From their beginnings as a Radiohead influenced artist, to their last release Black Holes & Revelations, Muse have developed a lot. Constant changes in style and direction, but always keeping a noticeable Muse feel. But to me, it always seemed like there was a lot of scepticism about Muse’s position in music. But their latest release, The Resistance, is an unexpected and disappointing release from the band that has otherwise had a pretty solid discography. Consider me an ex Muse lover.
1. Uprising – The opening track of the album is, in fairness, not a bad song. It is not the best on the album, and definitely not one of Muse’s best over all, but you could just about bare listening to this if it came up on the radio. A fuzzy bass riff starts the song of, before Matt comes in with a keyboard riff ripped directly off of the Doctor Who theme, before some pretty average and politically infused vocals. But there is an exciting chorus. Rinse and repeat and add in a pretty average solo and you get the opening track. 3/5
2. Resistance – An eerie intro leads us into Resistance. A cheesy piano riff and drum track appear shortly after and go on until Matt gives us cheesy lyrics, delivered in a cheesy way, and lead us up to the even cheesier chorus. Admittedly it is something that you will tap your feet to and may enjoy the first time round, but the appeal disappears after the first chorus. Rinse and repeat again, and you have another just okay track. 3/5
3. Undisclosed Desires – What happens when you take away Matt’s guitar? This is what happens when Matt gives up what makes some of Muse’s older songs so great, being an energetic riff on his signature Manson. The electronic drum track, sampled strings and poppy vocals make for an incredibly not Muse, and average song, that you would expect from the likes of Lady Gaga. Not good. 2/5
4. United States of Eurasia – The story behind this songs release is pretty over the top. A site appeared linked to the Muse main site that featured puzzles for their fans to complete which lead to Project Eurasia being started. Placed around the real life world were people holding memory sticks and, when announced on their site, people could go and collect these “keys” and plug them into their computer to complete the next stage of Project Eurasia, and unlock the location of the next key along with an additional thirty seconds of the song on the site. It is worth finding out about, even if it is just for the crazy nature of it. But now onto the actual song. It opens with Matthew playing the piano he plays ever so well, and ends on a cover of Frederic Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat Major Op. 9 No. 2. The rest of the song is a big over the top Queen style shout at the government. Starting to get the picture? The album is hugely political, aiming towards the recession in the UK at the moment. But it leads to the second best song on the album and actually a decent listen. 3.2/5
5. Guiding Light – Opening with one of the cheesiest drum fills ever; Guiding Light is just a very simple song that takes inspiration from U2. With another solo that is just too much. Another disappointing track best left behind. You might get some laughs though from the over the top nature of the song. 2.4/5
6. Unnatural Selection – Here we go! We finally get to here a Muse song on this album with a good guitar riff. Also an organ. By now you will probably be a bit sick of the amount of cheese this album produces, and also the amount I have mentioned it. But here we have about as close to a Muse song as you will get on here. With a riff that shines throughout the song, and the only good guitar solo on the album, which appears in the middle of a very jazzy section about three quarters of the way through. This is the best song on the album, and may be your only reason for wanting to listen to it again. 3.3/5
7. MK Ultra – A song that shares the name with a U.S program that tested on citizens of the U.S and Canada with drugs and hypnosis, among other techniques, to manipulate people their brains and mental functions. Like the last song, it also has a decent riff. Unfortunately the sub par lyrics and, I’m getting tired of saying this, cheesy chorus it makes it difficult for the controversial subject that the song is based around to connect with the listener. Another below average song. 2.3/5
8. I Belong to You / Mon Cœur S'ouvre * ta Voix – The Muse song that will probably surprise you the most on the album, whether it is for the almost Madness piano riff at the start, or the middle section of the song featuring a section from a French musical called Sampson & Delilah were Matthew starts singing in French. Yes, French. Or the horrible saxophone solo afterwards that has no place in the song. It will surprise you. It just probably won’t be a nice surprise. 2.3/5
9. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture) – So here it is. The massive symphony and claimed hardest song Muse have ever recorded. With his mix of space rock and classical music, Matt creates something which captures the whole mood and subject of the album and throws it all at you at once, in a very over the top fashion. But it does produce a nice beginning to the end. 3/5
10. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross Pollination) – A great piano performance begins the second section of the Exogenesis symphony. But there is not much here that you will see yourself coming back to listen again. The worst of the three sections. 2.9/5
11. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption) – The slow simple piano riff which actually turns quite beautiful when the crescendo begins gets you ready for the message this album has been trying to deliver, and does it better than any others song, but you are most likely so bored of hearing by now that you won’t care. The government has got some things wrong and need to, as the title says, redeem themselves. The last line of the album “This is our last chance, to forgive ourselves.” Feels laced with irony, as it feels like the government don’t just owe us an apology, but Muse do. However, the last part is the best part, and earns a 3.1/5 But this is designed to be listen to all at once, and together it earns a 3/5
Well that is it. The Resistance. Maybe what was so disappointing about it is the way the band hyped it up. But the truth is, the album has its high points. But it just isn’t what we expect from Muse. After listening to this album for some reason I found it hard to go back and listen to their older work with the same enjoyment. This is the Muse album that their haters will use to support their argument that they do not deserve their position. It will also turn their sceptics into haters, and their fans into sceptics, unless they somehow like the new Muse. Go back to the old days boys.
2.7/5
