. The song "Mono" might be the highlight of their short career so far.
It was a couple years ago when I was checking out bands from the Britain/Wales area. I had always been into Scandinavian bands like In Flames and Soilwork, and I was also really into Lostprophets back then as well. Well, I happened to find a band called Fightstar. From the small bit of info I had on them, I knew of Fightstar's association with Busted, a generic pop/punk band. Now, I liked that kind of music too, but I felt the genre had been overwrought with genericness. So I gave them a chance. I listened to "We Apologise For Nothing" and I was kind of indifferent about it.
But recently (earlier this year) I gave them another chance. It was the song "Paint Your Target" and surprisingly, I was hooked.
It hasn't stopped since; I like pretty much everything they have put out.
Of Fightstar's three albums (and the excellent debut EP) this one is assuredly my favorite. It's the rawest album of their career, mainly due to the stigma that was Busted. It's a story (in musical form) of a band trying to shake their doubters and establish themselves as a band to be taken seriously. This is where it all began...
One of Fightstar's strong points is the atmosphere and emotions they create in their songs, similar to bands like Deftones and Hopesfall. Also, they have a penchant for long, epic songs, such as "Mono."
Lyrically, they are pretty solid. There's not really any cliche lines or sentiments to be found here, which makes them a much stronger band than they appear on the surface. And hooks...they know how to write a catchy chorus. They are not a one-dimensional band when it comes to emotions, often shifting multiple times in a song.
Of the 13 songs on this album, there are several that stand out. "Paint Your Target" has serious hitmaking potential (as much as a band of this genre could have, but Fightstar is very popular in Europe.) and is probably a great start for the uninitiated. "Mono" is my favorite song on the album. It starts off slow, and picks up speed until the end, where there are soaring melodic vocals and guitars. "Waste A Moment" shows off the band's propensity for solid guitars and a nice bassline. (post-hardcore music of this ilk is notorious for having inaudible bass.) The end of the song, though, is where the aggressive side of Fightstar shows off.
"Run, I can run, I can run,
Let me go!"
Other songs worth mentioning are "Grand Unification, Part 1", "Lost like Tears In Rain", and "Hazy Eyes", which all feature excellent choruses.
There are a couple drawbacks to this album, though they don't take away from the album experience in general. For me, I wish it were a little heavier. (Fightstar's next two albums had a few more songs that were full-on explosive, like Deathcar, Damocles, and Tanhauser Gate)
Also, "Grand Unification, Part 2" isn't a spectacular song, more of a spoken-word/narration piece, but it's essential to the concept album that Grand Unification is (it's based on the Neon Genesis Evangelion series.)
Charlie Simpson's voice takes a bit of getting used to, at least it did for me.
Overall, this is my favorite Fightstar album. Excellent atmosphere, emotion, solid lyrics, great musicianship, and superb vocal performances by Charlie and Alex: proving that Busted is in the past, and Fighstar has a very bright future.
Recommended songs: Mono, Grand Unification Part 1, Paint Your Target (really cool music video, too) Waste A Moment, and Sleep Well Tonight.
The Good: No weak songs, solid lyrics, top-notch vocals.
The bad: Might not impress anyone who doesn't like post-hardcore.
