Album Rating: 2.5

New song is blah.

Album Rating: 1.0

Breaking news: Gimmick Music Industry Plant Releases More Horrible Slop

Album Rating: 2.5

When it’s been a decade since the last Fightstar album you gotta have some hope.

Album Rating: 1.5

yeah I don’t see that happening fam, which does suck but funny enough I only got into them because of this fucking nonsense.



So that’s a win, great band.

Album Rating: 3.5

I just don't understand what makes this an "industry plant" any more than Fightstar was... a well known musician starts a new band and it's easier for them to get attention because he's already well known and trusted by promoters, there's nothing odd about that



I perfectly understand people might not like the music or the mask gimmick, but I find the plant accusation bizarre. The singles and EP were even self released and they only signed to a label for the new single after their initial success

Album Rating: 1.0

They got booked for Download festival without having released a single song. I think that says enough.

Album Rating: 2.5

It's actually pretty straightforward when you look at the differences between how each situation played out.

In the early/mid 2000s, Charlie Simpson was a key member of one of the most successful pop rock / boybands of their time - they had a massive fanbase, their first album was one of the best selling albums of 2003, and their second album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number two behind Michael Jackson... which won that top spot by less than 600 copies.

For him to then decide to split from his massively successful pop rock band and start up a post-hardcore/emo/metal outfit, especially at a time when when all of the alternative crowd absolutely fucking despised the kind of music that Busted/Mcfly were making, was a massive risk. Nobody thought this was going to work, they all expected it to be terrible.

The only thing that made all the difference between Fightstar's success and what everybody assumed would be an embarrassing failure, was the fact that the music was actually REALLY good. Their debut EP 'They Liked You Better When You Were Dead' came as a massive surprise to everyone, and their debut album 'Grand Unification' only further cemented that fact. Fightstar was an example of success when everyone assumed their music would be awful, and would most likely disband after a few years of desperately trying to be "taken more seriously" in a scene that can be notorious for gatekeeping and pre-judgement.

Sure, Charlie Simpson had connections and they definitely helped - but no one actually thought this project would go anywhere. Fightstar EARNED their following by working hard and proving everyone wrong, not by predetermined favouritism.

President is the opposite of that. They've been handed "success" on a silver platter, their socials frankly reek of high budget/resources, and they were getting booked into huge gigs (Download) before even a single song had been released - and yet they claim to have had no help and it was all "DIY". How does a band with no industry connections (and no actual music yet) manage to secure a slot at what is literally the biggest UK rock festival of the entire country?

He stated in an interview that “people find it hard to accept that something can just explode organically," and yet he also hides the fact that he clearly used his position within the industry (and his previous success within the genre with Fightstar) by claiming to be anonymous with no help from anyone.

That's not organic. That's manufactured.

Album Rating: 3.5

FS did have to earn respect more, but they still got Palahniuk’s Laugher on music video channels and were on mainstream tv from the start, which obviously doesn’t happen with most rock band’s first single… that was the 2005 equivalent to what happened this time with their professional socials and the festival booking.



The fact they got the Download booking before music appeared was obviously because they knew it was him and what it was going to be like, but that’s also why Palahniuk’s Laughter got tv from the start and the EP got the attention no other debut from a rock band would.



I don’t think the FS move was a plant either, I just don’t see a massive difference between them. Both are due to him being well known before, he’s obviously not literally on his own but both bands are clearly driven by him and I don’t think there’s some massive corporate conspiracy to expose

Album Rating: 2.5

Fair points, but it still doesn't explain why he's hell bent on trying to masquerade as some unknown anonymous singer of a band that supposedly does everything on their own - especially when all of the evidence points to the fact that this literally isn't the case. Actively masking your blatant advantages or benefactors behind a veil of "DIY" and "organic" success is pretty disingenuous.

Regardless of comparable Fightstar promotion, at least Fightstar was honest about who their singer was.

At least sleeptoken had a somewhat organic origin. This shit just screams the plant thing

Album Rating: 4.5

Main stage at Download next, here comes more hate haha. I’m seeing them in April, can’t wait. It will be my 9th time seeing Charlie live, yeah I’m a huge fan.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Glad the vocal effects are a lot more toned down on the new one, and a bit more melancholic. In The Name of the Father was the best song on this EP cause it leaned more into the melancholy as well.

Album Rating: 3.5

this band sucks, that being said i still like them and will check the new single

Album Rating: 1.5

Respect ✊

For all who enjoy: Do your thing!!!
Alls i ask is dont do what the music media does to this band and try to convince us they and sleeptoken are the next coming of music jesus

https://youtu.be/NhD3HC1jUeA?si=JZ1LQCozQocOl_qh

New track

Album Rating: 2.0

"Glad the vocal effects are a lot more toned down" (2)

New song is a lot better than anything from this just because of that alone

Im a sucker for Charlies voice and now that they let it shine it makes it a lot more tolerable

Album Rating: 2.5

"https://youtu.be/NhD3HC1jUeA?si=JZ1LQCozQocOl_qh

New track"

Song is decent. Could use a more hard hitting final section but it's probably their best since 'ITNOTF'/'Fearless', imo.

Album Rating: 1.0

New track is still gimmick music industry plant garbage

Album Rating: 1.0

Babe wake up new President just dropped!!!