Muse: Black Holes and Revelations
I was SO CLOSE to posting this on the old GSB... and then I found out that they were no longer accepted. I had it all written out and everything! *sigh* What a shame. I'll be posting an Album Review every week until I have no more to review. This week: Muse! I’m a big Muse fan, and might I add that Matt Bellamy = god. Simple equation, really, so memorize it well. So, on with the review for an album that any person with a sane mind should consider - no, wait, just SHOULD - pick up.
1. Take a Bow: Cool song – love how it starts out, with the electronic keyboard and all. Matt’s voice picks up with volume and strength as the song progresses, and the song, in general. Then, the keyboard changes key and he continues to sing, then the song gets all electronic on us halfway through, then the drums and whatnot begin to kick in, then it picks up pace. The lyrics are pretty powerful, even a bit dark, when you’d think that “take a bow” would deal with something positive. Near the end, the vocals start to freak me out a bit, but I guess he’s just trying to prove a point. "Burn in hell, burn in hell..." The song’s pretty alright, but there’s a point in the song where it kind of sounds like… noise… when they first add in the drums and Matt starts going crazy on the electronic stuff. All in all, it’s pretty good, and it’s a great way to open up an album. 8/10.
2. Starlight: I like this song. For some reason, it kind of reminds me of a U2 song, but no one in particular. I love the chorus, where Matt starts singing, “I’ll never let you go,” and then goes into “our hopes and expectations.” It sounds really, uh, wild – in a different context. The instrumentals are really good in this song, and the end is great! Kudos to Chris for some funky bass playing – great job, man! I can’t quite find the word for this song, so I’m just going to say it’s one of those mellower songs that Muse likes to play, but it’s not acoustic by any means. Just one of those chill songs, you know? Like Bliss. This song is kind of hard to explain, but I CAN tell it’s a great song. Almost no complaints here. 9/10.
3. Supermassive Black Hole: Quirky song. When I first heard it, I thought it was a little weird, but it’s quickly addictive. It has a great beat, and it has an AWESOME chorus. I honestly can’t get over how great the drumming is in this song – great job, Dom! It starts off with some heavy guitar playing, then transitions into Matt’s falsetto voice, which he sings the entire time in the verses. Then, the chorus is just the best thing ever, but it’s a little hard to explain how they layered the vocals, so trust me when I say it’s GREAT and it’ll make you want to repeatedly rewind the song back to the chorus (or maybe it’s just me). “Ooooh, you set my soul alight/Glaciers melting in the dead of night/and the superstars are sucked into the supermassive…” Come on, now, if those aren’t the lyrics of an awesome song, then apparently I don’t know what one is. It’s a great song, but just a little too short. I think the drumming is what makes this song so addictive – I can play it over and over again and never tire of it. 9.5/10
4. Map of the Problematique: Starts off pretty cool, I guess. The drumming, in 2:15, is the best part of the song, but that’s just me. Not that it’s a bad song, but I wouldn’t call it my favorite. It sounds good overall, but nothing outstanding or MINDBLOWING, you know? I have no complaints, other than that. 8/10.
5. Soldier’s Poem: YAWN. Why did they put this on the record? I first listened to this, thinking, “And your point is…?” I think they were trying to make some sort of political statement, but… I mean, it’s two minutes long and it’s almost pure vocals, and… they’re all… mellow… I think I've only listened to it a few times, so I might not be doing this song justice. I would just skip this song and pretend it didn’t exist. 5/10 (sorry Muse, had to be done).
6. Invincible: Has a marching, ballad sort of feel to it, especially in the beginning. It’s a pretty sweet song, nice vocal work by Matt (must I say it every song?). BUT, it can get a little boring for the first two minutes, then it picks up after they add a real drumming beat and all. If it were me, I’d cut out the first two-thirty minutes, because the rest of the song’s a blast. Then, the guitar comes in near the very end, and you start to awaken, wondering if you missed part of the song or something. I like the lyrics, they’re alright, but it kind of reminds me of a sappy rock/romance song. "But tonight, I can surely say/Together we're invincible." So, my verdict: EHHH. 7.5/10.
7. Assassin: BA-BAM!!! Here’s a song for you headbangers! Me being one of them. I love the heavy guitar playing, especially in the beginning. Love ya, Matt! Yeah, in general, it IS a pretty intense song – it reminds me of “Low” by the Foo Fighters, especially how Matt starts singing in his falsetto in the chorus against the dark guitar playing. Pretty metal-ish. I love how the drum rolls are dispersed in different parts of the song, and then it breaks into that awesome guitar riff.
WHY TO HATE THIS SONG: If you’re not “tough enough.” Meaning: if you dig more mellow, chillaxin’ type of music, I’d skip this one. It’s kind of hard to rate the song, because this is one of those love/hate songs. I’ll give it a range, instead. 7.5-9/10 (I would give it a 9).
8. Exo-Politics: Groovy. The only part of the song I can’t really get into is this one part after the “main chorus,” so to speak, because there’s just way too much vocals layered on top of each other – it sounds like some sort of alien invasion. But the verses are gold. The guitar riff is nice, and the drumming starts off the entire song, and in a way it kind of reminds me of “The Crunge” by Led Zep, because then the guitar and bass kick in, then the vocals, all in turn. Pretty cool song, overall. 8.5/10.
9. City of Delusion: Matt’s a god of guitar. I adore his playing in this song – it’s what makes this song great, really. For some reason, at some parts the song has some sort of a tango-y, Spanish feel to it, especially when the strings come in, and later the trumpet. I love the vocals around the end, when it starts of with “Destroy this city of delusion/break these walls down,” but Matt’s vocals are top-notch all the time, anyways. My favorite part of the song is the first and last 1:30 – for some reason, it’s hard for me to keep attentive to the song during a few parts, but all in all it’s a fantastic song. Bursting with energy – it makes me want to jump up and… I don’t know, jump up and down or something. It’s not like I can dance or anything. 9.5/10
10. Hoodoo: The guitar in the very beginning is GREAT, I think it’s the first twenty seconds. All energetic, and you’re thinking, “Oh, it’s another City of Delusion,” and then they go all haunting on us. For the first two minutes, it’s just Matt and some sweet, mellow guitar playing. Then, the song kind of explodes, starting with the piano and the drums kind of knock you out of your chilled-out stupor. Some nice strings in the background, too. Great lyrics by Bellamy, as always. I like the song, but it’s kind of a sleeper after those first twenty seconds, before the song explodes. 8/10
11. Knights of Cydonia: EPIC. The album goes out with a bang, that’s for sure. It starts off with these horses galloping and some weird alien music, and I’m thinking, “What were these guys smoking?” Then, the song BEGINS. I don’t really know how to describe it, but they strum some surfer-esque chords and adds in some nice harmonizing by Matt and Chris – Matt sings in his falsetto later on. The drumming is superb, as usual, and it’s probably the best part of the whole song, everything combined, then Matt does the most awesome guitar-slide, another part of the song that reminds me of some surfing theme. It breaks into an awesome little minute-long jam, and there’s actually very little singing, for a change. Then, the song starts to chill out, and they sing this one verse, and it’s all silent for a while, then it starts picking up energy and it breaks out into another jam. Whew! Excellent guitar playing by Matt – hell, excellent instrument playing, on all counts! Best song on the album, by far. Jam packed with energy, that’s for sure. A bajillion/10.
Overall: 8.9-9/10. Great album, definitely worth a buy. However, if you think you are beginning to get into Muse, I suggest you buy Absolution. In this album, they break their mold, with songs like "Supermassive Black Hole" or "Knights of Cydonia" - to an extent on the latter.
Next week: Either "Houses of the Holy" by Led Zep, "Stadium Arcadium" by RHCP, or "Absolution" by Muse. Your pick?
1. Take a Bow: Cool song – love how it starts out, with the electronic keyboard and all. Matt’s voice picks up with volume and strength as the song progresses, and the song, in general. Then, the keyboard changes key and he continues to sing, then the song gets all electronic on us halfway through, then the drums and whatnot begin to kick in, then it picks up pace. The lyrics are pretty powerful, even a bit dark, when you’d think that “take a bow” would deal with something positive. Near the end, the vocals start to freak me out a bit, but I guess he’s just trying to prove a point. "Burn in hell, burn in hell..." The song’s pretty alright, but there’s a point in the song where it kind of sounds like… noise… when they first add in the drums and Matt starts going crazy on the electronic stuff. All in all, it’s pretty good, and it’s a great way to open up an album. 8/10.
2. Starlight: I like this song. For some reason, it kind of reminds me of a U2 song, but no one in particular. I love the chorus, where Matt starts singing, “I’ll never let you go,” and then goes into “our hopes and expectations.” It sounds really, uh, wild – in a different context. The instrumentals are really good in this song, and the end is great! Kudos to Chris for some funky bass playing – great job, man! I can’t quite find the word for this song, so I’m just going to say it’s one of those mellower songs that Muse likes to play, but it’s not acoustic by any means. Just one of those chill songs, you know? Like Bliss. This song is kind of hard to explain, but I CAN tell it’s a great song. Almost no complaints here. 9/10.
3. Supermassive Black Hole: Quirky song. When I first heard it, I thought it was a little weird, but it’s quickly addictive. It has a great beat, and it has an AWESOME chorus. I honestly can’t get over how great the drumming is in this song – great job, Dom! It starts off with some heavy guitar playing, then transitions into Matt’s falsetto voice, which he sings the entire time in the verses. Then, the chorus is just the best thing ever, but it’s a little hard to explain how they layered the vocals, so trust me when I say it’s GREAT and it’ll make you want to repeatedly rewind the song back to the chorus (or maybe it’s just me). “Ooooh, you set my soul alight/Glaciers melting in the dead of night/and the superstars are sucked into the supermassive…” Come on, now, if those aren’t the lyrics of an awesome song, then apparently I don’t know what one is. It’s a great song, but just a little too short. I think the drumming is what makes this song so addictive – I can play it over and over again and never tire of it. 9.5/10
4. Map of the Problematique: Starts off pretty cool, I guess. The drumming, in 2:15, is the best part of the song, but that’s just me. Not that it’s a bad song, but I wouldn’t call it my favorite. It sounds good overall, but nothing outstanding or MINDBLOWING, you know? I have no complaints, other than that. 8/10.
5. Soldier’s Poem: YAWN. Why did they put this on the record? I first listened to this, thinking, “And your point is…?” I think they were trying to make some sort of political statement, but… I mean, it’s two minutes long and it’s almost pure vocals, and… they’re all… mellow… I think I've only listened to it a few times, so I might not be doing this song justice. I would just skip this song and pretend it didn’t exist. 5/10 (sorry Muse, had to be done).
6. Invincible: Has a marching, ballad sort of feel to it, especially in the beginning. It’s a pretty sweet song, nice vocal work by Matt (must I say it every song?). BUT, it can get a little boring for the first two minutes, then it picks up after they add a real drumming beat and all. If it were me, I’d cut out the first two-thirty minutes, because the rest of the song’s a blast. Then, the guitar comes in near the very end, and you start to awaken, wondering if you missed part of the song or something. I like the lyrics, they’re alright, but it kind of reminds me of a sappy rock/romance song. "But tonight, I can surely say/Together we're invincible." So, my verdict: EHHH. 7.5/10.
7. Assassin: BA-BAM!!! Here’s a song for you headbangers! Me being one of them. I love the heavy guitar playing, especially in the beginning. Love ya, Matt! Yeah, in general, it IS a pretty intense song – it reminds me of “Low” by the Foo Fighters, especially how Matt starts singing in his falsetto in the chorus against the dark guitar playing. Pretty metal-ish. I love how the drum rolls are dispersed in different parts of the song, and then it breaks into that awesome guitar riff.
WHY TO HATE THIS SONG: If you’re not “tough enough.” Meaning: if you dig more mellow, chillaxin’ type of music, I’d skip this one. It’s kind of hard to rate the song, because this is one of those love/hate songs. I’ll give it a range, instead. 7.5-9/10 (I would give it a 9).
8. Exo-Politics: Groovy. The only part of the song I can’t really get into is this one part after the “main chorus,” so to speak, because there’s just way too much vocals layered on top of each other – it sounds like some sort of alien invasion. But the verses are gold. The guitar riff is nice, and the drumming starts off the entire song, and in a way it kind of reminds me of “The Crunge” by Led Zep, because then the guitar and bass kick in, then the vocals, all in turn. Pretty cool song, overall. 8.5/10.
9. City of Delusion: Matt’s a god of guitar. I adore his playing in this song – it’s what makes this song great, really. For some reason, at some parts the song has some sort of a tango-y, Spanish feel to it, especially when the strings come in, and later the trumpet. I love the vocals around the end, when it starts of with “Destroy this city of delusion/break these walls down,” but Matt’s vocals are top-notch all the time, anyways. My favorite part of the song is the first and last 1:30 – for some reason, it’s hard for me to keep attentive to the song during a few parts, but all in all it’s a fantastic song. Bursting with energy – it makes me want to jump up and… I don’t know, jump up and down or something. It’s not like I can dance or anything. 9.5/10
10. Hoodoo: The guitar in the very beginning is GREAT, I think it’s the first twenty seconds. All energetic, and you’re thinking, “Oh, it’s another City of Delusion,” and then they go all haunting on us. For the first two minutes, it’s just Matt and some sweet, mellow guitar playing. Then, the song kind of explodes, starting with the piano and the drums kind of knock you out of your chilled-out stupor. Some nice strings in the background, too. Great lyrics by Bellamy, as always. I like the song, but it’s kind of a sleeper after those first twenty seconds, before the song explodes. 8/10
11. Knights of Cydonia: EPIC. The album goes out with a bang, that’s for sure. It starts off with these horses galloping and some weird alien music, and I’m thinking, “What were these guys smoking?” Then, the song BEGINS. I don’t really know how to describe it, but they strum some surfer-esque chords and adds in some nice harmonizing by Matt and Chris – Matt sings in his falsetto later on. The drumming is superb, as usual, and it’s probably the best part of the whole song, everything combined, then Matt does the most awesome guitar-slide, another part of the song that reminds me of some surfing theme. It breaks into an awesome little minute-long jam, and there’s actually very little singing, for a change. Then, the song starts to chill out, and they sing this one verse, and it’s all silent for a while, then it starts picking up energy and it breaks out into another jam. Whew! Excellent guitar playing by Matt – hell, excellent instrument playing, on all counts! Best song on the album, by far. Jam packed with energy, that’s for sure. A bajillion/10.
Overall: 8.9-9/10. Great album, definitely worth a buy. However, if you think you are beginning to get into Muse, I suggest you buy Absolution. In this album, they break their mold, with songs like "Supermassive Black Hole" or "Knights of Cydonia" - to an extent on the latter.
Next week: Either "Houses of the Holy" by Led Zep, "Stadium Arcadium" by RHCP, or "Absolution" by Muse. Your pick?
British TV is ace for muse, This album is amazing.... i really love it
megzyhavok, January 25th, 2007 at 04:18:15pm
Your right about Starlight, at first I thought it was U2 cause it totally sounded like a song that they'd sing.
I love this album, Absolution is the sh*t too.
Michael Guy Chislett, January 18th, 2007 at 10:40:14pm
All of Muse's albums pwn me and this album is so hotttt
Imaginary., January 18th, 2007 at 09:35:52am
Hey, thanks! Actually, I was on a sugar high or something when I was writing, so I got all excited when I was writing... especially with Knights of Cydonia! They're on FUSE right now???
...
Damn America and our crappy shows!!!
Funky Platypus, January 15th, 2007 at 01:55:19pm
I'v heard good things about Muse, in fact they are on Fuse right now. That was a really good review, it was very detailed. You would make a great journalist for a magazine like Rolling Stone or AP. Great review.
Kurtni, January 15th, 2007 at 01:52:31pm