Grand Unification is the debut studio album by British post-hardcore band Fightstar, released on 13 March 2006 through Island Records. Based upon the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, Grand Unification was produced by Colin Richardson and is considered a concept album. The artwork, drawn digitally by Daniel Conway, portrays scenes similar to that of the ruined cities in Evangelion. It is also thought to believe the cover has taken influence from the song "Grand Unification Part 2" as the lyric "hold my hand until the waves come" and the cover features two persons holding hands waiting for what appears to be a flood. The lyrics are themed around social commentary at the end of the world, while the album's title refers to the Human Instrumentality Project.
Preceded by the singles "Paint Your Target" and "Grand Unification Pt. I", the album debuted at number twenty eight on the UK Albums Chart and garnered positive critical reviews. Two further singles were released from the album, "Waste a Moment" and "Hazy Eyes"; the album was released over a year later in North America through Trustkill Records.
Background and recording
{ { quote box|width=25%|align=left|bgcolor=lavender|quote= "We tend to blend really heavy stuff with much more mellow, atmospheric sounds. We love the whole dynamic of really, really heavy, and then - within the same song - really, really chilled out and quiet." |source=Charlie Simpson describing the sound of Grand Unification.}} After the release and promotion of debut EP They Liked You Better When You Were Dead (2005), the band were approached by their management with regards to whom they wanted to produce their debut full-length. They requested Colin Richardson, and although initially sceptical about their chances, Richardson agreed to collaborate after demos had been sent to the producer. The band explained, "As a producer, how he makes everything sound, the sound craft of what he does in the genre is so perfect. The production alone blows your fucking mind, never mind the music. We sent him the demos and our EP, and he got back to us in like a week. It's a dream come true for us."
The band entered studios in west London and Surrey with Richardson during October 2005. Richardson, who had previously produced albums for the likes of Funeral for a Friend, Machine Head and Fear Factory, was particularly meticulous during pre-production, taking five days just tuning the drums. However once recording had started, he praised the band for being "very focused" and that there was a "real buzz because nobody knows what to expect." The band themselves referred to the sessions as "tone quests", detailing that they had been experimenting with the different amps they had available, including those borrowed from friends. Bassist Dan Haigh explained, "We're currently on a mission to get the heaviest possible guitar sounds. We've got amps that were featured on records by Carcass, Arch Enemy and SikTh, so there's a wealth of metal history right there for us to tap into."
The band have stated that, when entering recording, they did not want to produce a "typical post-hardcore record". Frontman and co-lyricist Charlie Simpson explained that "[T]here's a post-rock instrumental intro and a piano-led song. It flies through all these different sounds, but it's still in keeping with our style." Simpson also explained that the band enjoy a shift in dynamics, often going from a heavy and aggressive style to soft and quiet passages during the same song. Describing the evolution in sound from their debut EP, the band stated that Grand Unification is a lot "grander", both in terms of songs and production.