Its always great to hear that a long standing band has put out their fourth or fifth album. Everyone loves to hear what the band is up to, and fingers crossed, that its good.
I had a sad experience today. I finally got my hands on Muse's latest album "The Resistance". I had a blast listening to "Blackholes and Revelations", their fourth full length release. Not to mention all their previous work, namely "Absolution". Its grand and weighty guitar work, and catchy and wailing melodies kept me in the net. For "The Resistance" I've slipped out.
Starting with the opening track, and first single "Uprising" I'm quickly reminded of Muse's trademark overdriven-fuzz bass, and throbbing drums. With another second or two, I'm quickly reminded that front man Matthew Bellamy is also a massive Doctor Who fan. The synth work is strikingly similar to the Doctor Who theme song, and leaves me a with a sinking feeling that he didn't go much farther than Doctor Who: Season 4 for inspiration. I must say though, that this song is, in my opinion, one of the best tracks on the album and definitely worth a listen.
The Lyrical content isn't much of a progression either. Still lamenting the political climate of America, a country the man isn't even a residing citizen of, is interspersed with calls to arms. If Matthew Bellamy had his way, we would all be storming the Bastille. Or is it the Oval Office? He also doesn't spare us with "MK Ultra", a reference to the nefarious CIA program to perfect a mind control process using LSD. I think by now, we can all agree that in this day and age, rock songs do little to cause kids to log off Facebook and race the streets carrying the flag of Anarchy. His line "Its time the Fat Cats had a heart attack" only reminds me that they are on Warner Brothers Music, one of the largest music conglomerates on the face of the earth.
With Depeche Mode sound alike "Undisclosed Desires", and blatant Queen rip off "United States of Eurasia", and "Guiding Light", Muse has proven, that for all their musical skill and chops, they have quickly run out of creative juice half way through the album. As John Lennon said "Its all in how you rip".
The one very funky surprise, was the gospel piano sing-along-esque "I Belong To You" which broke the production mold for this album with a strange energy, thus giving the piano a chance to lead the mostly bass or guitar driven tracks. Also another sure fire listen.
The best tracks on the album are ironically the tracks that sound the most like Muse. Don't be fooled though, with some listening, the melodies and riffs are very much recycled material from past albums.
Lastly, is Muse's aspiration to be inducted into the Prog-Rock hall of fame. The last three tracks are a symphony of sorts entitled "Exogenesis". Consisting of three parts, it is far from memorable. Part three is endearing, and has a better feel out of the three, but still reminds me why I don't listen to modern classical music.
Having been a big Muse fan, who has followed their progression and definitely been ok with their changes over the years, I have to say this album is a massive disappointment to me. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this album a 4, or on a day when Matthew Bellamy gave me the eye, a 5. If you are a music buyer, skip this album, and if you torrent, skip the download. I would easily replace this album on my iPod for Queen and Depeche Mode any day. At least I'd be getting the real thing.
Tracks to Listen to:
"Uprising", "Resistance","Unnatural Selection", "MK Ultra", "I Belong To You"
