Grand Unification (album)

Grand Unification
Studio album by Fightstar
Released	March 13 2006 April 17 2007
Recorded	2005
Genre	Alternative metal Progressive metal
Length	49:36
Label	Island Records
Producer	Colin Richardson
Professional reviews
Kerrang! NME
Fightstar chronology
They Liked You Better When You Were Dead (2005) Grand Unification (2006) One Day Son, This Will Be All Yours (2007)

Grand Unification is the debut album by British rock 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^[1] with the track "Lost Like Tears In The Rain" containing the last line, "It's Neon Genesis". The artwork also portrays scenes similar to that of the ruined cities in Evangelion

Contents 1 UK track listing 2 US/CA Release 3 US/CA track listing 4 Japanese track listing 5 Singles 6 Reception 7 Chart Performance 8 Personnel 8.1 Other Contributors 9 References 10 External links

UK track listing

1. "To Sleep"
2. "Grand Unification, Pt. I"
3. "Waste A Moment"
4. "Sleep Well Tonight"
5. "Paint Your Target"
6. "Build An Army"
7. "Here Again (Last Conversation)"
8. "Lost Like Tears In Rain"
9. "Open Your Eyes"
10. "Mono"
11. "Hazy Eyes"
12. "Grand Unification, Pt. II"
13. "Wake Up"

All Tracks Written by: Fightstar
B-Sides:

• "Until Then" from "Paint Your Target" CD Single
• "Cross Out The Stars" from "Paint Your Target" CD Single
• "Paint Your Target (Acoustic)" from "Paint Your Target" DVD Single
• "Take You Home" from "Grand Unification, Pt. I" DVD Single
• "Waste A Moment (Acoustic)" from "Grand Unification, Pt. I" CD Single
• "Days I Recall Being Wonderful" (Last Days of April Cover) from "Grand Unification, Pt. I" CD Single
• "Ghosts On 31" from "Waste A Moment" DVD Single
• "Call To Arms" from "Waste A Moment" CD Single
• "Fight For Us" from "Hazy Eyes" CD Maxi Single
• "Hazy Eyes (Live Acoustic)" from "Hazy Eyes" Download
• "Sleep Well Tonight (Live Acoustic)" from "Hazy Eyes" 7" Vinyl
• "She Drove Me To Daytime Television" (Funeral For A Friend Cover) from "Hazy Eyes" CD Single

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

1. "To Sleep"
2. "Grand Unification, Pt. I"
3. "Waste A Moment"
4. "Sleep Well Tonight"
5. "Paint Your Target"
6. "Build An Army"
7. "Here Again (Last Conversation)"
8. "Lost Like Tears In Rain"
9. "Open Your Eyes"
10. "Mono"
11. "Hazy Eyes"
12. "Grand Unification, Pt. II"
13. "Wake Up"
14. "Fight For Us"

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

Japanese track listing

1. "To Sleep"
2. "Grand Unification, Pt. I"
3. "Waste A Moment"
4. "Sleep Well Tonight"
5. "Paint Your Target"
6. "Build An Army"
7. "Here Again (Last Conversation)"
8. "Lost Like Tears In The Rain"
9. "Open Your Eyes"
10. "Mono"
11. "Hazy Eyes"
12. "Grand Unification, Pt. II"
13. "Wake Up"
14. "Call To Arms" (Japanese Bonus Track)
15. "Ghost On 31" (Japanese Bonus Track)
16. "Paint Your Target (Acoustic)" (Japanese Bonus Track)
17. "Grand Unification Part 1 (Acoustic)" (Japanese Bonus Track)

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

Singles

1. "Paint Your Target" released 13 June 2005
2. "Grand Unification, Pt. I" released 31 October 2005
3. "Waste A Moment" released 6 March 2006
4. "Hazy Eyes" released 5 June 2006

Reception

After facing much critism 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

Chart (2006)	Peak position[2]
UK Album Chart	28

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

• The Official Website of Fightstar
• The Official Website of Daniel Conway