It’s been six years since Fightstar went on hiatus. Six whole years without any new music from the London quartet. That’s about 2,190 days and that’s way too long for them to have taken off. But, to be fair, frontman Charlie Simpson has experienced huge success from his solo venture, which saw his latest album ‘Long Road Home’ become his second top ten UK album.
But he’s now found his way back to Fightstar and with that, the creation of ‘Behind the Devil’s Back’, produced by Carl Brown and their fourth studio album to date.
A plethora of dark, haunting riffs open up ‘Sharp Tongue’, a roaring, crashing track that’s full of delicious energy. ‘Murder All Over’ sees Charlie’s vocals simply shine through; it’s a sheer delight to hear him compete against spiky riffs and furious drum work once again.
Single ‘Animal’ sees plaintive cries of “Kill me now ‘cause I’m an animal/Free me now ‘cause I’m an animal” being delivered with finesse and ease, complete with some sneaky synths, while ‘Overdrive’ is a staggering track, stuffed full of slick riffs that are simmering with unadulterated power. Then there’s ‘More Human Than Human’, an effortlessly graceful and polished track – it soars among the elephantine riffs that Fightstar deliver so well, and wouldn’t look at all out of place in an arena.
Title track ‘Behind the Devil’s Back’ is a brutal crush of speed, aggression, and razor-sharp riffs, before transcending into a melodic chorus. ‘Titan’ comes fully equipped with an arsenal of monolithic riffs and colossal drum work, while ‘Swim With the Snakes’ is filled with melodious hooks and a memorable chorus, rounded off with guttural, unclean vocals. Signing off with ‘Drive’, this beautifully loud and imposing track is a fantastic end to this monster of an album.
From start to finish, Fightstar have created tracks that blister and burn with fiery energy; what Fightstar have created in ‘Behind the Devil’s Back’ is a breathless fury. Sharp riffs greet listeners at every turn, while each track displays their breath-taking and awe-inspiring talent. Never mind the Devil; behind our very own backs, Fightstar have matured and created an album that draws influence from their older material, whilst still looking steadfastly to the future for their next move.
Fightstar are back and damn, are they back in fine style.
JESS TAGLIANI