Album Review: Fightstar – Behind The Devil’s Back

Fightstar is back after a 5 year hiatus and various side projects with From The Devil’s Back. Charlie Simpson had his solo project and Westaway and Haigh formed Gunship. It wasn’t till last year that the band reunited and decided to finally make the next album. After hearing this album, it feels like they never left. Everyone is still playing at their best, giving everything they got. However, the years apart and the different projects have only improved the band’s songwriting skills. From The Devil’s Back could be very well be considered their best.

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Genre: Post Hardcore
Label: Independent
Release: October 16, 2015
Connect: Facebook
Purchase: iTunes
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The album starts off heavy with the song Sharp Tongue. This sets up what the album is about, heavy instruments full of Alt Metal riffs backed up by Charlie Simpson’s soaring vocals. You can tell how Fightstar has been influenced by bands like Deftones in this song, and the album as a whole. The different side projects have also had an impact on the album, with the album employing synths into many songs, inspired by members Westaway and Haigh’s work in Gunship. The time apart from the band has also made Charlie Simpson’s songwriting stronger, employing catchy hooks into songs like Overdrive.

Fightstar | Overdrive | Behind the Devil’s Back

‘Overdrive’ from our new album ‘Behind the Devil’s Back’. Pre-order now on iTunes and receive track ‘Overdrive’ today http://smarturl.it/BTDBiTunes Follow Fightstar: https://www.facebook.com/fightstarmusic https://www.twitter.com/fightstarmusic https://www.instagram.com/fightstar_m… Spotify: http://smarturl.it/SharpTongueSpotify Apple Music: http://smarturl.it/SharpTougueApple Director: Shane Davey www.Fightstarmusic.com

Speaking about Overdrive, one of the softest tracks on the album, features a catchy chorus and no screams which makes it perfect for the band to push to the radio. The song More Human Than Human, a rather slow song, features guitarist Alex Westaway taking up full vocal duties, which helps break up the flow and make the song distinct from all the others. Murder All Over is a song that features both Al & Charlie singing over a synth filled background that transitions into a small heavy instrumental part before it dives into the chorus. The album is full of catchy choruses. A highlight of the album is Titan, a song that starts off with minimal drumming and an atmospheric background as it crescendos into screams and the Alt Metal riffs that courses throughout the album. Titan is Fightstar at their best.

Fightstar | Sharp Tongue

Sharp Tongue from our new album ‘Behind the Devil’s Back’. Pre-order now on iTunes and receive track ‘Sharp Tongue’ today http://smarturl.it/BTDBiTunes Follow Fightstar: https://www.facebook.com/fightstarmusic https://www.twitter.com/fightstarmusic https://www.instagram.com/fightstar_music Spotify: http://smarturl.it/SharpTongueSpotify Apple Music: http://smarturl.it/SharpTougueApple

It’s amazing how the hiatus has not slowed the band down, it almost feels like they never left at all. The songs still feel like Fightstar, but reinvigorated with 5 years of new experiences that improve on what Fightstar has built over the years. The band here is definitely at their best . This is one of their best albums, if not the best, and shows how comeback albums should be done.