Which naughty person convinced Charlie Simpson that it'd be a good idea to leave Busted for Fightstar? Huh? Whaddya mean 'he decided himself'? He decided of his own accord to leave a hugely successful, half-decent pop trio for a limp, terribly inferior emo-rock band? Ho-hum. Whatever about Charlie's musical predilections, there's no denying that his throaty growl is endearing and effective, and perhaps even suited to a harder sound. Post-hardcore enthusiasts will be enamoured with Fightstar; following in the footsteps of acts such as Hell Is For Heroes and Funeral for a Friend, the quartet's collection of angry screamers and bristling, angst-laden lyrics provide the characteristic soundtrack to a teenage moshpit. Most songs either start well before succumbing to the scream's of Alex Westaway's 'demented Gremlin' impression (Waste A Moment, Paint Your Target) or start badly and end worse (Build An Army).What remains of the wreckage is a brace of softer, more melodic and infinitely better songs (Open Your Eyes, Lost Like Tears In The Rain).These tracks, devoid of the grating, chugging worn-out riffs, cliched lyrics ('Crush your empires to ashes'?!) and forced gurgles suggest that Fightstar have a lesson in originality to grasp if they're to go anywhere. Grand Unification may be ample fodder for those passionate about teen emo, but its timeworn predictability and lack of substance is unrewarding in every way possible. It's not too late, Charlie, surely..
