Reviews (page 8 of 14)
An album in my library and one which i bought close to release date. Must say I have not listened to it lately so this selection is welcome opportunity to discover it again. Muse are a bit of an enigma to me. Many put them in the (my favourite) Prog Rock genre and that’s what brought me to Muse but I don’t get that. I see them more of a big arena rock band. For a trio they make an hell of a big sound and this album is a great example of that. Loads of anthemic tunes abound and everything goes on at an amazing rate. Only one slower song so at the end you feel slightly exhausted. A great album but I think the earlier Absolution is technically better and the albums that follow are perhaps more proggy and a little inferior to this.
It's alright, was good for the time. But too epic opera to listen often.
Big, great album with massive hits. I strongly recommend listen to Knights of Cydonia on HAARP (Live from Wembley Stadium) - one of the best live performance I've ever heard.
This is peak Muse for me.
Rockin
2 of the tracks had so much airplay I could barely listen but the album overall a very strong work as a whole.
Lilke MGMT, Muse was another band that was huge in my mid-twenties, but then I kinda forgot about them. While The Resistance is their peunultimate album, this was a pretty strong offering. The album as a whole from begining to end seems to be a call to revolution. Almost every song discusses either the problems with politics, the need for change, or a rally cry to revolution. Fittingly it begins with "Take a Bow" which calls out crooked politicians, and ends with the superb "Knights of Cydonia." a war cry that shouts: No One's Gonna Take Me Alive!! Much like Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia, this could work as a concept album or play/musical.
Muse is absolutely one of my favorite mid-2000’s rock bands. This album is fantastic and Matt Bellamy is an incredible singer and showman. Map of the Problematique and Knights if Cydonia are the standouts for me on this album, but all are worth a listen. I will say, Absolution is a “better” Muse album and I hope to see it on this list. That album is front to back bangers, beautiful vocals, tight drum and guitar work. Absolution would get a 5 for me, Black Holes gets a 4.5
These guys are great. Very unique.
There's some great songs on here (particularly #1-4 and Knights of Cydonia). But there are a couple of duds too (Soldier's Poem, Invincible, Glorious). I enjoy it overall, and the good songs are brilliant, but the lyrics can be a bit too juvenile or basic in places. 7/10.
This might be my favourite Muse album just because I always come out at the end of it having had an absolute blast! Favourite tracks: Take a Bow, Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Invincible, Assassin, Knights of Cydonia
Great album. Love the subject matter (science fiction) and also the music itself.
That is a great album. It's a different kind of rock, I would even say Muse has a unique style, with exceptional perfomance from Matt Bellamy.
Very good band. This album does not have bad songs.
Cool, lange nicht mehr gehört!
Loved this when it came out
Loved it back in the day and still Love it now! 4.5
i feel like i want to conquer the world.
This is an enjoyable album. Its grandiose, epic and soraing in parts. It's not my ravourite rock album but it has a lot of good riffage and Matt whatsits vocals are really enjoyably unique. I like their bravado and this would be a great driving album, so there's that. Finally, I appreciate the horns in Knights of Cydonia - nice choice! I was going to give this 3 stars but I think it can sneak a 4 based on that. Nah, its a three, I think there are better Muse albums that Ive heard - also, it simply isn't memorable, it's not creating ear works (except maybe Knights of Cydonia with that epic vocal harmony bit).3.5 maybe!? Ah, I could play it anytime and enjoy it equally. I'll give it a 4.
Supermassive Black Holes was the perfect song for the twilight baseball scene.
Probably Muse’s most bombastic album, and the last one that still hits really well (The Resistance is decent but inconsistent and just doesn’t have the same impact) Very epic and in your face which I get being a turn off for some but the hooks on this are just too good - the swagger of Exo Politics, the fucking mental drumming on Assassin, the soaring guitar solo in Invincible and the hugely underrated City of Delusion. And that’s not even mentioning the biggest hits which are as mega and impactful as ever. A couple of lesser tracks buried in the mix but still an incredible achievement and a healthy blast of nostalgia
Really enjoyed this one. One or two songs were a miss but overall great. Didn’t know I like muse beyond the radio. But turns out I do and would like to see them live.
In my first year of university, my hallmate and good friend gave me a USB with some choice noughties albums on it, to show me there was more to music than 70’s prog. “Viva La Vida” and “X&Y”, “The Seldom Seen Kid”, “Black Holes and Revelations”. So which did I gravitate to? The one that sounded the most like 70’s prog, of course. Nine years on, I don’t listen to Muse at all and “Black Holes and Revelations” has become frozen as a time capsule to a specific stage in my life. But oh, what a guilty pleasure it is. We begin with the stirring hype-builder of “Take A Bow”, opening softly with sweeping arpeggiated synths. The song grows and grows, each line introducing a new key change as Matt Bellamy’s vocals reach further up the scale to the stars, belting out lyrics like “you must pay for your crimes against the Earth”. When the harmonised guitar solo crashes in, we know we’re in business. This is Muse: big, bright, ridiculous, unapologetically bombastic. Next up, coming back-to-back are the album’s two biggest hits, “Starlight” and “Supermassive Black Hole”. It’s the most accessible this album gets, combining crisp, clear guitar lines with some very satisfying fuzzed out bass from Christopher Wolstenholme and tight, catchy choruses (“Supermassive” is one of rock’s best falsetto refrains, for my money). Later, “Invincible” pushes the shtick to its absolute limit: the snare drum rattles out a march as the instruments swell underneath, and Bellamy delivers a corny, X Factor-worthy anthem for the downtrodden. It’s all a little too much, but nobody can deny the epic grandeur: the band certainly don’t do things in halves. Muse are very much in debt to Queen (listen to the harmonies, the guitar tones, the pomp and circumstance) and Coldplay (the vocal stylings, the piano refrain of “Starlight”). And with all the distorted bass, crunchy guitars and whistling arpeggios, it takes the loudness war to heart, and it damn well wants to win. It’s perhaps for this reason that “Soldier’s Poem” is a favourite of mine: it’s lovely to hear the band switch pace and dynamics, whispering out a lovely ballad with lush backing vocals (basically a Brian May-penned Queen song circa. 1977). To keep the pace fluid and surprising, “Assassin” and “City of Delusion” come in later in the record: one leans into the band’s heavier roots and the other is a fun diversion into a flamenco-leaning western, all acoustic guitar and trumpet solos. Finally, just as it seems we can’t go any bigger, enter “Knights of Cydonia”: an epic, space-opera which, all these years later, makes me forget any pretence or preconceptions around Muse being a silly, uncool band. As the galloping riff kicks in, I immediately start whooping and hollering like some galactic conqueror riding into battle on his space horse. Absolutely ludicrous, but it’s damn good fun.
New to me. . . I have heard some of Muse before, but not listened to this album all the way through. It is a good album and their sound is their own. But I don't connect to the music.
What the hail! Muse
The melodrama makes it a heavy lift at times, but it’s a fun and impressive sonic journey overall. I was especially happy to learn there’s more to the album and band than Starlight, which has always been a puzzling hit to me. I will admit that I’m biased toward a bump up in the stars by Exo-Politics though.
I like Muse anyway but this was great for the weekend, especially after the albums we had recently. 4*
Probably my favourite Muse actually
This album seems to have really high highs, and pretty mediocre lows. A few songs are guitar hero classics, and then others are very meh, or the singing is something I don't like, or it's too noisy. Take a Bow is really good, Knights of Cydonia is a banger (guitar hero classic), Starlight is also a modern classic. Second listen is nicer than the first, I think depending on my mood the guitar can feel more or less noisy (and same for the singer's voice being more or less annoying).
Cool listen. It was almost impossible to avoid the Radiohead comparison, specially because of the vocalist, but I would still listen to it, it was fun. 4/4
🚀
Första sekunden känns mycket bra. Stark öppningslåt. Stark #3 Bäst hittills, map of problem..#4 #5, sådär #6 mindre bra, men ändå hög nivå. Rik. Bra av avslut. Mycket melodi, piggt. Roligt.
Många bra låtar men inte helt jämn.
Another CD that I had when it came out and haven't listened to all the way through since probably 2008. Looking at the track list, again, I only remeber the singles by name. I had the CD of Absolution as well, I was expecting some of those songs. I'm excited to get into this one today. It's like if you took the most operatic Radiohead jams and combined them with some metal flavor and deep mood Depeche Mode grooves and then poured a gallon of arena rock on top. Everything is over the top "epic" - it's very fun to listen to. "Map of the Problematique" specifically starts off very Depeche Mode. Other stand outs for me today were the trumpet solo in "City of Delusion", "Hoodoo", and "Knights of Cydonia" which are just so OTT (epic space-spaghetti western soundtrack, Cydonia is literally an area on Mars). "Invincible" and "Starlight" are on the edge of too cheesy, but I could handle it today and I think they work in the flow of the album. The music video for Knights of Cydonia is probably in the 1001 Music Videos to watch before you die. It was another no skip day for me.
Not muse’s best album but one of their strongest in terms of thematic consistency and BANGERS
First time listen. Couple I knew. Enjoyed
Oooh baby! Fond memories of borrowing this album from the library in high school. Could never have predicted that Matty B would go on to have a baby with Kate Hudson.
loved
Really strong production, and some fantastic songs. They’re not all gems, but a solid album.
Best Muse album for sure
I love the sci-fi sounds the songs have, it always seems like music from another planet The intro to the album had me going back to my teenage years, when you could sit in your room and just listen to music, no worries in the world. if you want a good experience I recommend blending the endings with beginnings of the next song Starlight is more nostalgic, the lyrics hit me in the stomach and make me feel happy, the main course is very soothing, feels like medicine for me Supermassive black hole, in my top 5 most listened songs for sure, it's silly but in the right proportion, the vocals are great, the tone is amazing, the instruments are on point, for me it's the sound, not the song, if that makes sense. Map of the problematique follows their concept of vocals in canon for the main parts, the instruments each have strong points, the mini solos for drums and electric piano are very nice touches, as always his voice is very pleasant and it's exactly my type of sound, at the 3:00 mark is the perfect example Soldiers poem takes a long walk around the park in regards to the rest of the songs, it's still very pleasant but reminds me to much of hallelujah in terms of guitar chords Invincible feels like a national anthem, in my opinion it takes a while to start up, and then it continues sounding like an anthem, good but far from the best Assassin is that song that my whole life I've been questioning where I know it from, now I found out, the intro is hectic in a good way but I thought that the rest of the song didn't quite follow up to that, very "loud" song, I like it, just thought it had more potential City of delusions take on a kinda western approach, maybe preparing us for the high point of the album? The strings in the song give it a different tone, drum lines also are starting to get more present and impactful, Knights of cydonia, feels like you're actually riding a horse battling an invasion, I want to stand up and punch something (sorry Andre you're the closest) just because this song hypes me up so much I love this album, when I was 15 years old it would be a 5 no doubt, but I've heard more music, I know it's worth and it's a solid 4 for me, it's great, but not perfect
Decent album
Songs are either perfect, 10/10 or boring and yard to listen to, but all in all it's good
Vibe
They felt like a pop rock version of Radiohead. I usually don’t like pop but found this pretty enjoyable throughout for what it was trying to do. Rating: 3.7
Take a Bow não curti muito não, meio barulhenta demais hasheuahseuahse to ficando velho. Esses peru eletrônico. Starlight eu não conhecia e curti bastante até, achei as partes calmas com as melodias bem gostosinhas, e o refrão daóra até, nice nice, aprovada. Supermassive Black Hole já conhecia de nome só. Curti o riff, mais animadinha. Map of the Problematique é um pouco repetitiva, mas até que acabei gostando Soldier's Poem dá uma descansada da barulheira, um respiro. Mas achei que não tem nada marcante, música normal. Invincible começa misteriosa, não sabia muito o que esperar. Vai crescendo, na metade da música muda um pouco a batida pra não enjoar, e no final começa o peru eletrônico. Bacaninha até. Assassin aos 1m parece MUITO que tem alguém batendo na porta do quarto, é muito agoniante. Exo-Politics não traz nada de novo, mas achei bem boa até. City of Delusion começa com um daqueles violãozinho bem daóra, diferenciado. Quando entra o baixo, dá um peso legal também. Achei bem daóra. Parece que usa umas escalas diferenciadas, passa uma sensação esquisita. As vezes, em uns trechos específicos, uma vibe meio indiana até. E perto do final vem um trompete mexicano. No final dela acabou sendo uma das que eu mais gostei, justamente por essa mistura meio doida de sensações. Imagino que ela dê uma variada entre os modos gregos pra causar essas mudanças doidas. Me surpreendeu. Hoodoo no começo pensei que ia ser outra doida igual a anterior, mas acabou sendo uma mais calminha. Tem uns dedilhados e arpejos bem bonitos e depois dá uma agitada, mas não me convenceu o suficiente pra adicionar na playlist. Knights of Cydonia é a cota de Guitar Hero que aparentemente todo álbum dessa lista tem que ter kkkkk Clássica né, apesar de estarmos enviesados pela nostalgia, tem um agito e melodias daóra, a batida da bateria é gostosinha também. Cria uma tensão legal ao longo da primeira metade, no meio tem aquela parada focada no vocal e aí entra o agito até o final. Música bem diferenciada, fora da curva. Glorious é bacaninha, tem uma vibe que acho que ficou daóra pra fechar o álbum. Não surpreende, mas faz jus. Esse álbum já teve um fluxo um pouco diferente dos outros, começou bem, teve uma barriga lá no meio, aonde ficou um pouco genérico, mas no final voltou com tudo e fechou legal.
I was taken back to being a teenager. Not that I was a teenager when this came out, but I had teenageish children at the time this came out and I didn’t get their excitement (see also Twilight), it was a bit too prog-rock for me. But listening to this now I kind of understood. Will definitely listen to more Muse now.
Take a Bow // Starlight // Supermassive Black Hole // Map of the Problématique // Invincible // Knights of Cydonia
The album that made Muse, Muse.
v impressed by muse
I'm a sucker for a good drummer, Muse's drummer is a beast. One of their top albums front to back.
On en arrive quand même à s'étonner lorsqu'on tombe sur un bon album. Robert, ton projet est un échec de A à Z. Tu auras de nouveau droit à un bourre-pif.
Le véritable trou noir c'est Robert, il a aspiré nos âmes depuis maintenant plus de 3 ans.
Great album. Well balanced and quite unique!
I like the hits, and can appreciate the rest. Works for me.
Radiohead and U2 influences. Especially in Map of the Problematique. Less pop sounding Killers, more rock sounding/stadium appealing Radiohead. Soldier’s Poem has a ‘50s prom vibe, contrasting that innocence with cynical lyrics about sending people to war.
NOTICE: The whole album feels like a 90s rock mixed with some form of pop from the 2010s Take A Bow started off sounding almost futuristic then took a more 90s rock style in the end. 3/5 Starlight skipped forward a few years and felt like more an offshoot of pop, such as Briston Maroney or the song Off My Mind. 3.5/5 Supermassive Blackhole- TWILIGHT REFERENCE. No but in all seriousness this is a great song. 5/5 Map of the Problematique felt more fast paced because of the constant beat and rhythm that shot the song forward. 4/5 Soldiers Poem switched the feel of the album to slow and sad. Yearning. 4/5 Invincible continued this slow feeling of the album and reverberated it even better. 4.5/5 Assassin opened up sounding like a video game boss soundtrack, but then leveled out to an alright song. Just nothing stuck out of the ordinary, wasn’t bad though. 3/5 Exo-Politics felt more like Supermassive Blackhole in its style yet the vocals were *chefs kiss*. 4/5 City of Delusion had great built up during its lyrics that kept climbing to high points that sounded very impactful. 4/5 Hoodoo completely switched the mood AGAIN to the slow and sad, which this pulled off better than the other two. 5/5 Knights of Cydonia felt like a western travel scene mixed with the typical feel of this album. 3.5/5 Glorious was the final song on the album. It felt like a good send off, sounding like the end and questioning our solar systems and universe. It built up to this point and was a great send off. 4/5
I have friends that are really into Muse (hi Ruth) but I’ve never been that mad on them. I enjoyed Knights of Cydonia when that came out, and I remember being quite into New Born for a while, but never enough to listen to a full album. Let’s change that and listen to one in full today. Songs I already knew: Starlight, Knights of Cydonia Favourites: Knights of Cydonia, Soldier’s Poem I enjoyed this more than I expected. Matt Bellamy does have a someone moany voice, but the rest of the music is pretty great for the most part. He still has that really audible inward breathing on this album (if you’ve never noticed it, look for Matt Bellamy breathing on YouTube and you won’t be able to not notice it after that). Overall, this was nice today. I wouldn’t say it was fantastic, but it was certainly nice.
Muse is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, but I have a lot of fun.
Nights of Cydonia
Juicy prog rock channeling the 80’s for my pleasure
Muse used to be a solid band!
Labai seniai klausytas, bet vis dar žiauriai geras ir kai kurios dainos net labiau patiko nei anksčiau. Dainos, kurias įdėjau į liked songs: 1. Hoodoo 2. City of delusion 3. Take a bow 4. Knights of cydonia 5. Glorious 6. Supermassive black hole 8/10
8/10
one of their good album, unfortunately most of the others are really not that good
Great music! Didn't expect to love this so much. Great recommendation!!
Muse are not cool. That’s true. But there are some great riffs, tones, and soundscapes here. It’s grandiose, bombastic, over the top, and mostly fun.
Large, opératique, avec des relents de Radiohead, une influence prog et des airs de Prince sur la pièce Supermassive Black Hole. De toute évidence, c’est un album de geeks et ça me plaît
Besides the hits, I only knew their 1st two albums. They had some good ideas and lots of filler. This album doesn’t have any filler. Apparently critics say this is the album that finally combined their influences to a sound of their own. Probably true. I’m not a big fan of the overly dramatic style of singing, but I think it complements the music well. And it’s instantly recognizable as either Radiohead or Muse. The music is put together very well. There’s a lot going on and none of it is coincidence. Favorite song: map of the problematique
4½
Album 19 I always considered this album to be the musical equivalent of a space opera TV show. There is some filler here, but the highs are really high. Knights of Cydonia is a corny rally anthem that somehow sounds epic. I enjoy this album, but prefer Absolution to it 4*
Childhood. My sister loved this one and played it all the time, so I have kind of a soft spot for it. It has some good tracks. I like the cover. Back then I thought they looked like that all the time, bald and wearing suits. + Starlight + Supermassive Black Hole + Map of the Problematique + Soldier's Poem + Assassin
i feel like i’ve you’ve watched twilight you know this album but i’ve never given the rest of the songs a chance and i don’t know why i ever did because this album is actually really good.
first time listening to a muse album, and it did not disappoint. great listening experience. solid album with *hints* of radiohead every now and then. highly recommended. highlights: “starlight”, “assassin”, “city of delusion”.
Great album. I really liked early Muse.
Raczej 3.5, ale 0.5 za knights of cedonia
Knew about Muse and some of the songs on here beforehand, but never listened to the whole album. Now that I have I must say it's pretty good. A lot of the songs have this very dramatic sound to them, like the world is about to end and it's now or never. Really enjoyed listening to this.
Excellent
Love this album! One of their best
I know two of the first three before. Fifa 2007 classic soundtrack. Map of the Problematique is a good listen. Soldiers Poem is like Ave Maria - good track. Invincible is good too. Assassin not as good as others, solid chorus though. Exp-politics is what I imagine Muse songs to be like (still not bad). Last few, songs are very good too. Surprising album.
All songs were amazing, but they seemed not related to each other. The end of the album was really interesting in an unexpected way. Very muse'ish
I knew this album. Was a teen listening to pretty good. Still solid. Likey likey but not the thing i'd listen to usually. Intro to Map of the Problematique still gives me a thrill
It feels like Muse makes music for movie scenes where the world is ending
It seems this album has been removed from subsequent version of the book and I find that to be a bit surprising. I think Muse has a unique sound and this is probably their best album, so I would include it. They can be a bit bombastic and overwrought at times, but that's also what makes the songs so great. Layers and layers of instrumentation over vocals. I think this is a great album and a must-hear, even if you do not end up enjoying it.
Nice
A great entry into the Muse back catalogue. A bit more bombastic and Queen-esque than their prior work, I was a little disappointed when I heard this on its release expecting another album on the same level of Absolution. However, although ‘Soldier’s poem’ and ‘Hoodoo’ are a bit average the rest of the album is gold.
I'll take Origin and Absolution over this album any day. It's an overall great album, but it gets a little bit too poppy for my taste at times.
Good! I enjoyed this a lot, especially the song Starlight.
really awesome, my dad likes muse :) fave song: Map of the Problematique
24th July 2023 Listened while working from home with Jen’s parents staying. Falcon for dinner in the evening. Big, camp and very dramatic - sometimes sounds like an 80s video game opera.
Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, and Knights of Cydonia are 5-star songs, but the rest of the album isn’t as strong.
Now I like Muse anyway, but I don’t think they’ve ever bettered their debut album which was incredible. However, this is close. Very close indeed! An awesome job from start to finish on this one. Knights of Cydonia should go down as one of the best album closers of all time!
I too enjoy budget Radiohead
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Starlight (2) 2 - Assassin (7) 3 - Map of the Problematique (4)
Decent album with some great songs
Muse is one of those bands I've always been aware of on the periphery but never dived into. Take a Bow really sets up quite a fun listen with Knights of Cydonia taking the cake for me. I'm keen to hear some more.
This is a really good album. Based on my limited listening of Muse before this I was hoping it could be a 5 star album, but the deep cuts didn't quite grab me enough to do it. I think it's a very solid 4 though.
Musen suhteen myöhäisherännäisenä tämä levy tuli aikoinaan muutaman vuoden viiveellä omaan soitantaan. Ei ehkä ihan nelosen arvoinen, mutta kolmonen on myös liian pahasti alakanttiin.
I forgot how much I liked this album. A big part of me was expecting to put this at a three, but I was pleasantly surprised by myself. Good album; good tunes.
This album has some great rock tracks on it. Muse were so damn cool in the 2000s. 7 or 8/10 depending on my mood
Filled with grandiose instrumentation and arena-rock anthems. The album is quite instantly infectious with it’s catchy hooks and Matt Bellamy vocals. The album blends pulsating synths, heavy guitar riffs, and dramatic orchestral arrangements. It's this fusion of different musical styles that gives "Black Holes and Revelations" a distinct and captivating sound. Lyrically, the album tackles a variety of themes, including political and social commentary. Songs like "Assassin" and "City of Delusion" delve into topics such as government corruption and societal unrest, delivering thought-provoking messages through poetic and metaphorical lyrics. Meanwhile, tracks like "Invincible" and "Soldier's Poem" explore themes of personal strength and resilience. Matt Bellamy’s vocals are impressive but his guitar work is equally impressive with technical proficiency and knack for crafting memorable riffs. Chris Wolstenholme's basslines provide a solid foundation for the songs, while Dominic Howard's drumming adds energy and precision. Definitely a good listen.
Pretty good
Today I get to listen to another record with a song that I know from playing Guitar Hero 3, this time Knights of Cydonia. I am vaguely familiar with some more of Muse's music, but haven't really delved into much of their stuff before. Muse are a chamber rock/space rock/alternative rock band from Britain. Really, my first time hearing any of their stuff may have been while playing Guitar Hero 3. After that, with the release of their album The Resistance, I got to hear, and really enjoyed Uprising. Their sound is full of fuzzy, sludgy guitars, a hell of a lot of feedback, heavy bass, and soaring vocals courtesy of Matt Bellamy and Chris Wolstenholme. The fact that they could make this kind of sound as a three piece band is epic, and the harmonizing of the two singers is otherworldly. There are themes of political corruption, revolution, and alien invasion on this record. Revolution seems to be a hot topic with these guys. Overall, a fairly good modern rock album. I'm glad I listened to more Muse today, there were definately some bangers in here that haven't got a lot of airplay (Assassin/Take a Bow). I will definately listen more in the future. Favourite songs: Knights of Cydonia, Assassin, Exo-Politics, Take a Bow, Supermassive Black Hole, Starlight, Map of the Problematique Least favourite songs: Soldier's Poem, Hoodoo 4/5
A little too inspired by others
I was into Muse when this came out and thought this had some good songs but was a bit of a disappointment overall. I’m still sure the previous two albums are way better but listening to it again out of context I enjoyed it.
4.0 - Catchy hard rock that nails the fundamentals. You get engaging and operatic vocals, crunchy guitar riffs, pop-oriented song structures, and just enough electronics to keep things interesting. Expect no subtlety! The "edgy" lyrics often read like strung-together buzzwords lifted from intro poli-sci and pulp sci-fi. But this record delivers consistently without demanding much from the listener. To add to all this, secretly, "Starlight" is a bulletproof space rock ballad.
It's Shameless June! This album reminds me of a time period during which I felt more shame. Good thing we're not there. Also, I know people shit on Muse but I'm going to rate this highly because it's Shameless June.
Best massive rock album from the era! Very time I listen to it I just get so sucked in and can’t concentrate on anything else 9/10
I really don't know how to feel about Muse. When I think of them, I think of an operatic, overblown spectacle that inevitably feels corny and over-polished. But when I actually listen to them...they're a lot of fun, really. They've managed to become one of the bigger mainstream rock bands in an era when rock isn't at the forefront of the culture, and they really do rock. It's hard for me to hate on them, as silly as they might be at times. I won't often throw them on of my own accord, but there are a lot of undeniable rock anthems here. They're hooky, and they've hooked me.
Liked it more than I expected... will give them some more listing time. For the simple reason that bands like Radiohead and Muse get written up so well, and then I find its "meh" for me. These guys are slick, smooth consistent and well produced. I think I need to listen more to fully get the sound. One word summary 'slick' .... But I wasn't truly listening... (But it certainly didn't annoy me, which is a relief after the recent albums on this list!)
I was glad to have a whole weekend with this one, as Muse is a band I've been meaning to listen to for ages. I was really impressed on first listening, and it held up well on repeat. So many musical influences, but sounding like a creative synthesis and not merely derivative. Listening out for "what's that [lick/tone/melody] from?" became like an Easter egg hunt, and I'll happily come back for another go. Only short of 5 stars because there are one or two tracks that are less appealing on repeat, and some of the lyric writing is patchy.
I've listened to this album several throughout the years. It's a good Muse album with some of their greatest songs like Knights of Cydonia and Supermassive Black Hole. Their earlier albums are also worth a listen. Muse is kinda pop rock-ish but I think they're more unique than most of the pop rock out there. Songs like Assassin and Knights of Cydonia makes them stand out and are far from the pop rock vibes some of the songs give me. I like them. It's not a 5/5 but it's close. Maybe a strong 4?
7/10. It's a Friday, the sun is shining bright and beautifully, and I am glad that today's mediocre British album was a prog rock one.
I’m not always in a mood for Muse but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. 8/10
Very tight
I always thought Muse was for people who were smarter than me, or at least thought they were smarter than me. This album made me think they probably are. Because Take a Bow struck a chord right from the start. Sometimes too much synthesizer doesn't click. It does in Take a Bow. Largely because it actually builds, it drives right into the drop and the powerful final 2 minutes. This probably sounds lame, but I swear I mean it surprisingly unironically- this is like an unbelievable techno opera. And then the drums propel into Starlight and a stellar sound. Queue Supermassive Black Hole- the Ph.D. version of The Black Keys. One thing I will say, this entire album invokes an unsettling feeling. Tension that never really ceases. Maybe Tom and any folks who dabble in music theory can explain it- this whole album, even Soldier's poem which is a softer, acoustic change of pace, carry that same tension. The punchy bass on Invincible is uncomplicated but perfect accompaniment. And on City of Delusion- a trumpet solo is always a welcomed addition. The dissonant jazz chords at the end of Hoodoo felt pulled straight from the moment James Bond would say cheeky one liner after killing a man. I'll still stand by it, even in this big commercial success, Muse feels inaccessible. And because they and their fan base are likely smarter than the average Joe, they probably prefer that. But the music is undoubtedly unique and it's that sound rather than any lyrics or themes that really made me appreciate this on my first time listening to a Muse album straight through.
Like this. I do agree that it is heavily polished but isn’t that sort of the thing with a studio album? I won’t go as far as to give it 5 stars but solid 4 for me.
I feel like this is a very full album. Mix of elements, dramatic, progressive at times, a lot of production. I enjoyed it. I know everyone's talking about this, but still, the first thing that caught me is the resemblance between Matt's voice and that of Thom Yorke. Even their chest voice and articulation are similar. But I would say Matt has a more solid head voice and has less vulnerable quality. (Something about the keyboard in startlight irritates me a bit. Not sure why. 1/3/4/9/11
nicht gehört
A solid Muse outing. Perhaps their best overall album, although it has a couple of weak tracks: invincible is very cheesy
Påminner lite om radiohead. Mest sättet han sjunger på. Men de va bra. Har bara lyssnat på supermassive black hole men de fanns ju massor med bättre låtar. Undrar om de bara e dehär albumet som påminner om radiohead eller om de bara låter linkande i allmänhet. Jag gillar att alla låtar va så olika.
Jag gillar Muse… har ju faktiskt lyssnat på det här när jag känner för lite 00-tal. Många bra och olika låtar :) Twilight-låten är still a hit!
Dope dope dope
Yeah this is great.
Album 33 of 1001 Muse - Black Holes & Revelations Favorite Track : Slipping Through My Fingers Rating : 4 / 5 Was not familiar with Muse, other than hearing the name. Pretty enjoyable album. Reminds me a bit of U2 with some Coldplay mixed in. Seems very polished. Worldy rock is a term I sometimes use. Not sure exactly what it means, but this fits.
4.5/5 It´s not "Origin of Symmetry" but this album fucking slaps. I´ve never been a fan of Muse, but after this listening, I will definitely continue more into their discography. I just loved the whole atmosphere, and the energetic feeling that this songs gave me, holy crazy.
The last time Muse were really really great and every bit as glorious as I remember it. Map of the Problematique is a killer track which wouldn't be out of place on Origin of Symmetry.
This album is great… great sound, well paced, well played. Love it.
I enjoyed this one more than I expected too. Maybe a little long in parts, but overall, I quite enjoyed it. The lead singer's voice is a little whiny but he at least puts some emotion into it.
Still a fun as listen and super nostalgic, a couple tracks a little boring but great revisit. 3.5/5
Love their sound! Standouts: Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, Knights of Cydonia, Invincible and Soldier's Poem
It goes, from start to finish.
Najbolji njihov, iskreno nisam ih slušo jako dugo, ali ovaj je bio u rotaciji
WOOOOOO :^ )
This album will take you on a journey and I like it.
Overblown, pompous, cynical music masquerading as sincere but, in all honesty, don't think too hard or look for hidden depths (there ultimately are none) just go with the cosmic stadium rock flow and you'll have a pretty fun time. The music equivalent of a Marvel movie - a guilty pleasure.
Als je dan toch emo-muziek moet maken met je klaagstem, doe het dan goed. Dus wel stevige gitaren op stampende ritmes, wat gekkigheid uit je keyboard en gaan met die banaan.
Muse is weer zo'n band met een zanger die muzikaal verschrikkelijk zeurt. Maar op dit album vindt Muse wel een prachtige match met de elektronische geluiden. Zeker in het begin. De eerste twee nummers leiden ons naar de hit die er met kop en schouders bovenuit steekt. Later wordt het album meer gevarieerd, wat ervoor zorgt dat het interessant blijft. Dat brengt wel een aantal nummers mee, waarbij toch dat zeur-karakter van de stem te dominant wordt. Maar het album is een waar kunstwerk en kunst moet ook af en toe schuren.
Had an absolutely blast re-visiting this one. I'd take any of the previous albums over this one, but the band still feels like their own thing here, and the melodrama hasn't completely suffocated them yet. Still think there's some pretty masterful instrumentation and great hooks for a pop rock rekkid. Fave track: Assassin
Not a bad album at all with some really good tracks. Just not quite a gem.
Its a good one
Enjoyable to return to this one. Peak Muse.
Rock that's ready for change, gave it an interesting sound. A great record.
Album bangs. Need to relisten more later
Decent
Probably my favorite Muse album, and arguably the best so I am more than approving of this being on the list. Even if just for the variety. Muse has always been a band that I can't quite put my finger on. With the synthesizers and guitars mixed with other worldly sounds and the lead singers creepy voice, this band is one of a kind. Take a Bow kicks this off sounding like something from a Phillip Glass track. Supermassive Black Hole is from Twilight and also a banger. Assassin is insane, I remember on first listen I immediately resonated with that one for the fast pace synths. And then Knights of Cydonia...a classic Guitar Hero III song. Either way, I think this album makes up for the garbage we have gotten most of this week.
You know I don't think I've ever listened to this album front to back before, but I know it quite well. You've got the classic "Knights of Cydonia" from Guitar Hero, and a few others that I consider to be somewhat classics, based on just how much I've heard them. I forget about Muse's existence from time to time, but this album rocks. Favorite tracks: Knights of Cydonia, Supermassive Black Hole, Starlight, Assassin. Album art: Love this one. Some weird futuristic guys sitting around a table in the desert. That's all life is sometimes. 4/5
9/10, just missing that extra intangible to make it a 5 star
Bueno. Me gustó.
Liked this one Nice rock sound
Interesting to go back and listen to these guys: their sound is a cinematic blend of US pop punk and UK Indie. right as everything was coming together in the mid 00's. Well made and produced
really fun and dramatic for rock 4.5
I freaking love Muse, their vibe and the singers voice are immaculate
Lenge siden eg har hørt på muse
I have a similar relationship with Muse that I have with Red Hot Chili Peppers, I like them, but I haven’t listened to them often, although that might be the reason for me liking them, the lack of oversaturation that a lot of people seem to be using as a reason for why these bands suck
Great album, quite a ride
Quite good but gets alot.
I really enjoyed this. Was a little edgy, but not too much. I really enjoyed how the drum and guitar interacted with the vocals. Gave each song a very smooth feel
Cool start. The man in gold on the cover looks like the bald sterilised man from Game of Thrones. Yoooo, beat. Love the cover of the album. I know this song! (3rd one). The album is added to my liked albums in Spotify now. 4 songs added to my liked. Good album!
Just an overall great album. I've only heard a couple songs off the album as I don't listen to Muse all that much. I know I like them, but I don't think I've ever sat down and just listened to a whole album. I'm glad I did here, pretty much every song is great, and there's not much here I'd say is skipable. There's only a couple of songs I ever got tired of listening too, and the ones I did like, I really enjoyed. 8/10
8/10
Estilo propio de Muse. Dos megahits. El resto se me ha hecho un poco de bola. Un 4.
Radiohead ahh vocals
Eigenlijk zou ik Muse gewoon te gek moeten vinden, maar er is iets wat me stoort bij deze band. Ik weet niet wat, maar daardoor draai ik het dus weinig. Onterecht, gewoon een goed plaatje!
Ik vermoed dat er mensen onder ons zijn die dit 0 sterren willen geven, nou; ik heb ervan genoten. Ondanks de bombast en het gehijg.
sonzao massa, ja curtia há tempos
Rock alternativo.
Nice
Some moments of brilliance and then a few songs that may grow on me over time, but that don't seem at the moment to be at the same level of heights as the others. Overall, a good album, and one I had not listened to before.
I thought this was very good. The more pop orient d stuff is as good as anything, say, U2 ever did, plus some more interesting weirdo experimental elements to round it out. Interesting band I’d never really listened to before.
4.4/5
Muse were the first band I saw pull off the stadium rock show with complete authority. Such a massive sound from a 3 piece and as a non-fan at the time, they really impressed. This album was pretty cool, but I'm still not a Muse guy.
I enjoyed this more than I thought. A dramatic hybrid of Queen and Radiohead. Just a bit too dramatic though.
Pretty great, awesome instrumentals and the production is pretty solid. Definitely my type of music, and a great listen.
I think the band has a great sound in every regard, from vocals, to instruments, to keyboards to general production. It is completely original and authentic, but I just can’t get into the songs at all. They fail to leave a mark worthy if their name and I imagine they are better and more entertaining live than for listening.
Great music. Sounds are melodic, have a sense of drama to them.
Really unique driving electronic rock. There's several stellar songs and much of the rest is pretty engaging and enjoyable. Soldier's Poem is a small miss, but the rest of this album is great.
🤩🤩
It's hardly subtle, is it? Lots of fun, though, and Knights Of Cydonia is the soundtrack to a sci-fi spaghetti western I'd really like to see.
Great rock album.
This is a good album, despite my abandonment of rock music for most of the beginning of the second millennium, I have given this album a listen or two. Had I stayed interested in rock, I'm sure it would have been a staple.
Muse all sounds similar to me. I like it but nothing stands out much
This album brings up memories of being deployed to Iraq in 2007. I listened to the heck out of these songs.
81/100: I’ve listened to a few Muse songs before and really loved them, so I was really excited going into this album. Maybe it’s because I hadn’t listened to much Radiohead when I first heard Muse, but on this listen through I was struck by how similar their sound was to that of Radiohead. They seem to be a softer around the edges version of Radiohead, but I think with the type of music the two bands produce, “soft around the edges” isn’t necessarily what you should be going for. I really liked this album, though, despite it underperforming when held up to Radiohead’s discography. That’s a pretty unfair comparison though, as most albums don’t hold up to Radiohead’s best albums. I’m also a big fan of the fact that no song in this album shares the same name as the album; however, in “Starlight,” the name of the album appears a few times. I like that vague subtlety.
Good symphonic rock album with alot of experiments
Good modern day rock
A band that was on the periphery of my musical universe. I was seriously impressed by the start of the album. A significant variety of structure and sound without ever losing their energy. A negative point for me is when Matt Bellamy uses high pitched vocals - but that is something that I will overcome with time (as I did with Geddy Lee - No, I am not comparing Muse to Rush). While all the tracks are good in their own way, none of them made me think 'I have to hear that again' or made my hair stand on end. This lack of that something extra stops it from being a 5 star album
Starts off amazingly and finishes spectacularly couple middle songs I didn't love but I didn't hate Singer reminds me of Thom Yorke
This album sounds very...intricate. You can hear the passion in every little aspect of the music, and you can hear the lengths they went to to make this album as good as possible. Though there are downsides, it's still a very solid project. 8/10
I thought I didn't like Muse, but maybe I was wrong. I get some Queen vibes, some Dream Theater, too. I like some of the droning being offset by the little soaring oohs, aahs, harmonies and such. I hadn't noticed any of that before since I wasn't listening with good headphones (I am this time). Assassin and Knights of Cydonia were the only songs I had heard before, which is a shame because I think Assassin is kind of weak. Supermassive Black Hole slaps. I really like the brush drum sound in Hoodoo, makes me think of Leprous and/or Bohren & Der Club of Gore. Somehow, I didn't realize Muse is prog. Cool!
Fue muy bueno volver a escuchar este disco. Está lleno de buenas canciones, empezando con los sencillos Starlight, Super Massive Blackhole y Knights of Cydonia y seguido por Map of Problematique, Take a Bow y City of Delusion. Soldier's Poem e Invincible me dan un poco de flojera. Es un disco más producido que los anteriores, más sonidos y efectos. Aquí ya se nota la transformación de Muse que se manifestará más en los discos subsecuentes.
Ett svinstarkt album mmmm
Allegedly a masterpiece, listening to it in Falcon as we speak. Not quite sure what to make of it, almost seems to be trying too hard to be "a thing". Still working with it, but it's growing on me.
As I was growing up, Muse were among my favourites after coming across a televised live show of theirs, around the time of their first record in 1999. Then came a series of albums, one stronger than the next, and their albums peaked around the time of this record - Black Hole and Revelations - stronger songs, great singles, and a well rounded overall. Probably not as good as its predecessor, Absolution. At least from my recollections... Of course, over the years, I kind of fell out of love with the band (I'm afraid to check how deep into the conspiracy nuttery Matt Bellamy might have dug himself into) - but even musically, they are what they are, and while I used to like their epic Rhapsodiacal nature, I don't love it anymore. Now, with that in mind, listening to this record brought over some nostalgia, and it's a well balanced album, yet feels a bit dated production wise. It's got great songs, and some stellar singles, but the 'maturity' that was felt they achieved when they released the record, doesn't exactly hit the mark with enough time passing, and it's not as fun and care-free as some of their previous albums. Anyway, I'm rambling. Good record, too self-important, this band has better ones.
Getting strong notes of Ours - interesting songs to sing with deep beats and sounds - yeah
It turns out there's a lot of music from the aughts that I really like - I think it takes me back to having little kids and figuring it all out, so really nostalgic. I think about "Fireflies" by Owl City even "Clocks" by Coldplay from a few years earlier - there's a common sound that pulled us out of the crapfest that was the late 90s ("The Boy is Mine" by Brandi and Monica, anyone? WHY DON'T YOU HAVE LAST NAMES??). There's something Queen-like and Pink Floyd-like about Muse. For me, "Starlight" sums it up - it begins as some guitar that lets you know that these guys ain't forking around. Will I get screamed at Napalm style? But then...but then...the bright dulcet tones of the (electronic) piano and soaring vocals makes me wish I was spinning in circles with wheels on my feet at the Washington Elementary Spirit Nights at Jellybeans (RIP). Man, that was the life. Thanks for the nostalgia trip, Muse. A solid 4 from me.
This album goes pretty hard and there's lots of hits on here. I like the energy and the use of both good synths and guitar on this album. There's some decent political overtones here but for the most part I don't connect that much with the lyrics and the music can be a bit dramatic at times. But overall I think it's a solid album and it's been very influential on a lot of modern bands
This was much better than I expected it to be. A lot of this album sounded like a more modern version of U2 and I thought the production was very strong. Like U2 though I felt like some of it was a little too "over the top" and forced sounding especially towards the end of the album.
Liked it before, liked it now, seems like an odd criticism but maybe too loud?? Knights Of Cydonia goes stupid hard as always
Dope 4
This was a solid album. Unique in their own way.
4/5. Never thought I liked Muse but enjoyed the album, perhaps there is hope for Radiohead too! Vocals are both strong and haunting as well as quite annoying. Suspect it could could have been a 5/5 more often than not with other reviewers.
some famous singles, overall album is OK, interesting sound
So many memorable tracks on this album. Brings me back to high school.
muse - black holes and revelations (2006) notes - stadium rock, space opera - some really great, creative and memorable guitar and drums across the whole album fav song - starlight - one of those undeniably good songs - catchy without being predictable, lots of little details for the ear least fav - exo politics - less interesting, weaker version of the same formula as some other songs 4/5 - probably a full point just for nostalgia
this album is very good, reminds me on radiohead in a way. there’s definitely a lot of inspiration from the likes of OMD or even REM. this is a very good indie rock album, 7.7/10
I always thought Muse had this samey sound that made there songs all kind of blend together, but Black Holes has great, well defined sounds throughout every song. Very good.
The opening track sounds like dated prog rock although it redeems itself with a good whack of noise at the end. The second song, Starlight, sounds contrived - like it was intended to be "the single". I was surprised to read that it was the second single. With the singles out of the way, the album gets better again. Assanin starts the same way as the opening track but redeems itself much sooner. The trend continues with most of the other songs (Knights of Cydonia being an excellent example) where the vocals sound like prog rock but the music is fresh and cookin' with attitude. They experiment with a lot of different sounds and this really works. For example the solo in City of Delusion has an exotic sound that is far less heavy than the rest of the song. Most the songs have 5 potential. There are a couple of plain vanilla songs which isn't fatal, but the one thing that is tough to deal with is the vocals reminding me of prog rock. I'm not talking about PG era Genesis prog rock; they remind me of the prog rock that still causes nightmares - like Styx. This makes the 5 fall to a 3 but I'll bump to 4 since I do like the majority of the music and the 3 rating won't make my nightmares turn into The Grand Illusion.
pog album
Solid.
Solid album from a solid band
Had already liked Supermassive Black hole (track 3). Like the album quite a bit - different directions than I tend to choose but with still familiar sounds.
I should listen to Muse more
Pretty pretty great. 4.5
This is a pretty good album, very well put together, some massive singles. not everyone loves matt Bellamys voice (i don't really) - but song composition is very good.
I really enjoy this album. It is creative and a few of the songs are pretty mid 2000’s iconic. I think the muse get a bad wrap because their newer music is no where near their old stuff, and because of this people dislike this album. I can understand hating this album because you played Knights of Cydonia on guitar hero a couple thousand times but for me, Matt Bellamy’s voice is solid and I miss the old Muse 4/5
Clear Queen influence
Nice electro-rock sound. "Starlight" and "Supermassive Black Hole" are probably the most known songs. 8/10.
really good, hadn't heard it before, but reminded me of shoegaze.
I've never listened to Muse because I was skeptical of the hype surrounding them. This is album is an epic listen. The instrumentation is very creative and evocative throughout. His voice is incredibly effortless. I get the sense the album had an overarching theme. Sounds like: Radiohead, heavy Smashing Pumpkins, romantic/classical, White Stripes Standout tracks: "Take a Bow" was a great intro. "Starlight" of course is a bopper "Invincible" and "Knights" had epic moments
Really solid album. Starlight is extremely catchy and fun. The slow crescendo throughout Invincible pays off in a thunderous climax and Knights of Cydonia is a great rock song with prog elements.
Solid album. Starts off with what would be a better last song but keeps the momentum going.
Already a fan of Muse but havn't listened to most of their albums fully. This album is pretty good.
Malgrat els seus primers discos solen estar millor valorats, aquí és on Muse va culminar artísticament el seu rock épic i grandiloqüent. Tot el que fa Muse de Muse és aquí, i aquí és on millor s'hi troba. 'Starlight', 'Invincible', Kinghts of Cydonia'... van contribuïr a fer d'ells una banda d'estadis a Europa, rol que s'acabaria de confirmar en el següent 'The Resistance'. I temes com 'Map of the Problematique' o 'Supermassive Black Hole' el confirmen com l'opera magna de la banda. Encara estava a anys vista la davallada increïble de qualitat que vindria a partir de 'The 2nd Law' (fins a 'Simulation Theory' com a mínim). Aquí encara eren imparables
A lot of people find Muse overrated and I get it. But this album holds a special place in my heart and takes me back to my 16 year old self. Man, I just want to go to space.
Like a lost U2 album.
good album, not as good as absolution, but still solid. slightly more experimental
Amazing album. Great space rock.
Estilo propio de Muse. Dos megahits. El resto se me ha hecho un poco de bola. Un 4.
Fav songs: - Take a Bow - Starlight - Knights of Cydonia
yeah muse is kinda cool
Have not listened to Muse in years. This was better than I thought it would be. Will come back to it.
Best Song: Knights of Cydonia. Although there are many great tracks on this album, I have to give it to this one, largely because of how unique it is, and the intense feelings of nostalgia I have for it. Worst Song: Soldier's Poem. Amidst the epic, grandiose tracks that begin and end this album, this sleepy lullaby in the middle falls short. Overall: Muse somehow is able to create this epic and expansive sound that doesn't come off as cheesy or self-important. The vocals always carry this slightly ethereal wisp and the instrumentation feels both science fiction and fantasy. For reasons that I can't fully articulate, this music feels like hymns for the space age.
This and Origin of Symmetry are my favorite Muse albums. Too bad they get worse and worse with every album they put out. It's music that was probably made in a lab and if I were to sniff the album I would get glitter in my nose, but it's still really damn good. The best song on the album, also the best song of the entire Muse discography is without a doubt "Knights of Cydonia". Other great songs: "Starlight", "City of Delusion", "Glorious" and "Supermassive Black Hole".
This is a band that I've long meant to get to know better, so I'm glad this album showed up today. This band scares the sh*t out of me. I mean that in a great way. Not scared as in I'm frightened of any danger; it's more akin to intimidation. And it's why I'm drawn to them. Their music, at least the few songs I've heard over the past few years when I first stumbled across them, can be complicated, layered, and tense. I love that. This is the first full album of theirs to which I've ever listened in its entirety. They can be a bit more straightforward at times than I had experienced previously, and I like the range it shows and the accessibility it provides. Masterful musicians, writers, and arrangers. Performances are incredible. I shall spend more time with them, I know.
An album that unites rock and baroque pop. Some songs are also reminiscent of Prince, U2 and Hendrix. Beautiful. (8/10) FT: Knights Of Cydonia, Supermassive Black Hole, Soldiers Poem
I enjoyed this. I didn't follow the band until The Resistance. Their music is a great blend of many things I like. This record is no exception.
Quite a good listen for me personally. Supermassive Black Hole will always be baseball from Twilight, but Starlight was one of my favorite songs growing up. Everything else was new to me. Melodically, it gets a little bit predictive, but nonetheless pleasant. I also really like the rock instrumentals going on.
Really good writing and musicianship.
This is where I start to fall off with Muse. This album is really great, but the pop elements start to outgrow their proggy britches here and it really begins to spoil the whip-smart arena prog niche they’ve carved for themselves. Still, Knights of Cydonia is a JAM. 3.5
Goddamn I love Matthew Bellamey's voice. His falsetto is so clean, I hate it! Starlight is great. Supermassive Black Hole is entertaining. Soldier's Poem is very Queen-esque. Knights of Cydonia is just so good. Gosh this album was such ear candy I can't help giving it a high ranking even if it doesn't converge on some grand ideal.
Not even close to Origin Of Symmetry
Hard to judge as it was played to death when it came out and they recieved a fair bit of criticism for being over the top and I seem to remember they were becoming unfashionable at the time this album came out. I prefer Origin of Symmetry but this album is good too. Despite heavy influence from Radiohead and Jeff Buckley Muse are still very much their own thing (no one ever talks about their Rachmaninov influence though!). This album is a good representation of their epic, stadiumy music. I don't mind the over the topness and I really enjoyed listening to "Starlight" and "Map of the Problematique" again.
Not bad, lyrics are ominous, couple of tracks I enjoyed. Singer eerily similar to some of Thom Yorke’s rockier songs
I've often not known how to feel about Muse. At their best (whatever that means on a personal level) they seem a perfect modern mix of Queen and Radiohead with a metal-ish bent but with strong melodic tendencies. Then other times they turn me off with overblown production, overly-emotive vocals and just...too much. This album has always had a bit of both but I think overall it's a really good intro to whether someone's going to like them or not - i'll start with the annoying because there's less of that for me on this album: the only track I really dislike is "Assassin" - it's the too much/too dense/too loud all crystalized. Overall the album (and band) do suffer from a sameness and density that's occasionally tough to get through in long stretches for me. But at the same time the album is an interesting and rather diverse platter of weird and haunting melodies - you have a very accessible "Starlight" which has a very late80s new wave melodic sound to it in the verses...."Supermassive Black Hole" sounds a bit like a different band - took me a while to like that one with affected falsetto vocals but the thickythic riffs are pretty compelling. Speaking of riffs, "Map of the Problematique" is a pretty great one. "Exo-Politics" is a rather basic (for Muse) composition but a good straightforward rock song. Nice to finally hear a bit of dynamics (i.e. acoustic guitar) on the beginning of "City of Delusion" even if it (of course) launches into a much bigger song - albeit with different middle-eastern tonalities on this one (which carry into the next one "Hoodoo" - speaking of which...Jeff Buckley vocal influence on the beginning there...?). I can see why some would dislike this band for the same reasons others would love them: a larger-than life loud arena guitar rock band that utilizes a ton of electronic effects and overwrought vocals... it's not a band for everyone, but I'll take this over something like Lou Reed's* shit any day. 7/10 4 stars. *(yes it's a personal vendetta to crap on Lou Reed and his acolytes when/wherever possible even when there's absolutely no reason. Because he was a musical mockery and that's enough of a reason any day.)
Very good before going into madness
Peak Muse?
Been meaning to listen to Muse for a while, did not disappoint.
swear we’ve already had this
I see why some say it sounds like radiohead
Legal, acho que o album mais famoso do Muse Melhores músicas: Starlight, Invincible e Knights Of Cydonia
I love the dystopian themes of this album, along with the cinematic touches to multiple tracks. Teleported me back to a decade ago for sure.
Smells like teen spirit
I find it hard to separate this album from my previous experience of it - which is to say, it sounds like my adolescence. At least part or that has to do with the sheer bombast and somewhat overwrought quality of the lyrics. That's not necessarily a knock on the album, either. It's a lot of fun, musically a rock solid piece of work from a band that had just gone stratospheric, with a whole load of elements of a Western-tinged space opera. I was never a hardcore Muse fan, but this album is perhaps the one I've had most history with of the ones I've listened to so far, and it holds up perhaps better than I expected: it's loud, varied, and weird in all the right places. In Supermassive Black Holes, Map of the Problematique, Starlight and Knights of Cydonia, the album has a respectable clutch of hits (the latter of which is good enough to retain some charm even despite a million drunken Rock Band failures).There are lots of elements to commend lesser played tracks such as Assasin, too. As an album, however, it feels slightly disjointed. Some tracks seem like they'd have been a better fit on earlier albums, while others, like Knights of Cydonia, are fully committed to that particular Southwesten Alpha Centauri theme. It's almost as if they didn't quite have the confidence in their newfound star status to fully commit to their concept across the whole album. Every musical decision on the album seems specifically designed to up the drama, which, given the requisite amount of weirdness, is exactly how stadium rock ought to be done. However, the lyrics also naturally tend towards the overblown, and sometimes struggle to convey their sentiments without veering into theatrical insincerity. Connecting with some of the songs emotionally can feel like a performance in and of itself.
Surprisingly good. Highly enjoyable. He gets a little whiney sounding.
Ambitious. Epic. Spacey yet firmly grounded. A fine listen.
I thought I didn’t like Muse. I think I was wrong. Their sound on the album varied a lot instrumentally which was cool
Pretty good, some great tunes here. Some of the slower songs stopped this from being higher rated.
Epic and delightful. Haven't listened to this a while but I can see myself entering a Muse phase.
Pretty great album overall. Not one I really loved but one I have big respect for. Very heavy at times and some of the song transitions were hard to spot. Throughout it's got some brilliant songs, with Knights of Cydonia being my favourite. Also enjoyed the singles Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole and the album cut Assassin.
Thicc riffs
I really like Muse. Seen them live twice, this is a really good album, love the singles, the rest of the songs are ok. I do prefer Absolution to this album, but as a muse fan I’d rate this 4 stars. Can see why it’s been removed from the newer editions of the book, as it’s not an album I’d be telling people who have never heard of muse to go listen to, but my own personal preference is I really like this.
A good album but not their best.
Take a Bow - sounds like an intro track Starlight - sounds like a really good actual first track; the production makes the introductory bass riff and sprawling synth lines hit like a ton of bricks. Matt Bellamy's emotion-heavy performance drives the lyrics of frayed-relationship issues home. Supermassive Black Hole - i like how the dark synths juxtapose with the cocky whining guitars and vocal performances. there's a lot of different sounds and ideas being toyed with that come together really well. Map of the Problematique - sports a catchy repetitive motif that's built upon with unique synths, guitar tones, and layering vocal lines. it feels more vibey than the other tracks without the engaging rhythmic and melodic switch-ups. Soldier's Poem - a stripped-back acoustic piece that isn't long enough to leave much of an impact, but the Beach Boys-esque harmonies are interesting Invincible - the track only gets interesting during the bridge, with warbling sound effects, wailing guitar lines, and that really cool bass line at the beginning of it; the rest of the song is an unimpressive slow burn. Assassin - the repetition-heavy nature of the song structures throughout the album start to lose their luster, even though this song still works. the opening lines don't grab as well as earlier tracks like "Starlight" but there's still enough aggression and space-rock inspired sounds to give the song the drive it needs. Exo-Politics - the track is punchy from the opening drum pattern, topped with haunting theremins and fuzzy, distorted guitars. City of Delusion - constantly morphing into different sonic palettes, with Spanish guitars and trumpets sprinkled into an epic piece. Hoodoo - I haven't been clicking with the more ballad-ish tracks so far, but this one works better than the previous. The crescendo near the middle of the track paired with meaningful lyrics creates a decent deep cut for the record. Knights of Cydonia - Goddamn, this one's good. It's such an epic way to finish the track list with so many interesting qualities, like the piercing acapella section and its overall sense of scope. Overall, I enjoyed this record a lot more than I thought I would. Most of the deep cuts don't hit as hard as the singles, but the space-rock/prog-rock/alternative-dance sounds sound great with the powerfully unique vocals and staggering musicianship. BEST TRACKS: Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, City of Delusion, Knights of Cydonia WORST TRACKS: Invincible
Muse sounds like the lovechild of Radiohead and Coldplay, and as insulting as that might sound, it actually works really well here. All of these songs are well written, well performed, well produced, and honestly make me think of Muse in a different light than I had previously. The biggest issue I have with the album is that there isn't a whole lot of personality throughout. Regardless, the songs are strong enough to largely ignore this fact and just groove/rock out. Favorite Tracks: "Starlight", "Supermassive Black Holes", "Invincible", "City of Delusion", "Knights of Cydonia", "Glorious"
*57 En blanding af coldplay og the killers, men hvor to gange skod bliver til noget mere. Efter 30 minutter bliver hr Bellamys vokal dog en anelse træls for mig.
The most begrudging 3
This was an interesting one. Early on, I just wasn’t connecting with it. The album is incredibly polished and theatrical, and “Starlight” even reminded me of Coldplay musically with U2-style vocals. But for all the impressive production, I wasn’t feeling much emotionally. Even “Soldier’s Poem,” with a message that still feels relevant 20 years later, didn’t really connect with me. Then the second half happened. “Assassin” was where things finally clicked. It felt more raw and rocked harder, which is much more my style. “Exo-Politics” kept that momentum going, “City of Delusion” was another strong track, and “Knights of Cydonia” was really good. Suddenly an album I had been struggling to connect with had put together a great run of songs. There’s a lot of variety here, and even though I preferred the heavier, more rocking side of Muse, I can’t say there were any bad songs. The musicianship and production are excellent throughout. I just connected much more with some parts of the album than others. I considered giving this another full listen before rating it, but for now I think 3½ stars captures it. Better than average, plenty to appreciate, and a strong second half, but not something I feel the need to own. ★★★½ Vinyl Verdict: NO BUY
I’m pretty neutral on Muse in general. I liked Origin of Symmetry a lot when I was a youngin but I’m not sure I want to engage with this particular style of 00s excess in 2026.
Another radiohead
Despite this album coming out when I was in high school, I never actually listened to it before.
I am the exact right age to have performed "Starlight" at open mics in college, so it's sort of puzzling that I never connected with Muse on a broader level than that. That song has the advantage of being a lot of fun to sing and play, which is true of most if not all of the band's output on this album; purely sonically, this is powerful-sounding, powerful-feeling rock music. But having listened to this again I can tell where Matt Bellamy falls short for me. He's unabashedly derivative, for one thing - "Starlight" wants to be "Limelight," an examination of the way the performing life can threaten to alienate the performer. And "Take a Bow" wants desperately to be a rock "Masters of War," which is to say it also wants desperately to be Rush. "Supermassive Black Hole," meanwhile, wants to be "Young Lust" among other tunes in the "look how conflicted I am about all the casual sex I'm having" tradition. And "Invincible" tries to be post-Britpop, except optimistic (not "Optimistic"), all self-esteem slogans and arcs bending toward justice. In fact, that's the exact niche being aimed for here - Radiohead for people who find Radiohead too challenging. By itself, that's no big sin: rock music has been derivative since forever, and there was probably nobody making it in 2006 who didn't have to grapple with the anxiety of influence in some form or fashion. The bigger problem is that Bellamy doesn't seem to know what he really wants to make, other than that it needs to be something *big*. That desire fuels his ambition but it makes him untrustworthy also. There is always an element of pretense to these songs; Bellamy doesn't want to signify so much as he wants to embody the *idea* of signifying. Again, lots of bands do and have done that - that's in large part where the Queen comparisons have come from for Muse - but those bands aren't usually simultaneously trying to be important sociopolitically; you kind of have to pick one or the other. Where Freddie and the boys were always self-aware enough to go full camp when they wanted or needed to, Bellamy's more insistent, even militaristic righteousness-themed lyrics often come off as simply banal. "Assassin" is a powerful display of musicianship and composition, and yet when Bellamy says he wants us to kill our leaders I don't believe a word of it. He spouts revolutionary slogans while seemingly failing to comprehend that those slogans have themselves been commodified and priced into the very system that puts a band like Muse on the charts in the first place. In that way Bellamy is the 21st-century armchair conspiracist, so certain that he's on the verge of saying something supermassive that he fails to see how he easy he is to pacify and deceive. He has a sound and he has fury but it adds up to little. All that being said, nothing here is outright bad, and plenty of it is worth a listen or two (or even more). I think Bellamy's intentions are at least decent, rockstar bullshit notwithstanding. But all the purported profundity of this is on the surface and fails to stand up to closer examination.
Overall a pleasing listen taking aside the fact track two sounds a bit U2
There are very clear musical themes in this album but none of them were exceptionally interesting. The whole project felt all over the place. The primary single does a lot of heavy lifting here it’s just that good Highlight: Supermassive Black Hole (ofc)
It’s funny to listen to this on the first nice day of the season lol. Three? It’s not bad but ugggggh
3,5 ⭐️
mid i am so sorry
It's ok
There are moments when this is alright. But Matt Bellamy's voice is whiny and the music often goes past operatic into overblown.
7.6/10
Ok
Starlight un grand classique . Artiste que mon papa aime
Such a strange one. One song I can find very annoying and the next I quite enjoy despite them being so similar…. Overall I would say much better than I expected, some of the vocals are very irritating though. It probably settles at a 2.5 for me but can see why people love it.
Never been a big Muse fan. This album and some of their other early stuff is pretty decent, but there are way better space rock bands out there. Favorite track: Knights of Cydonia
I worked with a guy who worshipped them, I only knew a couple radio songs so he burned me a disc of his favorites from their first few albums. I learned to like them and their energy. Let's start with the hits... "Supermassive Black Hole" is such a good rocker with angst, energy & urgency (over 1B listens on Spotify!). "Starlight" (600M) is another fan favorite and has a bit of the 1980's mixed in. Then they wrap things up with the epic "Knights Of Cydonia" (300M) They have a sound that blends Radiohead (when they were good) with Queen ("Take A Bow" is a prime example). They always seem to be trying to tell a story, sometimes the songs get wordy because of that ("City Of Delusion", "Glorious"). Or they try too hard to share their theme of fighting back ("Invincible", "Knights..."). No song on here has fewer than 15M listens but most are in the 25-48M range, this is a popular album. A little Muse goes a long way, the 12 song run over 50 minutes, its pedal-to-the-metal ("Supermassive...", "Knights...", "Assassin", "Exo-Politics") nearly the entire time. 3.5 stars is my ruling. 2-3 radio songs, but a good amount of average songs included. Popular, staying power, still relevant.
This was their last worthy effort of this challenge. The first 5 tracks are strong, comparable to the previous 2 albums in quality but then the album drifts into mediocrity before a late reprieve with 'knights of cynodia'. Partially recommend.
Music made for middle schoolers, or was I just in middle school when it was popular?
Just googled the vocalist, Matt Bellamy, because wow. The album itself pretty simple, as are the lyrics, but the beauty of this guy's voice raised the rating for me.
If teenage thom yorke was listening to queen during a modern computer hacking montage. I will say that this is probably incredibly fun music to play as a band.
There were a few real bangers on this album, but also some real shit. Muse is always either great or fucking basic bitch white girl music. The perfect '3 out of 5' band.
Do we think they hate that their best song was in a Twilight movie or do we think they're too busy swimming in their Twilight money Scrooge McDuck-style to care
"The time has come for you / To shoot your leaders down / And join forces underground" This album was one that I was excited to listen to today, as I'm familiar with Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, and Muse in general as a band via. their biggest hits. The album starts very strong with a very sci-fi sounding intro in "Take a Bow," straight into the album's biggest hits, "Starlight," and "Supermassive Black Hole." Although I did find the rest of the album to be somewhat boring and derivative. "Assassin" and "Knights of Cydonia" both have quite cool riffs, but don't nearly amount to enough to prop up the second half of the album on their own. I came into this album ready to give it a 4/5, but after a disappointing run of tracks, it'll get a 3/5
Feels like a grandiose mix of Coldplay and Radiohead which is hit or miss
Never been a Muse fan and this didn’t change that. It wasn’t bad but really nothing in it for me. 2.5 with a generous round up.
This is a classic album of my childhood, growing up in the 2000's to 2010's. Knights of Cydonia on Guitar Hero, Supermassive Black Hole in the Twilight soundtrack, Muse was a big band for sure. This album is decent for sure - the singles are certainly the bright spots. The final track, Glorious, has some really need pseudo-metalcore flavoring in places and overall the record is quite polished. It definitely has a very synthetic flavor to it but that is sort of a relic of the time. Nice trip down memory lane - one of the greatest albums of all time? Certainly not, but some fun jams and definitely a relic of the era where rock was still king into the pop/MP3 era.
Alright, good album but doesn’t stand as sometning thatll remain over time
Nostalgitripp! Jag spelade väldigt mycket muse på elbas i högstadiet. Sen för så klart supermassive black hole tankarna till FIFA07, och knights of cydonia+assassin till guitar hero/rockband. Men det sagt så är det inte min smak längre, och många låtar är högst mediokra. Trea, den kan väl få räknas som stark av nostalgiskäl.
Aldrig lyssnat på Muse, känns som alla alltid hetsar om hur keffa dom är, så man har inte pallat. Ändå bättre än förväntat, om än en smula dramatiska. Blev rätt lack på sångaren. Mer stark än svag trea
Call me a millennial but I actually like 2 of the songs
Every song is a car advert or has edgy teenager vibes. Not necessarily a bad thing. Vocals are insufferable though. Exo politics was good