Black Holes and Revelations

Another basic Millennial enjoying a Muse album during hoa hoa season? Everyone is shocked.

pretty good. i passively kinda hate on muse and this didn't really push the needle for me but it is well produced

Muse is the single most overrated band i've ever seen or listened to. Saw them shortly after they released Absolution and I had to sit down, found them too anoying to enjoy. Having said that, this is a fantastic album. Cinematic from start to finish, flows perfectly within a hard rock, western themed album, from Take a Bow to Invincible, the first side of the album is pretty flawless, side B less so. Map of the Problematique is probably my favorite. After this, Muse became a parody of itself.

Coldplay meets U2. And what uplifting lyrics! I guess there is some talent here that I’m just not getting, but could live happily ever after without Muse.

Hipsters hate muse. Some of the criticism is understandable. They are indeed a bit corny and their last few albums were indeed garbage. However, this isn't the real reason hipsters hate muse. Hipsters hate Muse because they are a good band that had aspirations of being a great band, and that kind of unrealized ambition is the greatest possible crime in hipsterdom. Hipsters are more comfortable with mediocre bands who aspire to be mediocre (see Geese) because occasionally coming up short of the mark is far less cool than not trying at all. Sure Muse will swing in miss quite often (see Invincible), but when they hit it sounds awesome (see Knights of Cydonia), and I would rather listen to an album that is a mix of terrible and great songs than an album full of mid songs that I will forget in a week. Insert twilight joke here.

Nej!

The end of Muse's golden period and the last one of their records that I would call great. You can hear them developing some of the bad habits that would continue to plague them throughout subsequent records. Some songs sound bombastic and hollow with lyrics that sound meaningful but don't really mean anything. At it's best though, this is a dramatic space opera with some banging tunes that are worth hearing.

No longer in the book, but I’m reviewing it anyway. So, here’s the thing. I really admire what this band did here 20 years ago. As a teenager, I wasn’t listening to ANYTHING beyond ’60s and ’70s rock (partly because I was a music snob, partly because I was a “rebellious” teenager). Muse changed that for me. On this album, they drew on great bands like Queen, Depeche Mode, Lightning Bolt (!) and Sly and the Family Stone (all bands I love). They wanted to pack in basically everything they loved about bombastic, arena-ready music, and they succeeded in making it diverse and accessible. So whether you were into ’70s hard rock, ’80s synth-pop, or ’90s electronica and alternative rock, you could probably find something here, as long as your tastes were broad enough. Add a cover designed by Storm Thorgerson of Pink Floyd fame, and you’ve got a whole Boomer generation crossing the divide with Millennials. I admire Muse for bringing different generations together. When it works, it works quite well. Whether it’s the poppy, modulated “Starlight”, the electro-pop strut of “Supermassive Black Hole”, the Depeche Mode tribute (or rip-off) “Map of the Problematique”, the dark stomper “Exo-Politics” or the intense, guitar-shredding epic “Knights of Cydonia”, it’s clear these are talented, smart pop/rock performers. Matt Bellamy oversings at times, but it suits the style. He’s a great guitar and keys player, and the same goes for the other two, Chris Wolstenholme on bass and Dominic Howard on drums. Apparently, they’re all musical prodigies. Overall, though, it’s just too commercially slick and often too generic in its production, to the point that it already sounds dated. Listen to a schmaltzy ballad/Eurotrash track like “Invincible”: does it have any reason to exist? Or the opener, “Take a Bow”, which builds and builds with electronic modulation and goes nowhere. It’s like they didn’t really know what they wanted to do. They’re literally the Styx of the 21st century: talented and ambitious, yet bloated and sometimes tepid. Personally, I’d have liked more noise and metal distortion, like on the badass operatic math-metal of “Assassin”. But I’m sure most casual listeners would have their own favorite side of the album. So it’s hard to give it a top score when it’s this disjointed. 2.5 stars, only because there are some solid tracks, and because I appreciate what they tried to do and their efforts to bridge generations, even if it’s forgettable overall.

- Mom, let's buy Radiohead? - We have Radiohead at home...

The most begrudging 3

I just hate Muse’s whole deal

‘Supermassive Black Hole’ sounds like a fucking fart. So does the forgettable track after it. Hell, ‘Knights of Cydonia’ sounds like farts and I actually like that one. Also ‘Starlight’ is an improbably good song. I don’t know how they coughed it up. Better bands would kill for a dirty like that. (Even in 'Starlight' there's a nasal, drawn-out delivery at the beginning of each verse.)

I actually quite like supermassive black hole. Still think Muse are shite tho.

Simultaneously unheralded and overhyped for a reason.

This was solid, I liked it a lot. Vibe changes throughout, kinda spacey in places and rocky in others. An enjoyable album with a unique sound

Good album, with some good songs. A mix of sing, Coldplay esque songs and some more rock beats.

its the twihard in me

Very much like it’s time

Standouts: starlight, map of the problematique invincible, knights of Cydonia. 3.5 or 4 stars?

I'm not even a massive Muse fan, and I refuse to tolerate any slander regarding this album -- it fucking rules. One of the most defining rock records of the 2000s. And "Knights of Cydonia" is one of the most fun songs I've ever played on drums, kudos Dominic Howard for doing what you do.

Doesn't do much for me, could listen to queen if I felt like it and I never do

Bien.

Dette album er helt igennem fantastisk episk space opera med nogle fuldstændig vanvittige numre, hvad melodisk rockmusik angår, og det her er helt i top.

Solid stuff. I haven't heard this one before nor was I familiar with Muse's music but this was a pleasant introduction. Nice.

One of my favorite bands and albums before even getting this. But I’m excited to give it a 100/5 stars anyways. …..and, yup, still as glorious as ever. Love them so much.

322.

There have been many bands over the years where the influence of Queen is apparent. Jellyfish and The Struts come to mind. But what makes Muse special is the fact that they really have their own sonic identity, independent of any similarities to Queen, and it lies in their use of synthesizers. As a synth enthusiast, I can hear how much fun they had making patches, but then they found an actual musical use for them. Some of the patches they make sound pretty wild, but they never get carried away (like Super Furry Animals (and I say that as a big SFA fan)). It’s a great album, and well deserving of a place on this list.

A classic from my youth!! Top bops: Take a bow Starlight Supermassive black hole Invincible Assassin Knights of cydonia Glorious

I don't like Muse. The pseudo-dystopian "we are the rebels and our love will overpower the system" lyrics are very childish and I'm sorry not sorry to say it's hard for me to imagine adults who take this seriously. On top of that, the pop-prog sound is quite grating. That being said, I tried giving it a generous listen and to understand what people hear in this band -- they certainly "rock" hard, and I can appreciate that Muse (while wearing their influences heavily) don't necessarily have a cookie-cutter generic sound like so much other rock nonsense from the 00s. I will never choose to listen to this again, but I can at least giving a knowing "oh ok cool" the next time someone tells me they like Muse.

15/10 - this is one of THE albums. Solid front to back and back to front.

I have loved this album for a long time

Dramatic rock at its peak

This is a good solid album but it really didn’t move me (literally or figuratively). Bellamy’s vocal control is truly exceptional and I did like “Invincible” and “City of Delusion”, especially the horn on the latter. “I didn’t care for “Hoodoo” or “Supermassive Black Hole”.

Didn’t listen to the whole thing because I didn’t have time but really liked what I heard. I will come back to this to do it justice.

Nice enough but I think it's a bit derivative of other bands. I'd probably enjoy it more if it had something more interesting to actually say.

A well-structured, well-themed album with absolute hits throughout, immense lyrics and a broad range of sounds, expanding Muse's range without diverting too far form their more celebrated works. Knivhts of Cydonia is the perfect cinematic closure. Absolute triumph.

Great prog rock. Theatrical, sometimes over the top but fun with it

Muse really nailed it. I’m gonna admit they can sound a little same-y but it’s a same I like, and their lyrics are great

I've had brief knowledge of Muse. Prior to this album, I'm not sure if I've ever heard a Muse song. I have to say, this album is one of the most Millennial 2000s albums I've ever heard, and damn, did it bring back memories of the 2000s. Favorite Track: "Invincible".

mega fajnie sie sluchalo dobre ok

ok - not really my cup of tea. couple good tracks.

Hace mucho no escuchaba mucho rock, pero también me sorprendió descubrir canciones que ya habia escuchado en otros contextos pero no sabía que era de ellos. 7.9/10

와우

Today, I was playing Muse at the office. My manager heard it and spontaneously mentioned that he’s going to a concert this autumn. For him, this is music from his high school days. I can certainly see why he thinks it’s good music! 😃

Few good hits, not a bad listen through.

Love the keyboard melodies and the mix of pop vocals with fuzzy bass and guitar. Nostalgic album.

Me gusta un poco su identidad musical, pero me pone nervioso que esta no se termina de definir. El final del álbum ya se vuelve muy genérico y aburrido, pero la primera mitad es muy buena.

This is a quality album by a class act. I have personally found it hard over the years to get consistently excited about Muse, but I have recognised their abilities and have no problem with the success they have earned. My only major issue with this album (and I guess this might ring true for the band as well) is that despite how adventurous they can get musically, the songs start to get a little predictable after a while. I’d say this is a nailed on 7/10 for me but since my issues with the band are basically that I was too old to become obsessed with them when they appeared, I’ll be kind and round up instead of down.

It's like Pink Floyd or Radiohead without the intellectual and emotional depth. That's not a bad thing mind you. Muse wear their influences on their sleeves, and the fact is what the produce with the interest is good. But they do not have the experimental nature or interest to plumb the same depths as their influences. And there is a place for that. I am more likely to put on a random Muse song to listen to than something from OK Computer, simply because I want to listen to something fun. And that's what this album is, smart but mindless. I could choose to engage with it intellectually or not and I would have the same amount of enjoyment. Plus, Muse knows how to write a good hook.

kinda all over the place. some of it is straightforward modern rock, some of it is interesting proggy stuff, some of it is funky electronic noises, some of it is boring alt rock. vocalist can do a pretty credible bono imitation but falls frequently into the trap of conflating quiet or delicate with unsupported

This is the album that I keep hoping they make again. It’s why whenever I see a new Muse album I check it out. Unfortunately I don’t think they can ever come close. Amazing album!

Good but not amazing. Like Origin of Symmetry better. 3.5.

10/19/26. First time giving this album a proper listen and feels like I've missed out all these years. I've always slept on Muse because I'm not a fan of their newer records, but this one is consistent throughout and showcases great production! I'll now consider this a 2000s rock staple.

no es mi estilo

supermassive black hole being the one i recognize first, i love the cords progression that each song has. map of the problematique has such a nice guitar and the questions about our loneliness, something is speaking to me for a while now, life has been getting hard to go thru while feeling like this. soldier's poem, people try to denied but rock and music will always be political and reflect the time it was created. invincible, the drum of the march while giving the message of unity is beautiful. assassin, man i wish we could just go and k1ll them, being in this country with this joke a of a president is killing me slowly, maybe this was the perfect moment for this album to arrive to me "how can we win when fools can be kings" it's an album that convey the emotions of knowing things are wrong, that tyrants are around us but try to send a message to rise the people and stop accepting the way of living, sadly the hopeful message of the final songs has not been reach in our actual world, we're too far away from that but was a lovely listen, with change of rhythm and a very good acoustic song to make you understand how fragile the message is.

3.5 rounding up

Amazing album. Probably my favorite Muse album, but there's definitely a few great ones to pick from.

Så här föreställer jag mig det skulle låta om Rufus Wainright, eller möjligen Peter Jöback, skulle försöka göra en rockplatta.

Ett album som slumpats till mig innan gruppen startades. Blev en etta som inte krävde någon motivering då. Inget har förändrats sedan dess.

En osalig blandning av Coldplay, Queen och en sångare som verkar vara Thom Yorks och Ola Salos oäkting.

Great album. Love it. Not quite a 5.

Reminds me of my Twilight phase (positive)

I don't get how this album is in this list and Absolution is not. In any case, I was never a hard core fan, I really enjoyed Absolution and then this album sounded like more of the same. I liked Knights of Cydonia's riff, and that's pretty much it :)

Muse certainly don’t believe in understatement. On 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, everything has to sound monumental: the roaring guitars, the soaring synthesizers, and Matt Bellamy’s theatrical vocals. There’s no denying the ambition or the musicianship, but all that bombast rarely makes the songs as exciting as they seem determined to be. I I keep hearing echoes of Radiohead and Coldplay, only with the drama turned up several notches. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but Radiohead already give me everything I want from that particular corner of alternative rock. Muse’s more extravagant approach rarely offers me anything I feel I’m missing. The album is full of grand gestures, yet surprisingly little of it stays with me. Muse have certainly mastered the art of sounding enormous. I just wish the songs gave me something equally impressive to hold on to.

13/10/2026 I have never liked Muse, the music is just so boring, but I do appreciate the talent. Spotify listeners: 22.2 million

while the lyrics are pretty awful, i have to give them credit that they are musically marginally more tolerable than slayer. i think 6 or 7 years ago this would've been my gateway drug into heavy metal. thank goodness i'm passed that stage of my life. it's just manufactured angst. set reverb to 11. set "HELLLLLLL" lyrics to 11. set bass drum to 11. blahblahblah. like don't get me wrong, i see why people like it; it's designed to sound appealing. they are to heavy metal what u2 is to rock. to quote my brother "bummer. thats some british bullshit." definitely not a fan of the style on hoodoo. i don't wanna hear the mic pick up flying spit droplets. is this more worth listenign to before i die than japanese city pop? uhh no on a side note, y'all should listen to Mahler's 2nd symphony instead for like a grand work composed to wreak angst & emotional havoc. i recommend otto klemperer with the philharmonia orchestra.

Bit too peculiar for me

This album slapped

Number: 282 Familiarity: None (1) Rating: 3 Before: ======= Not familiar with them at all though I do recognize the album cover, probably have seen it on some favorite albums lists, I assume. During: ======= Oh, Radiohead wannabes? I'm not a huge fan of Radiohead so, not expecting to like this much either. After : ======= It's OK. Obviously they are very talented and the music is very polished but there is nothing compelling there, at least for me.

- klasszik muse

Muse — Black Holes and Revelations Pre-listening: great album. Great band. Easy task at hand. Best: Supermassive Black Hole Runner-Up: Knights of Cydonia Third: Starlight Post-listening: Growing up in the 2000s, all I ever heard was how good MTV used to be. Then, my buddy Matt and I found out that if you stay up past midnight, MTV Hits (music video television station) would actually revert back to the MTV that was beloved. The songs varied from all over and were all types of cool weird. We would often break curfew and just watch video after video. This was how my freshman year we stumbled upon this live performance video of Starlight. Laser shows are hard to pull off, but Muse did it justice. The next day, I illegally downloaded this whole album. I’m a little bummed that the best three songs remained the ones I’ve always thought were but if you ever heard those three songs, it makes sense. Starlight is arguably the bands showcase song of just how talented every member of the group is. Knights of Cydonia is what epic literature dreams it could be. Then there’s Supermassive… there are songs that you’re like, “well, that’s rock.” Then you hear Supermassive and you’re like, “Oh shit, that’s way more rock than what we were listening to.” The song just oozes everything that you love about rock and it goes so damn hard. I’m not surprised at all that this album made the list. It’s a true audio experience. It’s an adventure of what you’ll learn about music next. With a name like Muse, you better back it up with divine music. Muse does that. Stars: 5/5 Rating: 10/10

This album just makes me want to play baseball with a bunch of vampires out west

The millennial in me loved this album. A lot of my enjoyment stems from newfound interest in artists like Radiohead and Queen. The inspiration from those powerhouse groups sprinkled with the drum tracks and synth work so prevalent in the 2000s left me more satisfied than I originally thought I would be…

SMBH MENTIONED RAHHHG WTF IS MERGING

Just a fantastic album with bangers of all kinds. City of Delusion and Exopolitics are two favourites.

I'm surprised to see this album on this list butthis band was my favourite band of my youth and although my tastes have evolved, I still enjoy listening to their albums (apart from a couple of recent duds) love the Map of the Problematique's driving baseline, Invincible's ethereal self affirmation, Assassin is just bad ass and Knights of Cydonia is probably the best song I've seen live at Wembley

gran disco

Interesting album. Muse has an interesting mix of heavy rock and long, drawn out lyrics. Some songs went hard like "Assassin". Pretty good, would listen again

I really don't like the singer. I got through this, but I really didn't like it.

Stellar

I like it!!! This album has a lot of variety and “Supermassive Black Hole” is featured in one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history, the Twilight baseball scene.

U2 on a Budget

I know this but not a fan. I would not have guessed this already their 4th album. This is too overblown & dramatic for me i prefer understated. Apparently they're all amazing classical musicians the first song is operatic a mixture of Queen & Radiohead but too much of the Queen drama for me. I bought this at the time cos the music press told us to buy it, that's the way it worked back then. Music made for stadiums makes me shudder. I dont like the production it sounds compressed. I hear U2 Coldplay & Depeche Mode. Fair play though there's a wide range of tracks on here. Love that they're from Devon, usually you can guess from the music but not here. It's not bad this, it's just not for me, i can see people losing themselves to this, sorry that i cant its too dramatic. Operatic stadium rock.

Great stuff, big fan

I've heard the hits, but never the full album. Can't believe they just sing Ave Maria halfway through? Knights of Cydonia was in Guitar Hero 3, and I could play most songs on Expert difficulty except for Knight of Cydonia, which I could only do on Hard. One time, I was at my friend's place playing Guitar Hero 3, and everyone was so impressed that I could play songs on Expert they kept asking me to play. Eventually we got to Knights of Cydonia, where I boldly proclaimed, "I'm bored of playing on Expert. I'll play this one on Hard." I was a lame kid.

Really great album. Not my favorite from them, but still really good. This album seems more experimental into some of their later sound that I enjoy more.

Fav song: Starlight

I used to love Muse when I was an edgy teen. Finally saw them live and was bored Thought I'd enjoy this album for nostalgias sake but no I also found it boring. Maybe I've just matured 2 ⭐️

Muse are such a strange band for me. They are one of the very best live bands I’ve ever seen. Absolutely phenomenal, and probably in my top 10 ever (and I’ve seen well over 1000 bands over the years… so far…) But I really don’t get on with their albums, or even really listening to single songs. It’s so strange. I am just not keen on the records for some reason, yet the same music ranks as some of the best live music I’ve ever heard. If I was rating the band live I’d he asking if we could make an exception to 5 being the top score here. But we’re not, and I’m just not keen on this album or how they sound on record. So, if you also don’t like this I’d still suggest checking them out live at somepoint. Stunning.

This is like the Han Solo movie - context I didn't really want but quite enjoyed anyway. I love Supermassive Black Hole but don't really know any other Muse songs. It was something I remember hearing on the radio a few times and it really stood out as odd and fun. That song seems a bit less special with the rest of the album around it but glad to have heard the whole thing.

This was a disappointment. I was excited to listen to Muse but in the end it fell flat for me

Could listen to this one for a few hours on end

Muse’s “deep” “revolutionary” aesthetic is corny as hell, but I’m a child of the 2000s and this shit is ingrained inside of me. Knights of Cydonia on Guitar Hero 3? The Twilight baseball scene with Supermassive Black Hole? Take a Bow in one of the Watchmen trailers? It’s a 3 but my cultural brainwashing really wants to jack it up to a 4.

Muse – Black Holes and Revelations (2006) On Day 284, this record delivered an undeniably rich, expansive space-rock journey easily the best example of the style I've encountered so far. With a few drinks in hand, Matt Bellamy’s theatrical, soaring falsetto could easily be mistaken for Thom Yorke, giving the entire project the distinct feel of OK Computer reimagined for a modern, high-octane era. While the album’s biggest commercial hit ("Supermassive Black Hole") surprisingly fell flat as the weakest link, the rest of the tracklist gained relentless momentum with each song. The delicate, acoustic introspection and warm harmonies on "Soldier's Poem" were an unexpected treat, balancing the driving melody of "Starlight" and the punchy groove of "Exo-Politics." From the blistering, heavy-metal fury that kicks off "Assassin" to the sheer cinematic spectacle of "Knights of Cydonia" as the grand production centerpiece, the musicianship was top-tier. A fantastic listen. A strong 4/5.

Probably their best album. I was tempted to give 5 as no one can play music is simultaneously ridiculous and as hard as this. A few skips prevented me but knights, map, starlight and supermassive all huge

erst nicht erkannt jetzt schon nach 10sek oh weh dir stimme. heul-pop c

Genius album.

A great album. Three stars...

Nja... Vissa låtar är helt ok men helheten är sådär för mig. Väldigt rockopera aktigt utan att ha talangen för det typ. Lite tråkigt och jag har svårt för sångarens röst.

I don't think that you can call this rock. There is absolutely nothing raw about it. Everything is polished to perfection, as if a radio station had gotten their hands on a good album and decided to turn it into yet another duplication of that same radio hit. It is good never the less.