Reviews (page 6 of 15)
absolutely love this album, people are missing out on the rest of the album instead of just listening to supermassive blackhole
Feels like Future of Forestry meets U2. I love it. I can’t believe I haven’t listened to them before. And the things I have heard I didn’t know it was them. Fun to put a “face” with the name. The music layering is so well done. There’s so much going on even on the seemingly simple songs but it’s not overwhelming.
Eh too aggressive of an album for me. I just listened to few songs and had to skip cuz I couldn’t get through it.
Very samey. But tolerable
„Showbiz“ und „Origin of symmetry“ fand ich großartig, „Absolution“ schon ein klein wenig schwächer; das Album hier war dann das letzte von Muse, das ich mir angehört hab, denn der Trend ging für mich weiter … leider … und die Hoffnung starb. Fast so traurig wie die Entwicklung Coldplays … deren erste beiden Alben find ich auch noch immer zum Heulen schön. Aber auch da war danach leider Schluss. Aber wenn es nicht ums Geld geht, sondern sie alle wirklich solche Musik machen wollen, sollen sie natürlich - dann freu ich mich für sie. (Auch für Mike Vennart freut es mich, dass er sich einen Traum erfüllen durfte, auch wenn ich persönlich es ganz, ganz schlimm finde (noch immer kaum zu fassen!), dass er Oceansize auflöst, um bei Biffy Clyro mitzuspielen …) Falls es doch um Geld und Ruhm gehen sollte, sind sie leider keine Künstler*innen mehr, dafür Businessmen
Die ist okay und sehr abwechslungsreich. Aber gehört nicht in diese Liste. Wenn, dann "Absolution" oder vielleicht noch "Origin Of Symmetry".
I was probably going to give this a 2, but then knights of cydonia was so cool.
so first thing i have to say is i felt like i was in some old american movie listening to this!! my fav is supermassive black hole. and i must admit that i was lowkey bored/the songs sounded the same 💔 but that’s prolly just me! anyways yes that’s pretty much it
This album is so cohesive and yet so distinct. I’m really impressed! Muse has a lot more volume and texture than I ever thought they did before.
I always (fairly? Unfairly?) thought of Muse as "What if Radiohead continued their rock trajectory from 'Pablo Honey' instead of going paranoid?" The vocal similarities are there so it's not far of a stretch. This album definitely has it's moments, and "Knights of Cydonia" is still epic.
Goddamn. Kocham te wojenne imaginacje. Also BAS?
I’m a fool for you now Muse. Thank you for the bombast and tenderness, the transitions within and between songs and for kicking life back into me today. Fresh and timeless is not easy to pull off.
“i will avenge and justify my reasons with your blood” bro ma chi sei
- songs i liked: starlight, super massive black hole (twilight baseball scene :)), soldier's poem, and invincible - the intro song kind of scared me but it was okay, def not my vibe - overall, the music is far from what I'm used to, so it was a good first pick in branching my music taste - 6.5/10
I dig it.
First song is giving no good deed bro. Elphaba is casting spells on us.
Loved this. It had a few tracks that leaned a little metal and I loved that
some songs i like but some I don’t so im like 3.5/5
Honestamente, la portada no me gusta, me daba una mala impresión sobre el álbum. En cambio, este me ha gustado bastante. Me recuerda un poco a U2, la voz sobretodo. La canción de Supermassive Black hole, me sonaba de antes, y la intro parece hecha con IA... Igualmente me ha gustado. Me han gustado más las canciones lentas que las de rock asi más "violento". Igualmente en general todas me han gustado. Me he guardado algunas en favoritos. Ahora mismo, con mi nivel de inglés, si no leo las lyrics o no presto bastante atención, no me entero de que dicen. Y estoy escuchando esto mientras hago "Cuestiones básicas de las funciones" de la página de Rafa. Deduzco que las letras son profundas, porque he leído un poco de la primera canción, pero no sabría decirlo con certeza absoluta. Espero que cuando acabe con esta web eso haya mejorado. Take a bow: me ha gustado y las letras también. Knights of Cydonia parece el final de una peli / se nota que es el final del album / el videoclip ajjaaakjaaj wtf, pero me ha gustado. Glorious: vibes de u2
different to the music i usually gravitate to, would not of listened to if not fir this website but i'm happy i did.
- Starlight y knights of cydonia mis favs - definicion album: caos con sentido Desde luego no es un album para ponerse haciendo apuntes porque tiene como mucho sonido y no es precisamente ambiente. Los instrumentos es lo que más destacan, no son synts pero tampoco es rock (bueno depende de la cancion xd), es una mezcla rara pero potente para ponertela mientras cortas jamon por ejemplo. - soldier's poem hace en mis auriculares lo que hace con bohemian, no obviamente a nivel musical pero si a nivel angelical. Me flipa el uso de las guitarras electricas no como tal sino mas bien como sintetizadores. Debo decir que me está costando terminar el album pero lo haré por el bien del proyecto (empezado el 28/12/25 por si acaso no lo pone en la fecha) No creo que sea un album para mi a nivel de quemarlo pero ha sido un buen descubrimiento musical.
idek it was fun
Muse my love my light. It’s nice to see you again. I don’t remember Muse having such a large sound.
Oui c'est Muse quoi, il y a des trucs supers qui donnent envie de sauter partout, et des trucs qui donnent envie de sauter d'un pont.
I feel like Muse is a band I would have pretended to like as a kid in 2006 if I knew of them. This dude’s voice really takes away from the music. Too over the top.
Better than I expected but wouldn't purposefully listen to again. This would have been better without vocals. 2.4 Deserve place: No
this is quite a nostalgic album for me as i remember a friend having it on CD. but revisiting it 20 something years later, there’s loads of uninteresting “fillers” mixed with some absolutely banging songs. it’s a very difficult one to rate. a while back i listened to Absolution after this one and i have no idea why that one hasn’t been swapped with this. absolutely incredible album, Absolution. fave songs: map of the problematique and knights of cydonia 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gave me Radiohead vibes haha loved this album absolute bangers in this. 7/10
Muse aren’t for me.
Muse’s greatest song was featured in a film about shining vampires. Take that as you will. I’m giving 2 because I thought it would be much worse actually and because Supermassive Black Hole is a very good song (I just cant take it serious as Muse would like to because it’s intertwined with lines of the likes of “BELLA THIS IS THE SKIN OF A KILLER”)
72/1001 First listen. I don’t know why I haven’t dug deeper into these guys. I like enough of their singles. I was way into this one. A little throw back to guitar hero in There as well. I’ll be back for more. 7/10
A couple songs are cool, a couple songs are forgettable, a few songs are annoying, and a few songs are total garbage. Their album prior to this, Absolution, is mostly good and would have been better on the list.
INSANE opening run of songs Love the tone shift during soldiers poem and bringing back the electric guitar at the end of invincible Favourite: invincible Least: knights of cydonia
Eh
This album is so nostalgic for me. Makes me think of my dad. I really like Starlight and Assassin but shout out to Knights of Cydonia. 4 stars easily. Really good flow between songs and wasnt once boring.
The era of indie rock music in the 2000's was very weird. Glam rock died because of grunge, grunge died after Kurt Cobain, it's remains turned into more indie rock things, Radiohead made OK Computer followed by Kid A, Arcade Fire, the whole thing. 2000's indie band music, you either hate it or love it, and you can make fun of all the bands involved, Radiohead, U2, Coldplay, Blur, Weezer, and especially Muse, considering their later projects are kinda mid. This album though is really fun and nice to listen to. The synths and orchestration and the weird turns this album goes to makes for a fantastic listening experience, I admit, I was surprised that I recieved this album so well. Great stuff, 8/10
I’ve really been getting into Muse lately, and this album doesn’t disappoint. Great stuff.
A fun album tbh I definitely want to relisten to it in one sitting.
A different and interesting album, but not an album I would come back to much. 3 stars or C+.
This album sounds like the soundtrack of an epic movie. The singer's voice perfectly transmits the passion and tragedy in every track. Even though it's not my style, it's safe to say that the production is impeccable and the lyrics are amazingly powerful and political, which makes it a very interesting album to listen to.
Feels like getting back to 2017, feeling nostalgic, but kinda outgrew my love to them
Tunteellista isoille areenoille tehtyä räimettä. Kolmosbiisi kuulosti täysin Garbagelta (bändi).
Posh rock opera
Take a Bow: 3/5. Enjoyable to listen to, but not very dynamic. Starlight: 3.5/5. Won me over by the end. Simple but effective. Supermassive Black Hole: 2.5/5. Gives me Home Depot vibes. This does nothing for me. Actually, the occasional abrasive bits are kinda cool. The bit at 2:30 is cool. I don't like the main riff. Map of the Problematique: 4/5. Really cool intro. I don't have much to say. This just fucks. Doesn't blow me away though. Soldier's Poem: 2/5. I don't think the writing is good. The background vocals are cool when the first come in, them they begin to remind me of Christmas music. His voice gets kinda annoying in parts. Not particularly awful though. Invincible: 1.5/5. Extremely melodramatic. Again, the writing isn't good. I like the ghostly wind. His voice gets annoying. His voice is annoying in this song. The instruments are kinda grating. I really don't like this one. Assassin: 4/5: Despite my problems with this song, it's so much fun. Exo-Politics: 3/5. Guitar is too loud. His voice alternates between being great and grating. Pretty fun all things considered. City of Delusion: 4.5/5. I love this, actually. My only problems is the volume of the instrument and his voice. Hoodoo: 2.5/5. Best lyrics on the album, but pretty nothing musically. Knight of Cydonia: 4.5/5. This song is awesome. We all know it's awesome. I just have high standards for my 5s. Obviously the best song. Overall score: Decent 3/5. This is an extremely flawed yet equally fun album.
I like it! It's dramatic and cohesive, but very interesting to listen to. It is maybe not something drastically different from everything else made at the time, but it's a good 2000's rock album, it's typical and entertaining. Not everything has to be weird and experimental.
I find it strange that not only have I never heard MUSE before, but no one in my circles have ever mentioned them. They play arenas? They are on 1001 albums list? This must have some merit. Then I listened. It starts off with modern orchestral track that sounds like Trans Siberian Orchestra wrote non- Xmas music. After that it gives synthy Radiohead made by theater kids, which is most of the album, until you get weird sex rock with faux Prince vocals. Then there's the QOTSA-esqe track and mariachi horns. I'd say pick a lane, but none of these lanes did anything for me.
Gear: 64 Audio Duo Artwork: 🎳🤵🏜️ Production: 👊🤑👍 Music: 👑🚀🌌 Rating: 🪐🪐🪐🪐(🪐)/5
Pretty decent, fav song is Soilders Poem
A primeira vez que eu vi uma apresentação ao vivo do Muse eu tive a sensação de estar vendo um Power Trio que era algo como um novo Nirvana. Era como ver o som fazendo sentido nesse recorte de incio/ meio dos anos ’00. Não acho que a banda é o novo Nirvana e que nem isso é algo possível e justo. Mas resolvi registrar isso essa sensação inicial que tive aqui. O disco é ótimo. QoA Cloudscape.
Favorites Supermassive Black Hole, City of Delusion, Hoodoo
Classic
Me no likey. Dull and pretentious
Heck yeah! Now this is what I was hoping to discover on this list. It's an album by a band I've never heard that absolutely kicks ass. A winner from the very first song, one of the best album openers I've ever heard ("Take a Bow") to the last "Glorious" track. This album is what you get when you take your Prog Rock out to the dance floor. But, since your Prog doesn't want to go alone, you swing by the opera to pick up Queen. Then, you swing by the beach to pick up Dick Dale (and his flamenco guitarist buddy?) Once on the dance floor, your Prog is delighted to find Nine Inch Nails, Daft Punk, Dream Theater, and Prince all jamming together with a full orchestra. While it may sound silly that you're also dancing with crooked politicians, space pirates, and aliens, it actually feels epic and cinematic! This album is a wild, delightful ride that checks all my favorite musical boxes. Ear candy I can't get enough of. More please.
Absolutely peak, better than Radiohead. Knights of Condonia is cinema
Rly it’s a 4.5 but that’s not an option so 5 it is
Better than Radiohead
Correcto
Good. 4/5
Overall impression: If you isolated the vocals, this would sound like Radiohead. Many themes of criticism of government corruption, likely influenced by the post 9-11 War on Terror. Instrumentals: very rock-opera? Take a Bow - Opening instrumentals are perfection. Lyrics are a criticism of corrupt world leaders Starlight - Lyrics describing the feeling of being far away from someone you love. Being on the road, chasing fame ("I will be chasing a starlight/ Until the end of my life/ I don't know if it's worth it anymore") Supermassive Black Hole - Lyrics are a metaphor for all-consuming love for someone, being lost in desire, uses metaphors that convey both passion and destruction, using infinitely large scientific concepts (blackholes) to describe feelings that feel supernaturally large Map of the Problematique - Feeling lonely and trapped in a relationship, but simultaneously being unable to let that relationship go. They are mutually destructive to each other Soldier's Poem - Opening instrumentals remind me of "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis. From a soldier's perspective - feeling used and abandoned. Gropes with the painful realities of being sent to war by a government who doesn't really care about you. Different feel (instrumental, vocal style) to the rest of the album - softer, less electric Invincible - First verse - encouraging lyrics - "stand up for what you believe/ and tonight we can truly say/ together we're invincible". Second verse - encouraging a partner to turn things around and stand together because "together we're invincible" Assassin - encouraging revolution, overthrowing corrupt leaders. Refers to "demonocracy" - a criticism of democracy that has turned corrupt Exo-Politics - talks about government conspiracy, manipulation, and alien themes, seems to suggest that world leaders are secretly collaborating with aliens City of Delusion - similar lyrical themes to Assassin, call for revolution against a corrupt government. I love the trumpet in this song Hoodoo - escaping a painful reality into a "new reality" with a lover, offering protection to said lover in this reality. Builds tension throughout the song, coming to a head, and then returning to a melancholy at the end. Knights of Cydonia - themes of waking up fighting back, feels like the soundtrack to a spaghetti western Glorious - reflects on themes of faith - how he feels religious belief is a lie, yet still feels compelled by the beauty of it, many juxtapositions from one line to the next
Take a Bow- okay, actually so cool and very interesting. THIS GUITAR AT THE MIDDLE THE DRUMS YES OMG. it’s giving radiohead. the lyrics are so accurate. BACKING VOCALS. amazing way to start 8/10 Starlight- very cute this intro it’s giving the smashing pumpkins. “let’s conspire to ignite all the souls that would die just to feel alive” love that lyric. ALBUM NAME DROP. this song is so cute i wanna cry. the drums in the chorus are so good. this falsetto thing in the end… godly. really liked this one 8.5/10 Supermassive Black Hole- i have heard this one already ofc. it’s so so sexy. genuinely good af. THE BACKING VOCALS!!!! yes yes yes. the way he says holeeeeee 9/10 Map of the Problematique- drums in the intro are giving linkin park. i’m hearing some instrument i can’t decipher what it is but it’s making me happy. the way he sings “loneliness be over”!!! THE DRUMS AND THE KEYBOARD (?) this shits good. lowk think this one’s my fav up until now 10/10 Soldier’s Poem- soft. cute. feels like a christmas song. okay the backing vocals in my left ear are AMAZING. sad af song. i HEARD THE BASS. there never was justice in the world indeed. 6.5/10 Invincible- the intro guitar? love it. HIS VOICE. the marching band drums! whatever instrument this is i love it. okay some thing shifted. THIS INSTRUMENTAL. the lyrics are giving change by taylor swift (i’ll stop one day) 7/10 Assassin- OKAY WE’RE BACK. no but the vocals in this one are actually INSANE. the lyrics. I LOVE THIS ONE IT’S SO ANGRY. demonocracy is insane word play. really loved this one. 9.5/10 Exo-Politics- unplugged guitar YAYY. these lyrics are very very very important. 8/10 City of Delusion- okay acoustic guitar. THIS IS SO GOOD I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY IS THAT A VIOLIN. JESUS THIS IS COOL. THIS HIGH NOTE SO COOL. LOT’S OF INSTRUMENTS I’M OVERSTIMULATED I LOVE IT IS THAT A TRUMPET? 10/10 Hoodoo- the heavenly vocals. this is genuinely so beautiful. what. THIS IS AMAZING. 9/10 Knights of Cydonia- okay i see what y’all were doing with the intro. the instruments feelings literally like horses bc ‘knights’ GENIUS. wow. this sort of acapella? love it. 8/10 glorious- i love the intro already. cut’s & bruises mention? (jk) 8/10 I LOVED THIS ALBUM
A couple of tricks that many bands do much better and with some soul.
Monster of an concept album. Exciting from start to finish, this is a must listen.
Never knew City of Delusion went this hard.
I thought Muse sucked shit going into this listen, and I came away still thinking that.
8/10 - A great opening, however the low energy parts of the album just aren’t that good.
F no
8/10
when that chorus of starlight starts i turn into a hormonal teen again so all else is forgotten and forgiven
Never heard of them before. Overall I thought it was a poppy kind of Radiohead (which I do like) with a few heavier tracks in there. I've recommended it to my kid, and will prob revisit this, but 4 stars for me.
This album has its moments, but there's something about it I just can't connect with. This is the case with pretty much anything I've heard from Muse. On paper, I should love this band but I just can't connect. 3 stars.
Some recognisable songs on this but muse have never done anything for me. I do not like the vocals at all. But I'll give it a 3 as the songs are well structured and they are a unique enough band
I absolutely loved this album growing up, and coming back and re-listening to it was a real treat. A perfect blend of eerie and heavy. Knights of Cydonia has a special place in my heart, I remember as a kid staying up late every night trying to get 100% on that song on Guitar Hero. Good times. Standout Songs: Starlight Map of the Problematique Invincible Assassin Exo-Politics City of Delusion Knights of Cydonia
I get that a lot of people really like this, but for me it sounded like a worse version of U2's Joshua Tree, and the songs all sounded too similar for my liking.
A great album, Knights of Cydonia is one of my all time favorite songs. I also recalled liked Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole.
Might like it after a 2nd listen
Un autre album qui me ramène à l'adolescence. J'écoutais surtout quelques singles isolés de plusieurs albums à cette époque. Je me suis dit qu'une écoute complète avec une oreille plus mature me permettrait peut-être de dénicher quelques pépites. Ouff. Non. Ça n'a pas très bien vieilli. Je retenais un rire tout le long ou presque tellement c'est beurré épais (sur-produit, la voix mélodramatique washé dans le reverb/delay, runs de toms partout, les synths corny pas vraiment à leur place). La Juliette de 14 ans n'écoutait pas les paroles, et celle de 30 pas tant non plus et se rend compte qu'elles sont un peu sans intérêt (espèce de lore de rock de l'espace pas trop clair). Je reconnais quand même quelques points qui m'ont fait trippé plus jeune. Le sens de la mélodie et du riff, le drum technique et assumé. Knights of Cydonia reste une pièce épique. J'ai aimé ça dans le passé, ce n'est plus le cas
i just keep thinking about how much muse was in twilight
Worse than I thought it would be. Sounds like a generic and uninspired version of the Radiohead
I found this music boring and uninspiring when it was first popular and still do.
I was a big Muse fan back when I was 16 (circa 2001), so for me, Origin of Symmetry will always be my favourite of their albums. I didn't really get into this one in a big way. That said, it holds up better than it did in my mind before relistening. Favourite tracks: Take a Bow, Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole (which sounds a tad cheesy to my ears these days but is still a banger nonetheless), Assassin, City of Delusion (tragic string arrangement in the chorus is beautiful), Knights of Cydonia (many happy memories of playing this on Guitar Hero).
I remember reading Q magazine back in the early 2000's and in a review for the single 'Plug in Baby', the author described Muse as "Masturbatory". This description has stuck with me ever since and unavoidably swims in to my mind whenever I lay ears on this band. I saw the band live around the same time and their performance was very good - for that reason I have always had a favourable memory of their first two records. Beyond those, Muse just seem like a synthetic retro-futuristic Coldplay with classically inspired guitar riffs. Retro-futuristic like a starry sky projector from Poundland. A lot of the deeper cuts follow the same template; guitar riff built around a particular scale run through six effect boxes, Bellamy's voice wavering in the gentle verse, howling in the bombastic chorus. It all becomes a blurry pile. I would probably be able to pick stuff out I like if I made the effort, but over the years I seem to have developed a real dislike for these guys. All the good stuff, boiled away, leaving nothing but a metallic and unappealing taste in my mouth. Masturbatory, indeed.
Kinda good, with some songs worth listening to loud, e.g. Starlight and Knights of Cydonia.
I assume everyone who likes this album is insufferable
I thought I was a fool for no one Ooh baby, I’m a fool for Muse
Missed opportunity not to call this "For your aMUSEment"
Pas vraiment transcendant à mon avis mais album plus que correct
Mais non c culte ou quoi la team (mid)
De base j’adore muse mais en écoutant attentivement je sais pas si ça vaut un 5… En vrai le son est novateur par rapport à ce que j’ai écouté + l’affect est fort
Love Muse!!
So my family and I went through a Muse phase from ~2008 to ~2014 ish, corresponding with my oldest children hitting their teen years. Rock, jazzy riffs, sometimes classical-ish music? Yes please. Every album from Showbiz to Resistance was on constant play in the car and at home and became the soundtracks of many road trips and Friday night music parties. And then there were the arena tours. Muse came through San Diego every January for 3-4 years straight; we attended every show and were blown away every time. All this to say it is impossible to view this album objectively given the nostalgia. Sure it's well produced, highly polished and a little too perfect but I will happily put it on at any time. 4/5
I'd say it was pretty good. Gave off like radio head and pixies vibes (kinda?) lots of different mood swings tho. I didn't listen to the lyrics though sadly
This is where Muse finds the right balance between high-minded prog and arena-ready glam. The epics are epic, the rockers shred, and the quieter songs break things up a bit. Issues only arise when they try and dip into the deeper end of the pool. They want to be like Pink Floyd so badly they got Storm Thorgerson to do art for them, but they don't quite reach that level of insight or wordplay. No wonder Glenn Beck liked them.
A few corny bits, sometimes feels like they're trying a bit too hard to be Radiohead or Jeff Buckley, but they still manage to make their own sound. Some really beautiful tracks and even the less memorable ones are still a fun listen. Favorite Tracks: Starlight, Supermassive Blackhole, Map of the Problematique, Hoodoo, Knights of Cydonia
Super massively good album. No one else sounds like Muse.
Unreal album, historic, monumental - one of the best ever.
6/10
8.5/10
Masterpiece of an album and Muse is one of the GOATs. Every song bangs, every lyric slaps, such an amazing album. 10/10
Wow!!!!! I'd heard of Muse, but never listened to them. Great stuff.
Invincible is good; Exo-politics is really good; knights of cydonia is an all time banger
Really strong album. It’s pop and prog and EDM all rolled into one well produced record. So many great songs on this one album.
If Radiohead decided to stop their arty experimenting and put out an album aimed squarely at mainstream sales, this is what it would sound like. It's not a terrible album, but I couldn't get past the singer trying to sound like Thom Yorke.
I am that old dude that loves MUSE and I don't care what people think! Such a great album!
This is, to me, arguably Muse's best work. It came as they were getting much of the mainstream spotlight, but comes before their descent into formulaic rehashes of their earlier sounds. It's an over-the-top treat for the ears. "Take a Bow" isn't my fave, but everything else is fantastic.
Cool fuzz effect ... then less cool ... then less cool ... then annoying fuzz effect.
I recognized a couple of the songs on here, but I'm not familiar with this band at all. I liked most of the songs on this album even though they were all pretty similar. I can see listening to this again.
I remember when I was in highschool and I thought these guys were so cool. Their lyrical themes lack subtly, but I like that about them. This is a bombastic album full of swelling, near overproduced tracks. I'm betting a lot of people don't enjoy Muse's vibe, but as an ex theater kid I had a good time.
This album was fine. I listened to it in the car and it was perfectly okay for listening to in that space. I wouldn’t necessarily listen to it again but wouldn’t turn it off. Should be a 2.5 if that was possible
Shits awesome
This album has a lot going for it. At times sounds a little like Cold Play, but then has bangers like Knights of Cydonia. I love a lot of the big effort songs on here most of all. So many of these albums have their best songs near the back of the album.
Dope
The most 90s album of the 2000s. Muse are fine, though every song sounds like an anthem. Kind of tiring after 13 similar songs. Supermassive Black Hole is a killer though.
This is one of those albums that it's hard to review objectively because it's so familiar and I love every second of it. Origin of Symmetry was the first album I was familiar with having seen them live around this time. This album, when it was released, almost came close to that. Listening with the distance of time, I think this is actually the better album.
they went sicko mode on 3 songs
So this album is immaculate. It is utterly brilliant, but for those same reasons, I'm just not into it. It feels like a very overproduced Radiohead, technically impressive, but a bit too polished and distant for me. The songs are complex with weird time signatures and structures, and I do like the general sound, with the combination of synths and huge guitar riffs, and Matt Bellamy's vocals are incredible. They just sort of lack any personality. They don't inspire anything, I don't feel any emotion in the tracks. I think if some parts had a bit of a rougher feel, a little more mud and grit, it would resonate more. If I were to compare them to a band like Kasabian, whose sound is also a mixture of guitar riffs and electronics, their overall sound while polished has that underlying dirtiness that feels a lot more real to me.
3 song album
Had to skip to this to avoid a run of albums I dreaded. I'm biased. Ive seen Muse about 15, times and this album came out during my Muse high point. I've gone off and got back into them since and though this isn't as great as the two albums that came before it's still a 5/5. Even with Invincible. Everything else is just interesting or catchy and Map of the Problematique's drums take it to a 4 alone. Alright Matt is shit at writing lyrics and they all sound like they were written by a 14 year old. But he can play. Reviewers comparing to Radiohead and especially Coldplay must be drunk.
i thought i had rated this already but apparently not. do i have 163 other albums to listen to? yes. yes, i do, but i’ll take any chance to listen to this again. it’s just brilliant.
This is an incredible album. The last of muse's stellar 4 album run. It's the most colourful one, the brightest, the most ridiculous, but also the last one where they managed to contain the pomposity. It's beautifully over the top, the synths and guitar compliment each other perfectly, Matt's voice sours, Chris's basslines drive throughout and the drums groove in each track. It's just brilliant.
Knights of Cydonia is the star, everything else was so-so
The album is pretty good, there are several great songs with Starlight at the top of the list. 3,75/5
Wow. Teenager me would be happy for Muse. Adult me is wondering why the fuck this is here and if any of the earlier Muse albums got shafted for this mass appeal move. I don’t think I even considered this a great album when I was a teenager either, I just really enjoyed the catchy songs and it introduced me to their actually solid back catalog (back when the entire back catalog was mostly solid) when my music tastes were much more underdeveloped. Predicting a 3/5 max, which I probably would have even given it in 2009. Don’t be surprised if it’s worse. (Well, I guess you can’t be since you’ll see the score first.) I do realize that this album was pretty massive (pun sadly unintended) and it serves the purposes of the book to include it, but sheesh. — Going in, I really wanted to rate this a 2/5 when I was done. How could I not? This was the first step of Matt Bellamy and co’s decline in pure commercialized soullessness. It felt like it would be cathartic if I could justify it, since I knew a 1/5 wasn’t happening. And after the first listen, multitasking since I’d heard the thing before, I thought I might be able to get away with it. Nothing really stood out anew, and the old familiars were as catchy and superficial as ever. But then I started it playing the second time, and I was actually paying attention when we reached the second track, Starlight. Regrettably, I became sentimental and started thinking about how this was one of the first tracks to introduce me to the unexpected epic title drop, and how it was my first all time most played song on last.fm, and so on. After that I think my brain was hijacked, otherwise this would be a 2/5. It’s barely above the 2.5 required to round up, at least. But I’m glad I had a reason to revisit it, I guess. I fucking GUESS. Whateeeever, man.
For me, this album feels like a mixed bag. While Knights of Cydonia is undeniably a standout track—bold, cinematic, and full of energy—the rest of the record doesn’t quite hit the same heights. Compared to Origin of Symmetry, which is raw, inventive, and packed with intensity, this leans too heavily into polished production and pop sensibilities. It’s not a bad album by any means, but overall, it feels pretty average and lacks the edge that made Muse so compelling earlier in their career. Honestly, it’s surprising that Origin of Symmetry didn’t make the list, because that’s the one that truly defines Muse at their peak.
Knights of Cydonia my beloved
For all the apocalyptic lyrics and heavy sound, this is ultimately melodramatic pop music -- with heavy distortion and fuzz. It's a spectacle, expertly delivered with full commitment from the band.
Really fun! I would have put Absolution or Origin of Symmetry on here instead but get that this was the "mainstream" breakthrough - that said this was infinitely better than I remembered! :)
I couldn't wait for it to be over. But for one song I found this unlistenable.
I'll be honest: I went looking into this album with very low expectations but ended up enjoying it. Definitely a new "one of my favorite albums of all time" and might consider a future relisten
Siin on paar sellist igavaseks bängerit peal nagu "Knights of Cydonia" ja "Supermassive Black Hole" ning ülejäänud album on ka hea kuulamine. Selline alternatiivrokk pole minu lemmikžanr, aga vähemalt teeb Muse seda väga-väga hästi.
Pretty much meh for me. I felt like it was just boring.
interesting themes, high energy, bit repetitive
One of the best intros/starts with the third song being insane Super Massive Black hole. Unfortunately later on it does get weaker.
Debatable how much it’s stood the test of time but I’ll rate well for the nostalgia
still can't figure out why I think Muse are uncool, decent sounding honestly. Missing a little something as an album, but some great songs along the way! 3.5* rounded down
jo. gern. banger album. gits en rare zwei füfi in folge? wie take a bow uuuufe und ufe goht fuuuuck. yeah. mer meint immer s wird rockig aber s isch synthi time! es cha sich nöd uf e tonart einige. okaaay jetz gitarre. uuui und die verschiedene stimmer überall. de bellamy singt insaaane. starlight findi scho immer bitz z poppig eigentli. aber d bridge rettets. und dass de refrain so spoot chunt. es isch alles meega synth heavy? ui de gitarrepart bide brigde macht wie e zweiti stimm oyeah. ok liebs. supermassive black hole fix au scho z viel ghört aber bruuudi slappt das. er isch mega uf sim pop shit gsi uf dem album. map of the problematique chli zum schnuufe dezwüsched. er singt soo pathetisch haha. kei ahnig es isch knights of cydonia druff. füfi.
oah freumi seeehr, kenn the muse ja iwie voll nöd und das album eh mal welle lose UI GITARRE ES MACHT SACHE seeehr coolio AHH DAS ISCH VO THE MUSE s git aber meh her als nur s klavier wommer in 7282 verschiedene werbige ghört het bin au erst bim dritte song aber ich han e supeer ziit OMG S SOLO BI INVINCIBLE SSSHHÜSSSHH ASSASSIN knights of cydonia isch jz nöd mis lieblingslied aber finds cool für was es isch ohh s schlussriff isch seehr geil! erinneret mich ah irgendöppis au en coole schluss vom album! bin nöch am 5i, weiss es aber nanig recht map of the problematique isch ebe au fucking guet es isch ebe chlii z lang drum weissi eifach NÖD
All of the elements are there, crisp production, solid vocals, precision playing, it's just hollow. Without soul or heart somehow
Heck yeah. First time I listened to this band was at Bonarroo. 3 solid days of music and they were in my top 5 for the festival. They really blew me away. All the songs on this album are incredibly well done. There's a drive and urgency to these tracks, I enjoy the space rock and new wave elements of this album.
An aural holocaust. Just shit music. Lead singer thinks he’s Bono, going for that sweeping hero, soaring vocals that only Bono can really get away with.
Muse is always great.
This is such a good album, so nostalgic for me.
Fan of one muse song but never heard this album. Take a bow is awesome, feels and sounds like a real album opener. I love how it just builds and builds. Bass drop is crazy. This is a really good song. Good transition into starlight. Good songwriting on this one, not as good background track imo. Black hole is very poppy. Good amount of range on this album so far. This song is really fun. Very 2006. Best guitar so far on problématique. I love the piano as well. This is another banger. Soldiers poem is fine, shows good range but not my style of music. Back on track with invincible. Started slow but songwriting is so good and picks up as the song goes on. This whole album is a great blend of pop and rock, with emphasis on the rock. Assassins is more similar to the muse I had heard prior to this. Just a good rock song. Great drums and guitar. Crazy sounds on exo politics, production is fantastic. City of delusion is good too, cool use of violin/strings. Not the best but not the worst in the album. Horns too at the end wow. Not a normal rock song at all. Hoodoo is super interesting. The first half is mid, but once the piano and following instruments come in it is awesome. I think I’ve heard knights of Cyndonia before? Banger. Classic muse. Glorious is pretty good, I’m counting Cydonia is as the last one. This is a great album. Muse is a great band. Will listen to again. 4.1 stars
Really dig this album The only songs i knew from muse were supermassive black hole and uprising from a differnet album but this music is pretty dope and younger me wouldve went feral for this “Assassin” goes bonkers “Knights of Cydonia” has horse noises so Cool
Well, this one is nostalgic for me. So I'm already going into it with bias and I know that. But this is objectively a good album. Lol jokes aside, I think at times it's cool and spacey. Starlight is one of the first songs I bought on iTunes and I still love it. At first when the soldier's poem came on I thought spotify had thrown in Falling In Love by Elvis. Ooooh and then Invincible was kind of I Did it My Way... are these guys copycats and I never noticed? Hoping it's a fluke. Assassin is cool, I like the drumming. Muse is kind of red pill blue pill big brother vibes, as I'm listening to City of Delusion I'm worried that I'm gonna find out this is secretly Christian rock in disguise... I'm going to be so upset if I've been hoodwinked by Big Christian. Lyrics aside, I still like the music.
The drumming in this album compared to the last is insane. Whoever’s drumming is pretty cracked. I really enjoyed this album. Some of the lyrics and whisk Muse vibe is a nooooo cringey but it didn’t ruin it for me. Overall the music is pretty neat, heavier than I usually listen to.
What muse does, they do very well. The deep, warm, well shaped, saturated and full low end and mids. Big sounds, fairly epic. The bohemian rhapsody featuring Jeff Buckley as lead singer type vocals. The nice blend of synth pop blended with alt rock. Cool retro futuristic lyrics, themes and sound. I enjoy the various kinds of synths they use throughout. Overall a pleasant experience. I do find the individual tracks on this record to be much of a muchness. Each track you KNOW you're listening to a muse song. The sound is theirs, its clear. It gets repetitive to me. Not something I'd revisit simply for taste reasons. Saying that, they've done a brilliant job with the record. Production, recording, mix and masters are polished, perhaps too much.
Magnificent! Supermassive guitars.
It's a pretty good album with solid hits. Not quite perfect, but one that I'm happy to put on whenever.
Enjoyed this more than I expected. Felt some Tool vibes in here.
Taking Alt Rock to really a different kind of intensity - such a great album. One slight gripe would be the electronic elements which i like in a lot of songs but also they dont work in some songs, especially the slower ones. But it's not something I can't get past, so, overall a VERY good experience. My rating scheme is 2 - decent, 3 - good, 4 - great so this is a 4
i remember leaving this album halfway through. not bcuz i couldn't stand it, but just bcuz i had to do smth else. and i never came back to it. until 3 months later. which is now. god why did i word that so badly pretty alt intro lmao. bro thinks he's thom yorke. jk i love this guy uhh are reviews public? if so, hi there. call me a normie, but ts is peak. leave your thom yorke suckin ahh behind and open your mind! OMG I LOVE THIS ALBUM SO MUCH. this is such a fucking vibe omg. city of delusion is so damn good!!!! bro overall this is one of my fave rock albums now lmao. i love bri ish music. i didnt expect to friggin love this album so much. 5 stars!
Muse became popular when I was a freshman in college. People in my college didn’t listen to or discuss Muse at all, but when I visited home, my high school aged little brother would blast it in his car everywhere he went. So did his friends and classmates. I remember immediately thinking that although their technical talent was impossible to ignore, Muse amounted to plastic radio bullshit with no authentic voice, and thus, was music with little for me. I was on to higher music by that point, after all. Muse became ‘little brother’ music to me. Here we are decades later, and I’m going through this 1001 album project with diligence, concentration, and the benefit of no prejudgement. When I got this Muse album, my first thought was, let’s see what people saw in this. My assessment: this is plastic radio bullshit with little authentic voice, but great technical mastery. I can’t believe how similar this vocalist sounds to Thom Yorke. Interesting that when I looked this up online, the consensus is confusion and outrage that people accuse Muse of sounding like Radiohead. Personally, it seems like Muse are an overt rip off, but delivering less actual feeling and content. Some of these songs do truly ‘rock’ though, and one does feel moments of glory at moments. I can’t believe see why this was popular. I probably won’t return to Muse-land again (as Radiohead is better), but I feel a lift of a weight I didn’t know I had on me, now that I’ve checked in and given Muse a look around.
It was ok, but Muse are a band that just don’t excite me. It’s not an album I would revisit
As one of the albums that got me properly into music, I would be lying if I said that I didn't approach this with some apprehension. It had been a while since I'd listened and the last thing I wanted was to ruin a memory of such an exciting time in my musical memory. I was happily proven wrong. If anything, with more informed political opinions, the dystopian imagery throughout rang truer for me than ever before. By the end of opener Take A Bow, I was 15 again; by the end of the album, I had fallen in love with Muse again. Critics will argue over their best album; is it this or is it Absolution? For me, this is them at their most inspired, demonstrating their best songwriting, best variety and sheer talent of these musicians.
Day 104 A band I’ve always struggled to get into, no doubt talented and there was enough on here to keep me interested but the falsetto voice he insists on at times goes right through me. 6/10 Highlights Map of the problematique Invincible
2.75/5 Really derivative. I can't listen to Supermassive Blackhole, without laughing about the Twilight baseball scene. With every other song, I kept thinking this reminds me of Radiohead, U2, and even a little bit of Queen with the spacerock/synth/vocal harmonizing songs. I think Origins of Symmetry is a better album than this one.
A perfect album. This album feels so...out of body. I love the vocals and how the whole band works together and tells a story. Such a great album
liked songs: all of them This is the most Muse album that Muse has ever made. Classic. 5
Arpeggio after arpeggio after arpeggio, idk this got old pretty fast, and the vocals were just kinda annoying.
The poor man’s Radiohead
Sometimes this list shocks me when it generates an album I was sentient for LMAO This caught me off guard I remember hearing some of these songs on the radio growing up and liked them...but never listened to their album in full. It wasnt bad at all, the singer has such a theatric voice. Just interesting execution overall.
Honestly pleasant enough but can’t remember any of it.
I was "today years old" when I noticed Earth and the moon, poorly Photoshopped into the sky, on the album cover. Don't know why that bums me out. Anyway. "Let's mix ELO, My Chemical Romance, U2, Radiohead, 'A Night at the Opera' and... just see what happens." It's gutsy, it's overly dramatic, and it's EXTREMELY 2000s. I really like this album. It's a ton of fun, and it doesn't get weighed down by too much filler. 8/10
I’m not sure how I feel about it which doesn’t bode well.
a pretty boring 2.5
This is an album I love from a band I‘ve seen live twice. It’s more experimental abd a bit weird towards the end but overall it’s amazing.
Another one that’s painfully close to 5 stars. Wish I could have seen these songs live
Really like Muse and this is a good album
Fun one to get to know!
Man I've done the rounds with this one. Gets me every time. So sonically dense. Great arrangements and songwriting. Not afraid of going big, nor ashamed to, and it shouldn't be. Hits all those epic tones masterfully. City of Delusion and Knights of Cedonia are amazing tracks on a fantastic record. The trumpet solo on City is pure eargasm. Doesn't matter how many times I hear it, I can always spin this one.
I kinda liked the first two tracks, but the album kept going…
This was cool when I was like 17.
I like it but is nothing too original and a little monotonous
What a classic. I recall this being THE Triple J album of 2006. Although I never bought the album, I heard it in its entirety more than a few times thanks to its constant airplay. These days I occasionally revisit its hits but upon this morning’s full spin I rediscovered my love for Invincible - I’d forgotten that one to time. And of course, Knights of Cydonia is of one of the most epic rock productions of the century.
I have mostly dismissed Muse because of the songs I have heard it did not appeal to me really at all. You can absolutely hear that they have been influenced by Radiohead. I kind of liked the first track and then it became a bit theatrical. Second song...aaah yes, there is that sound that put me off them in the first place - basically sounds like the killers. I am not sure how to take this. it is very theatrical, almost like they are trying to hard. Its ok, but nothing to make me want to listen to it again. A band with obvious influences but never going to be influential themselves. I was actually quite pleased when it was over. 2.5 stars
Very solid album here. Some fun rock, mixed with fun synth and other futuristic noises and beats. Association with the Twilight movies almost ruined this band for me but I’m glad I came back.
Interesting wall of sound. But after a while, all the songs sound the same.
Dollar store Radiohead
I didn't NOT enjoy listening to this. But the first track made me think it was going to be a lot more ethereal than the rest of the album was. With little exception (shoutout Knights of Cydonia and Guitar Hero 3), the tracks were mostly forgettable.
Fun fact, the leader singer of Muse, Matt Bellamy, once cancelled his interviews for the week because he genuinely believed that there was an extraterrestrial asteroid about to hit Earth and kill everybody. He also believes that lizards secretly control the Earth, that he was abducted by aliens, and that 9/11 was an inside job. Actually, that last one is fair enough. Anyways, crackpot lead singers aside, this album ranges from obvious and obnoxious Radiohead ripoffs, so some genuinely good tunes. I found myself nodding along to Assassin, the guitar work is really good on that, but I will concede that the vocal style does get a little annoying. The offcuts on this thing really did stand out here - especially in the latter half of the album. Supermassive Black Hole is also a supermassive hit. Shoutout to my team Jacob Twilighters. Not a Muse fan so I'm genuinely surprised at this thing.
Muse have a really weird reputation to me. I liked them in highschool, and knew that they were pretty popular broadly, but I’ve yet to meet an adult man who says Muse is their favourite band. I’m sure a lot of their musical clout comes from being included on the soundtrack of various video games in the period 2010-2015, but I don’t know if they have any legacy from the period of this album that isn’t overshadowed by the reddit music (pejorative) that they put out now. I enjoyed this album, but without Knights of Cydonia I’d downgrade it to a 3 If you want to ruin muse for yourself forever pay careful attention to the sharp as fuck exhale the lead singer does after every line. No joke he does it on every track they have and it’s distracting as fuck once you notice it.
Very well-produced, performed and arranged. It feels a little too 'clean' though. It's a good album but fairly forgettable despite multiple listens. Knights of Cydonia is the exception mainly because of Guitar Hero though. It's just okay. Rock without soul. Highlights: Invincible, Assassin, Knights of Cydonia
Yes!!!
An interesting and energetic rock album Fav songs - Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole 4/5
Muse is really, really good at making soaring symphonic sounds with choruses of Matt Bellamys singing in falsetto. The problem with that is that when you're blasted with the same loud tenor singing, guitar riffs, and drumming for 50 minutes with only one or two tracks that change up the tone and volume, everything starts to sound a bit too familiar by the end of the album.
Can't help it, listened to it when I was 18 so it tickles my lizard brain still
The Qobuz write up had to point out that the band suffered by being compared to Radiohead, which is obvious. I liked the less Radioheady parts a little better than the Radiohead-but-straightforward parts.
this caught on with the normies and in 2006 that was enough to turn me off of it, but now i'm a normaler person and i can admit that this is mostly weird and good, and sometimes fantastic
i really liked supermassive black hole as a tween. it was on my archery practice playlist lol
🤷
# 180/1001. U2 + Radiohead + Coldplay + progressive metal+ mediocre songwriting + knights of cyd equals 3.
Arranqué bastante escéptico y me gustó. Pero la banda no me genera mucho. 6/10 y pasamos
Ok
the owl city to radiohead's postal service.
1. bouu -1 2. light -1.5 3. black - 2.5 4. Map - 1 5. Poem -1 6. Invincible -1 7. Assassin - 1.5 8. Politics - 1 9. City - 1 10. Hoodoo - 1.5 11. Knights-1 12. glorious - 1.5
Litt lang, men har noen bangers. Knights of Cydonia er konge.
Some say pretentious and derivative...I say pretty enjoyable for a first time listen...
Sounds convinced of its own importance but it's just another passable rock record.
Great energy! Really enjoyed this one
Phenomenal listen, with the right amount of edge and energy accompanied by fantastic vocals and better instrumentation.
*2006 *I’ve never really listened to muse other than the title song. thought I would like them more than I do. *Just didn’t hit for me. RATING - 5.5/10
Great
Quite liked.
A solid album overall. Muse's best effort. I like the stadium rock opera aspirations Muse has. I have a soft spot for them because I feel the comparisons and accusations of ripping off Radiohead feel unfounded to me. I've also seen them live a couple of times and they put on a fantastic show. I think Muse knows where they stand in the realm of popular rock music. I don't think they were ever trying to be as innovative as Radiohead. Are they the best to ever make this kind of operatic stadium rock? No. But is this still a solid record. Supermassive Black Hole is one of their best singles. I think this album is worthy of being on this list as an example of popular alternative rock from the mid 2000s.
Completely NOT my type,
Zero skippable song. Pure peak. The opening song was pretty lit which was a pleasant surprise and then we have starlight and supermassive black hole which are BANGERS. I think it’s a 4.5/5 but with this system I am NOT giving it a 4. Get your 5 muse
Reaaally good album. First three songs are my favouriteee, and ofc startlight is a goated song looove it. I dont think i was fully able to appreciate it due to my speaker, but it was a very pleasant listen and kept me company while cleaning the house.
Muse is a great band. What holds them back from being a top band, for me, is that they're a little too perfect. This could likely just be the result of them being great musicians, but still, I feel a dash of humanity would do them well. If I found out they were an AI band, I wouldn't be all that surprised. Absolution is my favorite album of theirs because it's more "rock band," but this one's pretty dang good. They started delving more into fancy-pants electronic stuff on this record, but it's not overbearing.
I've never heard this band before. They're like Radiohead with 25% less depression. First few songs slap, though it kind of slows down after that. Solid overall, though. Will I listen again? Maybe, if I can remember the name
Better than I expected given what I knew of Muse. It’s too melodramatic and perfectly engineered for the arena for me to like it without reservation but I suppose I admire their craft.
Didn’t catch these guys the first time around, although eventually, I heard this song Madness, but I really like this. Has a Kansas-like prog quality to a lot of it that I really enjoyed.
2/5 - I don't mind listening to Muse as much as some of the other 2s I've rated, but I hardly think this is essential listening. It's overly bombastic arena rock, that I have to admit works really well on the big stage, having seen them in a festival setting ages ago (and enjoyed the spectacle they put on). This album feels like the music equivalent of a cheesy, summer blockbuster movie. You know it's not high art, but if you know what you're in for, you can enjoy the manufactured drama, and then go do something else with your time.
Llegué tarde a Muse, creo que este fue el primer disco que escuché entero y me hizo darme cuenta de mi error y poder recuperar sus discos en un viaje hacia atrás en su carrera. Luego con el tiempo han ido gustándome cada vez más los mismos discos que ya me parecieron buenos. Para guardar: "Take a Bow", "Starlight", "Supermassive Black Hole", "Assassin" , "City of Delusion" y "Knights of Cydonia".
Pretty solid! Take a bow and Knights of Cydonia great. The synth really takes it up a notch
Not bad. I feel like I should really like them but o don’t really care for them that much.
In terms of Diet Radiohead™, I'm more of a Coldplay fan, but this was surprisingly good given what I've heard about Muse. Citing Depeche Mode and Lightning Bolt as influences was certainly a choice. I hear the Depeche Mode, but definitely not the Lightning Bolt. If they actually combined the two influences and made an overly sexy noise rock album it'd be the easiest 5 stars of my life. Sadly, we do not live in a perfect world. What we got is still a great album, though. Maybe overly derivative, but at least they did enough with it to be their own thing. The Latin influence in City of Delusion and Hoodoo alone is enough to show that.
Coldplay-esq
I don t know*
For a second, I thought I was having a good time. I can't really say I liked most of the songs on here. It started strong, but got worse and worse as the song dragged on.
I thought this shit ruled as a 10 year old. Let’s see if they still got it. I agree with the general consensus that Muse is Coldplay trying to do Radiohead but I simultaneously have to give them supermassive black hole, a banger of a composition. Knights of cydonia too. All of this is so easy to make fun of but it’s really not bad. In the immortal words of Liam quoting someone else, if my friends made this shit I would be so excited for them and make sure they kept making music, so it can’t be too bad. Maybe the original imagine dragons. That starlight song is so bad from overplaying but objectively a good song. The Depeche Mode song was pretty enjoyable too. Invincible is bad. I love super massive and knights but this is Objectively a 3 album.
I think this holds up pretty well. Dude's voice is a little annoying at times rising up into those notes, but on the whole this is a really solid record. I always thought of Muse being the baby of Coldplay and U2, and I think I like them more than at least U2. These guys are good players for sure and they've had quite a few hits along the way. Starlight is still a cute charlie song. I'm feeling a decent 4/5.
Great, but a little intense.
I liked this album more when I was younger. There are a few cool songs on here, Knights of Cydonia in particular. A lot of the songs here I only like a little or feel indifferent about. Some good singles but not really a great album. I also find it to be a bit too Queen-esque at the time. Also heard some of the songs here way too much which kind of dampens my enjoyment.
Utterly brilliant album
This shit rips
I first heard Starlight when I was in the 6th grade. My radio alarm clock went off at 6 AM and my routine was to spend an hour in bed laying to the alt rock morning show. The single was released in September and was in heavy rotation that fall, so I probably heard it every morning for months. In the summer of 2020 I "rediscovered" Muse while on a road trip through the desert. Knights of Cydonia was our theme for every washed out, unpaved, rock-filled death trap we drove over. That winter, I met and fell in love with a Muse superfan. In 2023 we got to see them live together in Las Vegas - what an incredible show. They've been in my top artist rotation for the last several years, 20 years since I first met their sound. Muse has always been a force in my life, I can't imagine my musical library without them. I wept during this listen through.
First 4 songs are great, otherwise not up my street really. Muse always tend to come off a bit lame and try hard to me
Another band I’ve heard about but never got the opportunity to hear. This is a well produced album of rock based songs. The amount of variety keeps this album interesting to listen to. By this point they’re a few albums along in their career so it would be interesting to listen to all the preceding albums to hear their evolution. A better knowledge of this band and their music as well as more spins of this album will surely raise the rating in the future.
Pretty fun and actually got me singing along. Something about his slurry singing soaring above the band rocking out...
Decent crotch rock
This album has such a wild drop off. It opens so strongly that after the first four tracks I was certain I was going to give it 5 stars. I forgot about the really quite bad middle portion of this album. Knights Of Cydonia pulls it back a bit, but it still never really recovers. Shame this is the only Muse album on the list. At the time they felt like the biggest band on the planet, and I’d have much preferred listening to Absolution or Origin Of Symmetry again.
No sé qué pasó con Muse. No sé si fueron ellos o fui yo que con cada álbum que sale me van perdiendo cada vez más. Pero hubo un momento en que me parecieron una banda asombrosa, y Black Holes and Revelations es una gran muestra del por qué. Discazo.
more fun than I remebered
7/10
It was interesting in parts
Great. Hadn't listened in years, some excellent album tracks I'd forgotten about.
This one surprised me. None of the songs missed. Deep dive here I come.
TAKE A BOW WOWWWWW Starlight icónicaaaaa supermassive black hole mt boa tb soldier's poem fez me lembrar queen e cant help falling in love a intro de invincible faz me lembrar o fim de programas de tv onde aparecem os créditos mt bom album em geral!!
- Ich mag den typischen Muse Sound - Würde ich auf jeden Fall wieder hören, nur 1-2 Songs gefallen mir nicht so gut Topsong: Invincible
I liked this album from the start. Supermassive Black Hole has been overplayed, and I didn't really like it to begin with, but there's other great songs on here. Take a Bow, Starlight, Invincible, and City of Delusion stood out 4.5/5
Some good heavy tunes
i wanted so badly to like this album because it has Supermassive Black Hole on it. the generic Radiohead sounding songs i actually liked. it’s kind of all over the place. the rest of the album i couldn’t get into.
Kinda silly and a bit cringe, but I still enjoy it. Sometimes you just need dorky music
Is “maximalist pop” a subgenre? I feel like that’s what Muse are doing. Nothing here really grabbed me, but it was listenable the whole way through. I can’t really imagine someone feeling strongly about them though
Nice cover. Full on Radiohead-ish. Lifts from Queen & Keane, Hives & Coldplay. Even the Tornados 'Telstar' and more Queen on Knights of Cydonia. Mix is boosted by 10+dB to give that showroom impact but more distortion than necessary. Good music but sounds like a cover band.
Really enjoyed this album. Good vibes, good singing, I liked it.
re-defined rock. Lots of bangers.
Our hopes and expectations
A lot of songs gave the vibe of Thom Yorke singing over uncompelling music. It isn't BAD, just not all that interesting to listen to.
2.75
I was surprised by how much of this album I knew already, and the ways in which they fit into the album as a whole. I had heard the songs Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole on the radio a a hundred times growing up, and knew Knights of Cydonia from Guitar Hero. Once I recognized Starlight, I was surprised with some of the heavier directions this album went. In my mind, that song is so closely related to Coldplay and 5 seconds to mars, that I didn't expect much range out of this group. I had a good amount of fun with the rest of the album, I like the trippy synth effects they use, and the spacey sound works great most of the time. The vocals sort of stop me from buying into the aesthetic as a whole at points though. Glad to put some more childhood music into context!
I can't remember if I've listened to this album all the way before but I have always kind of thought of Muse as a Radiohead rip-off band and a bit uncool. I've struggled to appreciate them. Okay that first song blew my mind. Starlight is ruined for me because of the radio. Supermassive Black Hole just rubs me wrong for some reason. It could be due to the radio as well. Okay the rest of the album just felt kinda meh to me. I don't think this is bad music by any means but I just don't care for it that much. It feels like maybe it's trying too hard? I thought the production was solid and I liked the fusion of electronic and rock. I was caught off guard by some of the harder rock moments.
What a great record. I remember vividly when this record came out. I watched the video of Knights of Cydonia on Fuse TV when it was released and it blew my mind. Neo-country surf rock space anthem??? Hell yeah. Sign me up for that shit. I love how that song just comes in hard with that Dick Dale inspired guitar riffs and then just builds from there. That song rocks. Starlight is perfect indie pop song. Its got all the feels. I love the politics and comentary of this record throughout (Take A Bow, Soldier's Poem, Exo-Politics, Assassin). Post 9/11 War of Terrorism era made this feel extra edgy and taboo. I loved Map of Problematique as a teenager, I used to listen that on repeat. (Not really sure why? I just really liked it.) My hot take is that Super Massive Blackhole does not fit the rest of the album is actually the low point for me. It is a cool indie pop song, but it kind of annoys me. Speaking of being annoyed.. like 4 of these songs were on X96 on repeat for the entirety of the 2000s. Which kind of degraded the record for me. Its also about 2 songs too long as well. And.. its a little over zealous. I love the kind of Bowie inspo spaceiness of this record, but I don't feel like they're always landing the plan. It kind of feel like the movie 500 Days of Summer in that way. Still great. Still a sick album. Cool band.
An all-timer for me, honestly. I dig the theatricality tempered with intense musicianship
Total 3
I think this is a 3
Matt Bellamy and the boys are a year or two older than me and grew up in the same area. Most of their early gigs were in small venues in places I know. Perhaps for that reason I can't really equate them with the likes of Coldplay or Radiohead though clearly they are kind of the stepping stone between both. To me they seem more on a level of bands like Placebo or Editors both of whom I think do more interesting things with similar musical influences and equally deserve entries on this list. I liked a few tracks here -Map of the Problematique stood out - but over the course of an album it was just too histrionic and the signs of the conspiracy theory theme rabbit holes they end up going down completely on subsequent releases are already present here.
As someone who rarely listened to Muse this album sounds pretty great. Its grand, wide and polished.
3.5 I used to love Muse when I was younger. Not so much anymore now, tho this is a pretty fun album. Their debut and Origin of Symmetry are their better albums.
It was really good, but not exactly my style. I really liked Soldier’s poem, since it was the most like calm one, while the beginning of the album sounds like heavy and metal? (Not in the music style way but in a more “guitar and drums and WAHHHH” way) and since I prefer “soft”things (like the smiths or Lana del Rey or the cure) well I was sceptical at the start. But then I listened to the last part of the album and “wow”. It’s definitely not basic and I love the album for it. There’s also Assassin who’s really good. In my opinion they’re all guitar and drums but some have more screaming than others (like in the beginning) and since I think this is what I don’t like, well it’s what actually makes me not giving a 5 stars. The beginning of City of Delusion sounds like Radiohead. Hoodoo is probably my fav one. Maybe Knights of Cydonia too, it kinda sounds like something the sort of song an edit of interstellar would have, at least that one part. Clearly people love that song, since it’s in like the top 4 of the most listened songs on the album. Glorious is “WOWWWW” and made me come to the conclusion that it does sound like Radiohead. The end did not disappoint.
I like Muse. This is a good album, but it’s not a great, in fact prefer earlier offerings.
What a ride that was! Whole album is a wall of explosive sound. Love it. Strong vocals that blend very well with the instrumentation. Stand out tracks are Exo Politics, Knights of Cydonia, and Starlight.
GOOD, fun listen overall
I'd heard some of this album already. Some excellent songs, some of the rest of it gets a little shakier. Very loud and dense, a little pretentious sounding at times. Exo-Politics is a pretty fun song I hadn't heard before. It's decent enough. Some moments that make me want to listen to more Muse, but overall it's a little much.
Shockingly good. I assumed I didn't like Muse based on the three songs from this album that are played incessantly on the radio. Turns out the rest of the album is much better than those (Cydonia is still good though).
96/1089 Starlight is just so good and kinda euphoric which seems a little odd coming from Muse in a way. Supermassive Black Hole is iconic and creates such a strong moody atmosphere City of Delusion was a pleasant surprise. Some have issues with Muse at this time for being “edgy teen music” etc but this whole album just sounds so good that for me the lyrics are almost redundant, like maybe it’s a bit try hardy but it has to be and is worth it to sell the sound. Knights of Cydonia is a classic and was always a favourite of mine to play on Guitar Hero i thought i was set on this being a 4 star album based on the songs i knew and the sound i was familiar with but i think i can only give it a 5 faves: Starlight, City of Delusion, Supermassive Black Hole, Glorious 85/100
Enjoyed parts of this album. Felt quite modern and interesting.
Ikke hørt så mye på Muse før, men ble inspirert til å høre mer
As much as I've tried, Muse has never really been my vibe. Whiny and boring IMHO.
Great!
tbh, this is a tad "big" for my tastes (stadium-focused, pompous) since I tend toward a quieter, more introspective, club-show band. However, this album is undeniably good. Not perfect by any means (again, it's a bit grandiose). I can't deny, however, that all-in-all I rated all the songs 3-plus, with several 5s. 4 stars.
Ok. This may be a merlot to you pinot noirers...but this is just fun and dramatic and nostalgic for me.
If Radiohead didn't move into more electronica with OK Computer and Kid A, I think this is what they would sound like. I've heard many times that Muse sounds like Radiohead but I didn't think so with the handful of hits they got, but listening to this album fully I totally understand now. And that's not a bad thing because this album is pretty damn good. Starlight was already on of my favorite songs ever AND the song from Twilight where they play baseball while raining is on here? That's automatically 4 stars.
It’s like a posh 16 year old boy who wants to break free listens to Radiohead on his way home from school and to the despair of his parents slicks his hair back with gel and picks up a guitar. Unfortunately to all our dismay, we have had to listen to the end result. It’s such a wannabe progressiveness to heavy rock that just does not work at all, and kind of makes them seem worse when you look at the examples that Radiohead left behind considering that this Muse record sounds more outdated. They’re clearly good musicians, but the output is so self-indulgent. To their credit, I actually hate how much I like supermassive black hole, so well done for that one Matt 👏 however the rest of it sounds like progressive space slop made by a teen with an electric guitar.
Look, I like Muse. SUE ME. Muse I think is a band that, at the time, was for the 14 year old I was another addition to my newly found love for rock and without being too hard hitting it was something I could think ooo yeah i like rock i'm so cool ooo. I standby that their first album Showbiz and then after that Absolution are actually amazing albums and I hope they come up in this list. For this album, I rememeber this coming out and in all honesty I was disappointed even then as this album screams Muse just trying too hard to be this edgy, futuristic band that no longer focuses on the amazing guitar riffs or piano that made me love them in the first place. However, there are some good moments on this album. Map of Problematique I would genuinely argue is actually a really quite good dance track and if released by a more electronic act it would get a good reception. It builds and has a good motif and the electronic aspects actually work. Assassin is as close as we get to old Muse and for that I'm glad there is at least one nod. To end, I'm going to say something that will really piss you off. Seeing Knights Of Cydonia live is bloody brilliant and I loved every moment of it. Take that Muse haters. Grow up.
Love it or hate it, but it keeps that classic sound similar to Radiohead as others have pointed out.
Feeling generous - 3. I thought it would be a 2 initially but with enough plays this album broke through to me and it sounds very diverse, it's not just one sound throughout (e.g. Starlight to Supermassive Black Hole to Map of the Problematique in that three track sequence, then later on it's Assassin and Exo-Politics). I like that it just seemed like they wanted to do whatever they wanted, however grand or big or crazy it seems. It isn't "coherent" in that sense in terms of the sound being similar but that is not a knock on this album.
they kind of fell off by knights of cydonia still kicks ass
listened to again certified hood classic
A later album than what I used to listen to. Have seen them life in Belgium.
For some reason when I’d hear a Muse song here or there on the radio, it’d always mildly annoy me. Muse has never resonated with me, which is odd, because some of my favorite bands mark Muse as one of their inspirations. This album is the same, unfortunately. Hard hitting moments for sure, some good hooks, vocals are impressive. It ain’t bad, but nothing has particularly struck me or stuck with me. Why alas. 2.5/5 meh
Hyvä levy. Ei varsinaisia heikkoja lenkkejä ja yks tajunnanräjäyttäjäkin.
Opening track is amazing. A bit dull in middle, Knights of Cydonia is a great track.
Bombastic amalgam of U2 and Queen.
I was already familiar with this album. I suppose this is best classified as progressive rock, but this album touches on multiple subgenres within rock. The vocals remind me of U2, and the instrumentation is excellent. Several tracks are particularly memorable: Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, and Assassin, which would not sound out of place on a metal album, along with Knights of Cydonia. I would listen to this album again for sure.
Love this band! My first time listening to a full length project and it definitely lived up to the expectations.
Ehh...during the first track I was thinking maybe I was too dismissive of this at the time as being some Radiohead wannabe, but then I hit "Supermassive Black Hole" and thought okay maybe I'd prefer if it was just aping Radiohead because this is shit. Map of the Problematique is nice though, partially because the lyrics are not just the same generic "resist" type platitudes that are just annoying to me now. This surface-level fight the power bullshit effects no change and does nothing for me in this day and age. Just more corporate nonsense packaged in a different way.
The project did have it stand out with me, knowing the most famous song generally and it didn’t amaze me. It’s not really my favorite kind of music, but it isn’t music. I don’t like either so it is a low seven out of 10 for me.
I was all over this in 2006/7. Been fun going back to it for the first time since then, lots of memories. It is, though, really amazing how your tastes change as you get older - listening almost twenty years later and there is a lot of filler here.
Proggy enough to have musical depth, rocky enough to be a headbanger. The sweet spot.
I forgot how good this album is. It's one of Muse's best but one I haven't come back to in years. There are a couple meh tracks that keep this from being an all-timer, but Knights of Cydonia on its own warrants inclusion on this list. This is a 4.5 star album, but I'll round up for the sake of nostalgia, waiting this album's peak songs over it's inconsistency.
This is another absolutely biased one for me. I have heard this album countless times and think it is a masterpiece. I'm sure this is just my brain remembering when life was simpler, but I can live with that. The songs still go hard, and I still like listening to them.
Really good album that was already on my favorites list. I think it's great with a unique sound and catchy beats. It all fits together nicely and is an easy listen. I'm sure I will be listening to this many more times.
Sometimes it's the day, sometimes it's the album. But my album of the day today just didn't live up to my expectations. Overall, a good listen and I can hear some of what other people say excites them about Muse, but it didn't happen for me.
Mi je poznan album, ampak ga že več let nisem slišala... Začnemo ("Take a Bow") takoj s tem značilnim hitrim Muse šopanjem na, hm, sintesajzerju? (Jep, wiki prav, da je Moog.) Tak zanimiv mix elektronike in rocka. "Starlight" mi je znan. Te klavirski deli so mi bli zmer kul. Pa njegov vokal. Isto poznam naslednjega, "Supermassive Black Hole". And I like it, what's more to say. Zmatrana sem po tem tednu, ne morm bluzit. "Map of the Problematique" je non stop šopanje and it's good. Po pa najbl chill " Soldier's Poem", skor k ena uspavanka. In "Invincible" nas počas ufura nazaj v bl ta tipičen Muse vajb, z vojaškimi bobni (A se tko reče? Marching band bobni, basically.) v ozadju, dokler se ne prelevi komad v čist neki drucga, kot je bil na začetku. Ok, "Assassin" gre res na hard. Ta vmesni del v "City of Delusion" mi je res kul. Po pa randomly tak mal mediteranski vajb? Sploh ne vem, ampak kul. "Hoodoo" je počasen, lep, dinamičen, mal žalosten. In album se epsko zaključ z "Knights of Cydonia".
Energizing music on dark topics. I love it.
Bland music disguised as a cool album. Disappointed with this one.
A good album, but feels of an era, I’m surprised how dated it feels. A couple of bangers but not as exciting as Muse’s earlier endeavours. It could be that overproduction ruined the overall feel of the album.
A quality Muse album: would make a great soundtrack for some sort of revolution. Does also have Supermassive Black Hole on it which is a classic (and yes does make me think of The Baseball Scene).
When OK Computer came out, it was fascinating to hear the best parts of punk and Pink Floyd combined. At this point in their career, Muse progressed from being outright Radiohead copycats to adding some Queen to the mix...to significantly less success. I always feel a bit guilty for how much I dislike them. Despite the copying I liked their first album, and on paper I should love them - combining weird noises and powerful riffs. But it just feels so empty. Every noise I hear on a Radiohead song - or, say, The Mars Volta or Stereolab - is perfectly chosen to fit the song and mood. So many Muse choices seem to be nothing more than showing off. It's a maximalist combination of every idea you can throw at the wall combined with the pomposity of Queen at their most coked up to cover up the fact that they really don't have any great ideas. Lyrics are sub-pulp sci fi "MAYBE GOVERNMENT IS BAAAAAD" nonsense. I found myself rolling ny eyes throughout. In their defense I can see why they're popular amongst some - the rhythm section is great, there's the odd catchy melody, and the occasional riff is pretty hefty, but it all just felt empty to me. A very high 2.