Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Really nice, but almost sounds overproduced to me!
Bin kein Riesen Muse-Fan, aber 1-2 schöne Songs. Starlight ist schön
The more well known songs are good, despite being a tad overplayed. I much prefer the louder, faster songs (Assassin is my favourite) to the slower soppy shite. All that stuff sounds so dreary, probably why I don't like Radiohead.
Bra experimentellt Lite gnällig röst Absolut lyssnings värt Favoritlåt: Hoodoo
not bad kinda trippy sometimes all mushed together
Decent album. Solid everything, but nothing groundbreaking. Personally quite like it but in an attempt to be objective it's a solid 3/5
Think next gen new wave, but on the darker side, with a definitive rock edge.
Most of the album felt meh to me but I really loved one song, Supermassive Black Hole!
It's fine for the most part. I don't think this is there absolute best and I can understand why some might find them annoying. But I can accept them and they are different than most arena rock bands.
This feels like an album that you’d optimally listen to on an ipod. Some crazy early 2000s nostalgia with starlight. I like the general sound of this album and I feel like the songs are really distinct in the beginning but sort of just blend together by the end. Fav songs: take a bow, supermassive black hole
Feels like Radiohead but more generic. I feel like lot could be great but something just doesn’t click for some reason. 3/5
liked the song supermassive black hole because it was in twilight, the othe songs are ok. i liked his voice but i dont like the songs/ the background music
Some good tracks, but bit too pompous at times
This is in a series of artists and albums that I should probably like. And that's exactly why I've actually not listened to it before. I wouldn't give this a four-star rating, but it's a very good album that I could have listened to much earlier.
Toftof
Йоу уже слушал тю
Is that unused Pink Floyd album art? Anyway, this album is fine. The songs are fine. I enjoy the 3 songs I've heard before a little more probably because I've heard them before, but they're still not groundbreaking. This album is the epitome of middle-of-the-road; I don't hate it, and I don't love it.
meh, i liked city of delusion
What I imagine Radiohead sounds like to people who don’t like Radiohead.
No. 356/1001 Take a Bow 2/5 Starlight 4/5 Surpermassive Black Hole 3/5 Map of the Problematic 3/5 Soldier's Poem 2/5 Invincible 3/5 Assassin 3/5 Exo-Politics 3/5 City of Delusion 2/5 Hoodoo 2/5 Knights of Cydonia 3/5 Glorious 3/5 Average: 2,75 Just not my taste.
I’ve had a whole lifetime to be disappointed in Muse. I started as a huge Muse fan, cause when they came out I only heard their massive hit songs, in fact the first time I heard of them was when I played the Guitar Hero game that features Knights of Cydonia. That’s probably peak enjoyment of this band, cause they have gone so dramatically downhill since then. Honestly go try and listen to their newest two albums they are god awful (as of Feb 2026). So I’ve been conditioned for years to prepare myself for mediocrity when listening to Muse. This album however was during that short window of time where they still felt new and fresh. And to their credit this is probably their best album. So yes I can admit when I’m wrong and I wrong to assume this album would be total garbage. It has its moments where it becomes grating, but for the most part it’s their best work. Side a is definitely stronger than side b, BUT side b has Muse’s best song ever Knights of Cydonia. But as a whole they are still a mildly exciting electronic focused pop rock band. But again this is their best album, so make of that what you will.
Decent 3
Kanone bas-riffs, men det hele bliver sgu lidt for poleret og "storladent" på en kikset måde
A surprisingly nostalgic listen. This was my Kerrang childhood. Not perfect but the only album that really tapped into how ludicrous and OTT they actually sound.
Like a slightly crumpled photocopy of Radiohead. Not too bad, but not like the real thing.
This album felt was strong in the beginning and strong at the end, but the middle was fine. Sonically it sounds good and I like the instrumental paired with the singers voice. They work very well together. I never really listened to Muse before this but I will be checking more of their work out.
Submissive black hole was the fav
Annoyed. Not a big fan of the vocals. There is beauty in the arrangement, but does he whine the whole damn record?
Some good songs, but I don’t like Radiohead, and they sound so much like Radiohead. It’s very hard to differentiate between the two of them.
Too overstimulating
I went into this album knowing pretty much nothing about Muse, aside from a vague notion they're a heavy rock sort of band. It was strange listening to the first 3 songs. Song 1 proved my expectations were wrong, this was much more of a synthy, varied instrument type of experience. Not just clanging drums and heavy guitar. The listening experience seemed promising. The second song...that was quite strange. Turns out I've heard the song before somewhere (advert?), just had no idea Muse were the artist behind it. Very strange, nostalgic experience. I had the same with the third song, the supermassive blackhole tune which I enjoyed slightly less but was still good. After these 3 songs, the rest of the album was alright but I quickly grew fatigued. It goes on too long for my liking. Sometimes they sound like Coldplay, other times U2, and even the vocals are reminiscent of Radiohead occasionally. I'm glad I listened to this, but it dragged too much. Some decent songs, coupled with a lot of forgettabillity.
Not my style
Overall Rating - 3.29/5 (6.58/10). Solid album. Probably won't listen to it again, but I don't regret listening to it once.
it’s good but just for like background listening. big crescendo muse type album
Absolutely adequate
Muse have a very distinctive and powerful sound. There's a lot I do like about this, but Matt's voice can get a bit wearing and the songs don't really speak to me. I'd also perhaps like it better if the recording had more space and clarity. It's very dense and quite muddy, even on the quieter songs. Best Tracks Assassin City of Delusion - nice latin elements Knights of Cydonia
Bits of electronic rock with some sociopolitical messages; it's giving Radiohead and religious space-opera.
no es mi tipo pero bueno no es horrible y hay buenas como starlight supermassive
really great fun. Used to absolutely adore this album
Liked 3 songs ALOT. Many of the others are very complainy
Solid album 3.5 stars
Voice of radiohead and reminds me of queen
Good job muse!
It’s okay but it also sounds like a Radiohead rip off
7.5/10
Good overall. A couple of bangers. Many of the songs sound similar to me.
Take a Bow ★★★☆☆ Starlight ★★★★☆ Supermassive Black Hole ★★★★☆ Map of the Problematique ★★★☆☆ Soldier’s Poem ★★★☆☆ Invincible ★★★☆☆ Assassin ★★★★☆ Exo-Politics ★★★☆☆ City of Delusion ★★★☆☆ Hoodoo ★★★☆☆ Knights of Cydonia ★★★★☆ Glorious ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 3.3/5.0 ★★★☆☆
Muse was popular when I was in high school, and I feel like I didn’t give them the chance they deserved. 3.5
For an album post 2005, this album definitely deserves to be on this list compared to a lot of their dated picks. The sound is pretty "epic" throughout and has a stadium rock kind of feel. The first half of the album is quite good, and the Knights of Cydonia is a great track too. But something isn't grabbing me; on first listen, I appreciated the unique sound of this band, but on relisten (a week later), it lacks something, and I can't put my finger on it.
I knew dis
"The time has come for you... To shoot your leaders down... And join forces underground..." yikes.... Assassins seems too accurate with our time. Muse gives Radiohead vibes. Very theatrical and good lyrics. The album cover is sick. Something about the chord progressions of these songs scratches an itch in my brain. I rather enjoyed this album. It wouldn't be something I'd listen to on my own accord, but I'm glad I did. It was interesting to hear the other songs on the album that brought Supermassive Black Hole.
Good just not my vibe other than supermassive black hole cuz twilight
Eh, I'm not a huge Muse fan. While I am totally impressed that a 3-piece band can fill out this much sonic space, and supposedly they do it live, I guess I've never really loved how they do it. Everything just sounds so sterile and lifeless, despite all the moving pieces. Plus, I really only want to listen to Thom Yorke try to sound like Thom Yorke; there's only so much of some dude singing in a falsetto that I can handle. There are way worse records out there, and I can see why someone would like Muse, but it's really not for me. 3.3/5
A very not-for-me sound, and it feels like a concept record that never gets out of the starting blocks, but not without a certain mastery and polish.
I think this album is not as great as I remember. It gets an extra point for nostalgia and it isn't bad, but aside from a couple of songs (mostly the singles) it's not that special or memorable.
Not mine thing
Wonder what those guys are talking about
I was the exact age when this came out to be snobby towards new stuff, so knew of but missed Muse. Listening to this I can see the attraction. The best songs are good; derivative but no more than most music. But something just doesn't work for me. I like parts if it, but don't love it. His vocal range is higher than most singers I enjoy, and the melodies just don't seem quite catchy enough for what they're aiming for (with a couple of notable exceptions that just highlight how some of the songs just don't seem to quite work). The songwriting only seems to work when the music is so insanely catchy you ignore what he's singing. For the rest it varies between a bit blah and embarrassing. I could imagine really enjoying a single disc best of, but this just doesn't quite work for me
I forgot how much the piano part from “Starlight” gets stuck in my head. Damn you, Muse.
I wouldn’t consider this album to be either of the things it claims to be.
It's Bad,supermassive black it's the only song on THAT album thats actually aceptable. I wanted to ripped My ears so Bad
Radiohead lite. Love the music, meh on the lyrics.
was introduced to this over a decade ago in middle school. still holds up.
In parts quite electronic sounding rock and usually I'm not a massive fan of really electronic sounds but this was pretty decent it had a good blend and didn’t complety over do it in all the songs. I'd say a nice little range of moods all with an underlying cowboy/western theme from the songs, which I think is a good thing when you can actually distinguish songs in an album. Got sort of radiohead vibes but slightly toned down. Standout songs 'supermassive black hole' (twilight iyk yk😂) , 'exo-politics' and maybe 'knights of cydonia' A very solid 3 stars, nearly 4 stars.
A good vibe for the most part but not something I loved
3.5. Got my head bobbing several times
Good album? Yes, I enjoyed it. One of the top 1,001 of all time? Uh....nope.
Bra album, objektivt sett! Supermassive black hole er ikonisk! Men tror ikke jeg kommer tilbake til dette albumet, så 3 stjerner fra meg selv om det er et veldig bra album.
While this album isn't my favorite, I like how individualistic it is for its time. It quite literally is Twilight baseball scene reincarnate and I enjoyed hearing the rest of the story of this album. It's like if Queen met heavy metal before its time, and I find that very admirable with music especially in early 2000s where this was more experimental music. I also enjoyed how it kind of fades in and out of that heavy metal narrative as well, and explores more of a story with electronic music as well. I'm going to have to look into the story of this album more, but from a superficial aspect, it is a great album, just not my own personal taste.
Primeiro álbum aqui!! meio diferente do que eu normalmente escuto por ser rock mas achei um álbum bom, gostei das músicas starlight,supermassive black hole, invincible e hoodoo.
Empieza mejor de lo que termina. Las últimas canciones: cult coded
My heart sank when I saw this album, fearing more brit pop, but this is pretty good. I didn’t fully appreciate the apocalyptic theme or whatever it was, but there are good hooks and lots of fun callbacks to all kinds of bands and genres from the 70s and 80s.
Me gusta. No sé si un día x diría como uy escuchemos Muse. A veces es muy pesado y eso no me trama tanto. Pero es un buen álbum. Me gusta mucho más la primera parte que la segunda mitad. Ni hablar de Supermasive Black Hole. Es demasiado icónica.
Good alternative band. Good sound, unique sound, good music.
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.
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.
some songs i like but some I don’t so im like 3.5/5
- 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.
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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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 3/5
A different and interesting album, but not an album I would come back to much. 3 stars or C+.
Feels like getting back to 2017, feeling nostalgic, but kinda outgrew my love to them
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.
Pretty decent, fav song is Soilders Poem
Favorites Supermassive Black Hole, City of Delusion, Hoodoo
Correcto
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 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.
Might like it after a 2nd listen
i just keep thinking about how much muse was in twilight
Kinda good, with some songs worth listening to loud, e.g. Starlight and Knights of Cydonia.
Mais non c culte ou quoi la team (mid)
6/10
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
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.
they went sicko mode on 3 songs
3 song album
Knights of Cydonia is the star, everything else was so-so
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.
One of the best intros/starts with the third song being insane Super Massive Black hole. Unfortunately later on it does get weaker.
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
All of the elements are there, crisp production, solid vocals, precision playing, it's just hollow. Without soul or heart somehow
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.
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.
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
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
Arpeggio after arpeggio after arpeggio, idk this got old pretty fast, and the vocals were just kinda annoying.
This was cool when I was like 17.
I like it but is nothing too original and a little monotonous
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
Interesting wall of sound. But after a while, all the songs sound the same.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Quite liked.
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.
Not bad. I feel like I should really like them but o don’t really care for them that much.
Coldplay-esq
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.
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.
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.
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.
It was interesting in parts
Some good heavy tunes
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.
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.
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.
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.
I like Muse. This is a good album, but it’s not a great, in fact prefer earlier offerings.
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.
Enjoyed parts of this album. Felt quite modern and interesting.
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.
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
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.
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.
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).
Dois aspectos me incomodam neste disco: a tensão constante, impedindo o ouvinte de relaxar o mínimo e a opção por uma mixagem que deixa o som confuso ("embolado"). Não se ouve os pratos da bateria e os teclados, cordas e guitarras soam misturados, dificultando a experiência de desfrutar das melodias e arranjos. Mesmo assim, um bom disco!
2.5/5. Cava nog
A good album … feels like more than a 3 but at the same time I’m not sure it’s a 4 🤷♀️
I had never really listened to Muse outside of hearing them on the radio, and always kinda put them in the "poppy Radiohead ripoff" category, but this album was pretty good. Definitely had a few great moments and brought back some Guitar Hero memories. Highlights: "Starlight" and "Exo-Politics"
Haha, I already got this as an album, literally on day one, before getting the team It's still fun!
Fine, but not cool
A really solid 3 but I really can't give it any more. They've done some really good stuff but I rarely listen to Muse, they rarely excite or move me. Controversial!
Only for Super Massive Black Hole. Rest of the album feels mediocre
Didn't really love anything but it's was good the whole way through
“Supermassive Black Hole” was on my high school running list, and now feels a bit tired to me. I found “Invincible” a really engaging piece, with the clearer vocals and even the wild synthy guitar solo. “Exo-Politics” had a much more traditional “classic” rock mode which I found approachable and enjoyable. I was surprised by how not surprised I was that “City of Delusion” had a muted trumpet which was vaguely latin sounding. Then “Hoodoo” follows up with a Mariachi guitar introduction then is a hit of a song? I just don’t even know anymore. “Knights of Cydonia” I instantly recognized because The University of Rochester had an a cappella group that covered that one and I had the physical CD of their album in HS. Classic. Overall not something I’d reach for but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the later songs on the album.
It's got the usual Musings. Space themes, weird lyrics, held middle syllables, and juuuuuust enough post grunge to not be labeled as such.
This álbum have a start very good. But, the finish isn't very interesting!
Interesting. It sounds like an attempt to sound like Radiohead which is no bad thing, sort of lacked a bit of depth.
First track is amazing and the rest is just good. Kinda disappointed and I feel catfished.
some nice songs
3.5 the good tracks are great, sometimes it feels almost like a radiohead cover band (hoodoo)
2,9/5
Some good tunes...and some noise
Very fun instrumentals Close to my style, but not something that I'd often listen to But if the mood takes me back to this album, I won't mind!
Good album but for me no Origin of Symmetry
Ponderous themes and ponderous production. But sometimes it kind of rocks.
Every song sounds euphoric and grandiose. Not light and shade. Hopeful at the end when Hoodoo appears but then they over do it again and ends euphoric. I want to like Muse and just can't get there. Great musical passages but too much the same and one song blurs into another.
Very energetic. Seems VERY produced. It's a good album, but not for usual casual listening. Pitchfork: 4.2 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Starlight Supermassive Black Hole Assassin Knights of Cydonia
What I would give to listen to this album for the first time again….. 3.5, rounded down
Whatever you say about Muse, they sure can make a racket for a band with only 3 people! This album is just enough not Radiohead and not Queen to hit a sweet spot. That sweet spot is definitely Supermassive Blackhole which is excellent. I also like Starlight alot. Some of the other songs are a little too grandiose
Loved the opening salvo, and was wondering how I’d never paid attention in to Muse before. Halfway through the album I realise why as it was starting to sound a bit like a Radiohead tribute act, more Thom Yorke than Tom Yorke who is already a divisive lead vocalist. Kind of grating in the end. Disappointing.
Supermassive Black Hole and Knights of Cydonia were already on the Liked Songs prior. Added Starlight but the rest of the album was a bit of a miss for me.
Their fourth album. Rock. This is an attempt at an epically grand album. There are a couple of peaks (which have been endlessly overplayed ever since) but overall I find it a little flat. I really want to be in to it but ultimately the album keeps letting me down. The production is good and there are some nice lyrics.
A big album. Lots of singles. I like the concept. A bit over the top and a little bit soulless though.
Adequate poppy alt rock. Gets an extra point for cool production. Great ZVEX fuzz tones on the bass and guitar, and cool synth arpeggios. Loses a point because Bellamy sounds like he's singing the transcript of an Infowars broadcast while doing a somewhat passable Thom Yorke impression. The rockers go decently hard, but the ballads really suck. I always assumed Muse fans were mostly people who stopped liking Radiohead when Kid A came out, and listening to this in full didn't really change that perception
No es mi gusto, pero tampoco le daría mala nota sólo por eso. Rock de los 00.
"Supermassive Black Hole" is a great song... i'll start off by saying that... "Take a Bow" opens the record... underwhelming in my opinion... the singer is kind of an operatic bloke... nothing is done on this cut that wasn't done better on Funeral For a Friend by Elton John, etc... "Starlight" is a song that reminds me of U2... almost a dead ringer for a Bono vocal... in other words a sure fire hit... "Map of the Problematique" is problematical to me... in that it is noise... lol... they slow it down with "Soldier's Poem"... "Invincible" is the next track on this U2, er, Muse album... lol... the rest of the album is basically the same... not much on melody... this band hits on something every once in a while on this album.... not enough to be something you must hear before you die... but, if you did, die, that is... without hearing it... well... you missed "Supermassive Black Hole"... which is a good song... "Glorious", "Exo-Politics", "Assassin" and "Knights of Cydonia" what??? lol... are example of the pretentious titles... Three stars... and i'm being generous..."
Pretty good
El álbum con la canción de la escena de beisbol de Crepúsculo, mis dieces de entrada. Rock alternativo con sonidos clásicos del género, me gusta que algunas canciones tienen cambios de ritmo. Pero a pesar de ser un género que me gusta no me termina de convencer el álbum, creo que porque se acerca un poco al metal y me parece un poco repetitivo. Esta bien pero sin más para mi. Canciones favs: supermassive black hole, invincible, city of delusion, hoodoo
Heard this before it in with the four albums I have a anytime for from Muse. I like the UFO gimmick they use behind everything but Matts voice can be far too wailing at times. There are some stand out tracks the singles Knights, Starlight etc Map of Prob is also extremley good invincible is ok too. However its all a little preachy and his voice skretches on the ballads and he doesnt carry it well. The drums, Bass and Guitar from the trio are tight especially the drumming and Matts solos are a bit hit and miss. Its okay but not stood the test of time for me. I also found myself disappointed the few times I have seen them live all atyle over substance.
The bangers are bangers here but man alive Muse album tracks aren't great are they?
Always had issue with Muse as I felt they were too forced and just never liked the marketing -was glad to listen to this album start to finish as the album was tight and much better than I expected.
Just some inoffensive background music. Not bad, and not appealing enough for me to seek it out again.
Muse are a weird band, they are these... space obsessed, conspiracy obsessed, alt rock ala Radiohead by way of Queen which would sound lame as hell but personally? I kinda love that about their early music, their weird blend of theatrical music and 00s alt rock really works well for the kind of music they make and this album especially is great for how it just brings in both really sweet poppy songs (Starlight), very mechanical and heavy pop songs to play baseball to (Super Massive Black Hole), and then just a bunch of Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western sounding songs at the end, it's not consistent at ALL but I loved this shit when I was 14, and even at 24 I still kinda love it, if here and there than as a whole.
I never really listened to Muse back when this dropped but I do remember how huge it was back then. Muse definitely has a distinct sound and sometimes, it doesn't really land well for me (like Invincible). But when it hits, it's -chef kiss-. Solid album overall but I'm a much bigger fan of The Resistance. Favorite tracks: Kinghts of Cydonia
Queria muito gostar deste álbum, queria gostar desta banda. Mas é difícil. Não sinto muita coisa os ouvindo. Comparações com Radiohead são óbvias e cansativas, mas acima de tudo, acho essas comparações tristes. Tristes no sentido que, se eu pensar nelas, eu vou querer tirar o disco do Muse e colocar qualquer disco do Radiohead. Por isso, evito ao máximo estes pensamentos durante a escuta. Mas o pior é que não acho nada aqui verdadeiramente ruim. Só não me dá o mesmo tesão que outras bandas semelhantes me dão. E é difícil apontar o motivo exato disso. Talvez seja pela produção mais emaculada deste disco comparado com outros semelhantes. Talvez seja pela voz do vocalista não ser 100% do meu agrado. Talvez seja pelo conteúdo lírico que às vezes chega em um nível “I’m 14 and this is deep”. Talvez seja, na realidade, uma junção de tudo isso. Provavelmente. Knights of Cydonia é uma canção clássica todavia, não posso negar isso. Eu a adoro. E há alguns outros cortes aqui que eu até gostei. Nada me deixou entusiasmado o suficiente para ser salvo, mas mesmo assim, nada me ofendeu seriamente. Um álbum mediano de uma banda que, por agora, acredito também ser mediana. 3/5
Good but not really my thing
Hate muse
Fine rock album. Feels a bit more polished than your average rock album. Got some nice hits and the other songs are listenable but kind of forgettable. I can see why people call them a “budget-Radiohead” but I think I still prefer Muse.
Didn't care for muse in high school. Don't care for muse in my late 30s. I mean... It was fine, but not anything spectacular. 3 stars.
No spoko, takie do auta żeby nie zasnąć:D ale zbyt drażniące do słuchania na codzień
A few good ones. Not as good as I remembered.
Ok, being generous w 3
MUSEEEEEEEEEEE 😍😍😍😍😍😍 pure art obviously I mean supermassive black hole ??! 🙇♀️🙇♀️🙇♀️ overall it’s great but keep in mind this is far for being their best album I’m torn between 3 or 4 stars
Nice album overall, I liked a vast majority of songs and a des of them finished in my playlist
Psychedelic rock. Lots of drifting electric guitar riffs, real more Dynamics than I thought there would be over the course of the whole album. Interesting to read up about the history of the band and their evolution with their increase substance use into Jefferson Starship. Wrote White rabbit which is the first one of the first pro drug songs
Was every band formed in the millennial youth times just a facsimile of a previous band? Are Muse really that much like Queen? And how did that rat faced mfer end up with Kate Hudson? The answer is it’s Classic Rock now and we’re all essentially dead.
Mostly mediocre songs with, I must admit, interesting arrangements. I find Mr. Bellamy's singing a bit annoying in full album format. Stll, some really good vocal harmonies. One of those bands which success I can't fully understand.
Agréablement surpris
Première fois que j’écoutais sérieusement, beaucoup aimé
Plusieurs bonnes chansons (comme l'opener), mais des fois on dirait que je suis en train d'écouter une pub pour le nouveau pickup Dodge Ram. Bref, bon mais un peu corny.
Est-ce que j’aurais pu mourir sans écouter cet album? Sans aucun doute! Encore une fois, j’ai retrouvé le plaisir dans la nostalgie… Souvenir de soirées Guitar Hero avec Assassin. Bref, pas de gros WoW, mais j’ai pas saigné des oreilles!
Jamais été accroché par Muse.
Je trouve souvent ça improbable le mixte Dance music/hard rock/alternative. La voix de Belamy me fait vraiment penser à Rufus Wainwright sur Invincible. Alice est rentrée dans la cuisine en disant: ah l'album du jour c'est U2? 😆Bon ça me fait pas tant penser à U2, mais c'est le même feeling: je doute pas que c'est des excellent musiciens mais c'est plutôt quelconque pour moi. Désolé les The Edge lovers
Meh. Me laisse ni chaud ni froid, juste pas mon style. Je me souviens comment big c’était début 2000’s, mais je n’ai jamais embarqué. Supermassive black hole, bon single. Map of the problematique, bel hommage à Depeche Mode. Bref, on passe au prochain!
Muse just never did anything for me but I made it through with out hitting skip.
I really didn’t have strong feelings about this. I thought I might dislike it but it’s markedly better than the work they were putting out when I was aware of them (early 2010s). I feel like here I heard influences of Radiohead, Queen, The Strokes, and maybe a touch of Black Sabbath, which results in it being a sort of weird combination of metal and theater kid elements that just don’t work together for me and makes it feel goofy. Supermassive black hole is catchy though and Soldier’s Poem is very pretty.
Meh
It has some bangers but I rarely make it through the whole album without a few skips. I got to Muse late so, to me, they aren't an album band. Highlight: Assassin
A real mixed bag here. Started off pretty solid. Fell apart for me half way through though. I’d be willing to give it another shot (that’s high praise compared to many of the albums on this list).
After the innovative and darker Origin of Symmetry, Muse continued down the road of grandeur and mainstream appeal. Black Holes and Revelations is undoubtedly well-produced and technically impressive, but for me, it loses much of the edge and experimental spark that once made the band exciting. There are big ambitions and plenty of pomp, but also a sense that everything has become too polished and too calculated. The album has its moment in “Map of the Problematique,” which stands out with its dark, electronic atmosphere. The rest, unfortunately, fades into the background and feels more like empty volume than genuine impact. 3/5
Big bombastic artsy rock. Good for playing baseball to. A solid 3.5 for me.
Classic, geen fan van de sound
3.6/5 was different and enjoyable
3.5
Some great hits but some real stinkers as well on thistracklist for me
Sorti en 2006, "Black Holes and Revelations" est le quatrième album studio du groupe britannique Muse. Arrivant après le succès planétaire de l'album "Absolution" (2004), cet opus était attendu au tournant. "Black Holes and Revelations" est un album charnière, une œuvre d'une ambition folle qui a propulsé Muse au rang de superstar des stades. D'ailleurs, le premier contact avec l'album est saisissant. Muse ne se repose pas sur ses lauriers. Le groupe explose les frontières de son propre son, s'éloignant du rock progressif et alternatif sombre de ses débuts pour explorer des territoires musicaux radicalement nouveaux. C'est là que réside la plus grande force de l'album : son audace et ses moments de génie pur. Quelques titres à eux seuls valent le détour et sont devenus des piliers de la discographie du groupe. "Knights of Cydonia" par exemple est une épopée insensée, un space-opéra western qui mélange une ligne de basse galopante, des trompettes à la Ennio Morricone, des guitares surf-rock, des synthétiseurs futuristes et le falsetto stratosphérique de Matthew Bellamy. C'est du Muse à 200%, un concentré d'excès, de virtuosité et de plaisir. En concert, ce titre est devenu leur hymne ultime, un moment de communion totale. Mais également "Starlight" d'une simplicité désarmante pour le groupe, cette chanson est l'archétype de l'hymne pop-rock parfait. Portée par une ligne de piano entraînante et un refrain fédérateur, elle démontre la capacité de Muse à écrire un tube planétaire sans pour autant sacrifier son identité. La mélancolie et l'espoir qui s'en dégagent en font un classique instantané. "Supermassive Black Hole" qui est peut-être le plus grand virage stylistique de leur carrière. Avec son riff funky, sa rythmique quasi-dansante et son chant influencé par Prince, le titre a déconcerté plus d'un fan de la première heure. Pourtant, c'est une prise de risque payante, une chanson terriblement efficace qui prouve que Muse peut être groovy et sexy. De même, "Map of the Problematique", avec ses arpèges de synthétiseurs hypnotiques rappelant Depeche Mode, offre une urgence électronique et une tension palpable qui en font l'un des joyaux cachés de l'album. Ces quatre titres représentent le meilleur de Black Holes and Revelations. Ils sont inventifs, puissants, mémorables et montrent un groupe au sommet de sa créativité. Mais si l'album contient des chansons exceptionnelles, son principal défaut est de ressembler davantage à une compilation d'idées disparates qu'à une œuvre unifiée. Le voyage d'un titre à l'autre est souvent brutal, et l'ensemble manque cruellement de cohésion. Cette ambition de toucher à tout se fait au détriment de l'expérience d'écoute globale. Le passage du funk de "Supermassive Black Hole" à la ballade acoustique et un peu mièvre "Soldier's Poem" est l'exemple le plus frappant. Si cette dernière est une jolie chansonnette, elle casse complètement le rythme et l'énergie de l'album, semblant venir d'un autre projet. D'autres morceaux, bien que techniquement impressionnants, flirtent dangereusement avec le pompeux. "Invincible", avec sa montée en puissance très inspirée de Queen, se veut un hymne à la résilience. Mais sa progression lente et ses paroles un peu naïves peuvent paraître grandiloquentes, voire un peu kitsch. C'est une chanson conçue pour les stades, mais qui manque de la subtilité et de la rage des œuvres précédentes. De même, des titres comme "Exo-Politics" ou "City of Delusion" sont de bons morceaux de rock, mais ils peinent à se démarquer. Le premier est un rock efficace mais assez convenu pour le groupe. Le second, malgré ses influences orientales et ses cordes majestueuses, s'étire un peu en longueur et n'a pas l'impact d'un "Knights of Cydonia". On sent l'expérimentation, mais le résultat n'est pas toujours aussi mémorable que les singles. "Hoodoo", avec sa structure complexe passant d'une ballade au piano à un final orchestral dramatique, est ambitieux mais peut sembler alambiqué, moins direct et percutant. En définitive, "Black Holes and Revelations" est un album qui suscite des sentiments contradictoires. Il est impossible de nier son importance dans la discographie de Muse. C'est l'album de la consécration, celui qui les a fait passer du statut de grand groupe de rock à celui de phénomène mondial. Il contient certaines de leurs chansons les plus emblématiques, des morceaux d'une créativité et d'une puissance rares. Cependant, son éclectisme forcené et son manque de fil conducteur l'empêchent de se hisser au niveau des chefs-d'œuvre cohérents que sont "Origin of Symmetry" ou "Absolution". Il est moins un album qu'un recueil de singles brillants et d'expérimentations plus ou moins réussies. Pour chaque "Starlight" ou "Knights of Cydonia", on trouve un moment plus faible ou une transition malheureuse qui brise l'immersion. C'est pourquoi une note de 3 sur 5 semble juste. Ce n'est pas un album moyen, loin de là. C'est un "bon" album, porté par des moments de pure excellence, mais plombé par une ambition si démesurée qu'elle en devient son propre piège.
3/5 Favourite Song: Starlight Least Favourite Song: Take a Bow
- Felt like the songs sounded similar and got a little monotonous - the beats and music were different compared to the same beats in music now a days
I've never been super high on Muse. They kind of remind me of like a less cool version of Radiohead. They're like OK Computer-era Radiohead with some cheesy elements mixed in. I do think "Starlight" is an enjoyable song. The rest of it is kind of a mixed bag for me -- I'm not as high on "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Knights of Cydonia" as others seem to be. 3.5 stars
I like a few songs, used to play them in a cover band. A bit overblown would be the kind version
I think the trick with Muse is to not take the music too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun - a big rush of endorphins, rather than anything probing. At points they sound like a souped up, distorted Coldplay - and there’s a time and a place for that!
A weak to solid 3 for me with nostalgia doing some heavy lifting especially in the mid-section where it saggs awfully
-i liked this. perhaps more than i thought i would -the lead vocalist is definitely ripping off Thom Yorke a little bit. but he does a very good job at it. it was hard for me to enjoy every song on here but the atmosphere and performance on a few tracks was phenomenal. yes Supermassive Black Hole slaps -Favorites are Supermassive Black Hole, Map of the Problematique, and Assassin
Great in parts, a bit boring and overly self-indulgent in others.
Not that exciting
it's a bit much to sit through. really cool though.
Mewthes?! What is Mewthes?! Right, I’ve never quite been able to out my finger on why I don’t like Muse but finally being forced to listen to a full album, I have some exact reasoning. Firstly, this album itself isn’t too bad, an of all of their work is the only album I’d actually have been happy to listen to. Strong performances from most of the instruments for most of the songs. The songwriting is pretty lacklustre at times; the first half of the album particularly just has so little in the way of dynamic shifts that the album feels so one-note and samey. Matt Bellamy’s droning voice almost never sounds like he can be arsed, every song is mid-tempo in pretty much the same key, and there’s always this shadow of a threat that they *might* kick into 4th or 5th gear - but they never do! Not until the end of Knights of Cydonia, which, while I do think is a great song with a series if catchy riffs and great lyrics, isn’t enough of a satisfying crescendo to make the rest of the album worthwhile. Muse just sound like ‘rock’ music that’s been made in a factory. It’s not ‘wrong’, it’s not ‘bad’, but it lacks emotion, drive, and purpose. If this is the best they’ve got to offer then fuck I hope there isn’t another of theirs in this list. Take a Bow (7/10) Starlight (8/10) Supermassive Black Hole (8/10) Map of the Problematique (6/10) Soldier’s Poem (5/10) Invincible (5/10) Assassin (7/10) Exo-Politics (7/10) City of Delusion (7/10) Hoodoo (6/10) Knights of Cydonia (9/10) Glorious (7/10) 6.8/10
Took me half the album to put a finger on that it’s the same guy who sings Uprising. I like that song, and this album is pretty good. Solid 3
I'm sorry this is mostly just extra theatrical Radiohead. I know that's kind of a hated opinion, but it's true. My real rating is like a 3.5, but since you can't do that here, I'm going to always round down when the rating ends in .5.
Adulthood
Honestly not bad. This is my first album I've ever listened to in full from the band. I do mostly enjoy what I'm hearing but I can definitely this album dragging a little bit. I think the instrumentation is fantastic though. The drums are absolutely killing it with some of these fills. And the vocals are super expressive in their deliveries of verses. Creatively this album goes all over the map I feel like. The lyrics are good but a little too vague at points for my taste but I'd have to go back to listen to them. Very theatrical.
A solid album with my favourite Muse track - ‘Supermassive Blackhole’. Great to see prog rock continuing, but a little can go a long way.
mostly lame
Revisiting Black Holes and Revelations was an interesting experience. It was an album I listened to a lot of as a teen, and was the era where I saw Muse live. But it also represents the last album of theirs that I liked. I'd maintained that they fell off after this record, but now I'm not so sure. The big, high energy tracks like Map of the Problematique, Knights of Cydonia and Supermassive Black Hole were what stuck in my memory the most. Meanwhile I sort of held up Starlight as the rare weakspot on this record - unfortunately there's a lot more here in the vein of Starlight that I'd forgotten about (or more likely skipped over when adding the better tracks to playlists).
Supermassive black hole. Yep. Soldier’s Poem is a nice breakup in the album. Assassin is alright Hoodoo’s different Back half of Knights of Cydonia goes fairly hard Glorious isn’t bad Not the biggest fan of the lead singers voice, but album tries out some cool different stuff
Ok
On paper I probably should have been a Muse fan. I can’t really tell you why I’m not, except that something about them just didn't work for me... too fake, maybe? Or too pretentious? This isn’t their debut album, and it shows. This feels like a band very comfortable weaving together an extremely complex sound, or one with enough label money to hire a really slick producer. Having never heard their earlier albums, I have little doubt I’d enjoy them more than this one and then complain that BH&R was the beginning of their big sellout. Nevertheless, this is a very solid, if soulless, commercial-minded rock’n’roll record with all the cinematic flourishes you need for a big stadium tour (plus countless commercials and TV soundtracks). I can practically hear the pyrotechnics and the flutter of A&R professionals. Muse feels like what would happen if Coldplay took amphetamines instead of opioids. It's music for junior finance bros to do cocaine to.
Lots of good here, a few misses but that's ok. Starlight is always a great track
Well put together by talented musicians. Not quite my cup of tea
Not really my thing, but there were some good parts.
Radiohead for theater kids. At the time, this was the album I felt signified Muse selling out. Some of the songs are still kind of fun though.
My first time listening to Muse. First track comes on, Take A Bow, and I'm thinking this is going to be painful to listen to. Second track, Starlight, was fairly better. Then Supermassive Black Hole just rocks it. A few more decent tracks on the rest of the album, with Invincible, Exo-Politics, and City Of Delusion standing out. Solid album. Best song: Supermassive Black Hole
Not their best but here they still Made alright music
Great musicians and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the songs here. However, it just doesn't move me enough. I remember seeing them on the tour promoting this album and while the show was meticulously performed it left me a bit cold. Lots of songs sound like pastiches of other artists such as U2, Radiohead, King Crimson etc. I can see why people love this band and they're worth lending an ear to.
Better than I thought, but they are darker and more intense than I like
This album was certainly interesting. I’ve listened to one of Muse’s previous albums, and these two are both similar, and way different. This album goes a lot more down the electronic rabbit hole than Absolution, the other Muse album I listened to. This works in some cases, but in other cases, like Supermassive Black Hole(which I don’t see why it became a hit) it weighs down the song and makes it feel too dense. Matt Bellamy’s guitar playing on songs like Knights of Cydonia, which is the standout track on the album, is epic, but more often than not, the songs stick to similar guitar riffs throughout the songs. The lyrics are pretty good, not much to say there, and there are some good songs, like Soldier’s Poem and Starlight, but too much do the songs stick to a similar formula that doesn’t really go anywhere. I’d check out Knights of Cydonia, that song rocks, but if you want to start with Muse, I would start with another album.
I remember liking this waaay more.
Muse is a paradox that both attracts and repels me.I admire their epic ambition, the way they brought the urgency and intensity of metal into pop music, and their image. At the same time, I can’t stand their grandiloquence or Tom York style’s voice for too long. As often with Muse, this album is too dense and overwhelming, a sonic and overproduced deluge that ends up working against them. Few nice tracks.
Had a couple solid tunes and it was overall ok - But I just never totally bought into it.
Comparisons to Radiohead are tempting, but not all that appropriate.
Too Radiohead-esque for me, Knights of Cydonia saved it though
Wanted to skip a few songs but some of them were solid. I think I’d enjoy this album more if I was in a different mood.
There were some cool instrumental parts but the vocals were pretty grating. It seems as though you need to compare Muse to Radiohead so here is mine: Muse is what I imagine Radiohead sounds like to people who don't like Radiohead very much
This would be a nostalgic 4 for me. I remember blaring this while playing Halo 2 split screen with my brother and his friend Mikey who brought a ripped version of this over on a CD. They could have cut a couple of tracks and this would be amazing.
Muse makes some great music. Some of their albums can be a bit of a struggle. This album is good but not great and they have better ones. The hits are excellent
i thought it was a pretty enjoyable album. Nothing too special.
A bit boring, few hooks much atmosphere.
I LIKE THE MUSE BUT FEEL LIKE i NEED TO BE IN A SPECIFIC MOOD FOR THEM.
Its good. Muse reminds me of Kids Bob for Tool. I like the hits, but as an album most sounds the same. And the songs that don't sound similar, arent as good.
2.5
This got better as it went on.
3 out of 5. Aside from the singles Assassin and Exo-Politics stood out to me.
I don't think I've listened to Muse outside of their performance during the London Olympics closing ceremony in 2012, so I don't have much to go off of going in. Coming out on the other side I'm not certain how to feel on it fully. Every song out of the gate comes off as a banger, the type you hear when the credits roll after a cliffhanger ending in an action film or going into a boss battle. But then somewhere in the middle it just kinda muddles as everything happening comes to a head and competes with each other. Nothing about it made me stop and go "where have they been for the past 20+ years" but everything about it was still good. Great prog rock elements throughout but at times it felt too much or too little. Perhaps if the songs were longer it wouldn't feel like they're rushing to get everything in like Disney making a Star Wars film. Needless to say, I don't really know how to review music.
A little bit of Thom Yorke, a little bit of Rufus Wainwright, a bit more Thom Yorke/Radiohead, and a lot of 2006-era production. Anthemic songs full of the angst of the new millennium.
supermassive black hole carries a lot it‘s not the right muse album
Dobrze się przy tymśpi. 3/5
It's a wild ride. Some tracks are catchy and fun, while others feel like they’re trying a bit too hard. It’s like they threw a bunch of ideas in a blender and hoped for the best. It’s decent, but I’m not rushing to play it on repeat anytime soon!
Well, I liked this better than expected, but in the end it is still a three star album for me. It is too late and I’m too tired to say more.
Sometimes epic, cheesy, surprising, mediocre, decent.
If I could give half stars I would give this 3.5 stars
Good alternative music
I liked this one, felt like a mix of a lot of bands, also sounded familiar 6.5/10 had some misses and some hits
Awesome album but Matt Bellamy’s operatic style of vocals do not resonate with me.
A band solidly in the pocket of 3/5. Either insanely overrated or hated, it’s a true mirror of hyperbole. You can hear sometimes the band they are using to mid success within the album. It’s fine.
Best track: super massive black hole
Temu Radiohead
Muse has always been a weird band for me. I enjoyed their more rock focused earlier stuff when they were clearly still trying to find their feet. But this album forward felt too polished, shiny and soulless
Starts off hot and Knights of Cydonia is an all-time rock song, but I ended up finding the album just okay as a whole. I probably did it a disservice not listening on the loudest possible speakers. Shout out to Chris Wolstenholme for absolutely ripping on the bass.
Really quite listenable despite the general pretentiousness and self-importance of its lyrics.
The high points (Map of the Problematique, Knights of Cydonia, Starlight etc) are really high, some of the best music Muse has written. However there’s just too much filler in my opinion, and the album suffers when compared to Absolution, which is miles better I think.