Bit outdated, but here you are (inspired by Dave's reviews)
New Muse album just out. ((obviously this was written almost a month ago))
I'm a huge fan of Muse, so my suprise came when I started by criticising the album. Too many of the songs sounds like the sources of their inspiration. I won't give examples, but they're pretty obvious.
However despite all this, I'm warming up to, what could quite easily become, the best album of the year. There's songs on there that inspire great feelings. This is not the definitive shakedown, but, considering Muse inspired me to pick up the guitar, they've got a lot to answer for.
I'll go track by track now and give you my journey through the album:
Take a Bow
A brilliant introductory track that inspires the theme of the album as a spacy prog epic. A tune that rises and drops like the Imperial March and nasty apocalyptic lyrics:
Quote:
Pay, you must pay
You must pay for your crimes against the earth.
Hex, feed the hex
Feed the hex on the country you love
Beg, you will beg
You will beg for their lives and their souls.
Yeah,
Burn, you will burn,
You will burn in hell, yeah you’ll burn in hell,
You’ll burn in hell, yeah you’ll in hell,
Burn in hell, yeah you'll burn in hell for your sin
It adds to the typical hysteria (I'm sorry for that pun) that Muse heap on their vision of an album.
Starlight
is a fantastic co-active love song that revels in modern trends of lazy hope invested in continuous bass riffs with descriptive rock guitar riffs.
Ironic with this number is the prevalence of an interlude including the album title: Completely detracts from the whole song but encourages continuity in the albums image. It also allows a blend of this dramatic ballad with the point of the album
Supermassive Black Hole
The first released single is a dirty anthem with nasty bass lines and electric vocal synth layering. Lyrically nonsense, but typically prog. This song puts across Doors-esque creative vibes (albiet 20 years too late) with a riff that appeals to a variety of club music. The video is a must-see mindfuck tbh. Very arty.
Map of the Problematique
comes across as Depeche Mode being rewritten by a depressed The Bravery. However despite this, the song appeals on multiple different levels and Matt adds his typical vocals to a depressing depiction.
Soldiers Poem
This song is lovely in composition, layered teamed vocals give the song a timeless quality despite its brevity. For some reason, Unchained Melody springs to mind.
Invincible
I've debated this with my girlfriend and mates; I'm adamant of the correlation between this and Keanes "Everything Changes". I've had ridicule (the gf) and support (the mates) but despite all this, a stonking guitar solo, collaborative smashes on the drums, and Matt sobbing what could quite easily be a latter day speach to the masses, makes this song ring in the heart, before dissipating like a thunderstorm after bringing the rain.
Assassin
Doesn't aspire to be anything like the previous anthems. It takes a grip on an out of control guitar and runs with it. Bellamy wails about revolution, but the song continues regardless. Not a song that immedieately stands out among the others, but you'll notice it like a stab in the night.
Exo-Politics
A raunchy romp in subtle picking and a standardised dropping chorus with a rude guitar solo butting in. Bellamy's paranoia of a controlled future seems rampant in the lyrics here. Short and stompy.
City of Delusion
Middle eastern themed crossed with spanish style guitars take you on a carpet ride through his vision of a Byzantine dominated continuation. Once again we see Matt fighting for something better in the world than what his nightmares look like. This song will fly on fiery desert heat.
Hoodoo
will make Bond enthusiasts and Tarantino fans happy. Intermittent calms and poignant guitar picks are crossed with the surges and discordant chords that would suit a film down perfect. It's dramatic.
Knights of Cydonia
Absurd. Nothing could make me love this album complete without the epic finale. As the good crosses the bad and a raciong showdown against time in the middle of a storm builds up, you'll be on the edge of your seat. Once again, Matt harps on emphatically about the predicament he sees the world in and where it's going, before screaming
Quote:
No'ones gonna take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive
You won't see it coming the first time, but you'll love it. A gradual build up to a sub-epic guitar romp before reclaiming the lyrics and this song ends the epic, leaving you expecting the credits to begin scrolling.
Frankly, this album was made for a post-apocalyptic good vs bad film. Every song is brilliant. It's taken me a while to fully soak them in, but Muse have out-done themselves again. The only thing left to say is Matt, you scare me sometimes.
I'm a huge fan of Muse, so my suprise came when I started by criticising the album. Too many of the songs sounds like the sources of their inspiration. I won't give examples, but they're pretty obvious.
However despite all this, I'm warming up to, what could quite easily become, the best album of the year. There's songs on there that inspire great feelings. This is not the definitive shakedown, but, considering Muse inspired me to pick up the guitar, they've got a lot to answer for.
I'll go track by track now and give you my journey through the album:
Take a Bow
A brilliant introductory track that inspires the theme of the album as a spacy prog epic. A tune that rises and drops like the Imperial March and nasty apocalyptic lyrics:
Quote:
Pay, you must pay
You must pay for your crimes against the earth.
Hex, feed the hex
Feed the hex on the country you love
Beg, you will beg
You will beg for their lives and their souls.
Yeah,
Burn, you will burn,
You will burn in hell, yeah you’ll burn in hell,
You’ll burn in hell, yeah you’ll in hell,
Burn in hell, yeah you'll burn in hell for your sin
It adds to the typical hysteria (I'm sorry for that pun) that Muse heap on their vision of an album.
Starlight
is a fantastic co-active love song that revels in modern trends of lazy hope invested in continuous bass riffs with descriptive rock guitar riffs.
Ironic with this number is the prevalence of an interlude including the album title: Completely detracts from the whole song but encourages continuity in the albums image. It also allows a blend of this dramatic ballad with the point of the album
Supermassive Black Hole
The first released single is a dirty anthem with nasty bass lines and electric vocal synth layering. Lyrically nonsense, but typically prog. This song puts across Doors-esque creative vibes (albiet 20 years too late) with a riff that appeals to a variety of club music. The video is a must-see mindfuck tbh. Very arty.
Map of the Problematique
comes across as Depeche Mode being rewritten by a depressed The Bravery. However despite this, the song appeals on multiple different levels and Matt adds his typical vocals to a depressing depiction.
Soldiers Poem
This song is lovely in composition, layered teamed vocals give the song a timeless quality despite its brevity. For some reason, Unchained Melody springs to mind.
Invincible
I've debated this with my girlfriend and mates; I'm adamant of the correlation between this and Keanes "Everything Changes". I've had ridicule (the gf) and support (the mates) but despite all this, a stonking guitar solo, collaborative smashes on the drums, and Matt sobbing what could quite easily be a latter day speach to the masses, makes this song ring in the heart, before dissipating like a thunderstorm after bringing the rain.
Assassin
Doesn't aspire to be anything like the previous anthems. It takes a grip on an out of control guitar and runs with it. Bellamy wails about revolution, but the song continues regardless. Not a song that immedieately stands out among the others, but you'll notice it like a stab in the night.
Exo-Politics
A raunchy romp in subtle picking and a standardised dropping chorus with a rude guitar solo butting in. Bellamy's paranoia of a controlled future seems rampant in the lyrics here. Short and stompy.
City of Delusion
Middle eastern themed crossed with spanish style guitars take you on a carpet ride through his vision of a Byzantine dominated continuation. Once again we see Matt fighting for something better in the world than what his nightmares look like. This song will fly on fiery desert heat.
Hoodoo
will make Bond enthusiasts and Tarantino fans happy. Intermittent calms and poignant guitar picks are crossed with the surges and discordant chords that would suit a film down perfect. It's dramatic.
Knights of Cydonia
Absurd. Nothing could make me love this album complete without the epic finale. As the good crosses the bad and a raciong showdown against time in the middle of a storm builds up, you'll be on the edge of your seat. Once again, Matt harps on emphatically about the predicament he sees the world in and where it's going, before screaming
Quote:
No'ones gonna take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive
You won't see it coming the first time, but you'll love it. A gradual build up to a sub-epic guitar romp before reclaiming the lyrics and this song ends the epic, leaving you expecting the credits to begin scrolling.
Frankly, this album was made for a post-apocalyptic good vs bad film. Every song is brilliant. It's taken me a while to fully soak them in, but Muse have out-done themselves again. The only thing left to say is Matt, you scare me sometimes.