Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
I first heard the British band Muse in some youtube video and decided then and there I had to find out who this band is. The song was "Hysteria" from Absolution. I wasn't disappointed, the rest of the CD was as impressive with the rich vocals, guitars, and synthesizers. "Time is Running Out" quickly became one of my favorite tunes. I tried some of their earlier albums, but I really feel Muse hit their stride with Absolution.
Needless to say, I set my hopes high for Black Holes and Revelations. I figured though like so many other times before, this would be a one album band for me. This CD though, did not disappoint me. In fact, I'd say it gets better every time I listen to it and become more familiar with the songs.
The album opens with "Take a Bow," showing how Muse has grown in the last three years. The sound still sounds full and rich, and the vocals as soaring as ever. "Starlight" follows the opener, and it's a really good tune. I like how the guitars and piano back a nice melody that builds into a strong chorus, and the song even has a decent bridge.
"Supermassive Black Holes" has a retro '70s feel, with its deep rich bass and falsetto vocals. It has an almost Disco feel to it, while keeping in tune with the whole spacy/sci-fi theme of the album.
The CD isn't all hard rocking, synthesizer jamming, fast beat songs. "Soldier's Poem" is a short, lullaby-like tune featuring guitar arpeggios and Matthew Bellamy's haunting vocals. It seems to go hand and hand with the next track, "Invincible," which starts out slow and builds to a climax. The drums make the song come across as a march.
On the other hand, "Assassin" is a true hard rock number. The drums and guitars make for a frantic intro before the vocals finally come in. This song is immediately followed by "Exo-Politics," one of my favorites from the album. The guitar riff is catchy, and the song is a real earworm (a tune that sticks in your head for days.)
Another one of my favorites is the last song, "Knights of Cydonia." This song is more experimental than the rest of them, and can be best described has "Western meets Sci-Fi." The song opens with horses neighing and thundering hoofbeats. It's followed by a '60s sounding guitar solo that makes me wonder if it's inspired by The Tornados. The Tornados had the first American number one by a British band with "Telstar." Bellamy's father was the rhythm guitarist for the band.
The first few times I heard Black Holes and Revelations was on my headphones. I then heard it on my surround sound stereo system and it's much richer and darker. I highly recommend you listen to this album under the best sound arrangement you have available. While some may see Muse as super-cheesy, I have to disagree and say it's some of the best British rock I've heard in awhile.
For further reading:
Muse's homepage
All Music Guide's Muse entry
Wikipedia's Muse entry
Needless to say, I set my hopes high for Black Holes and Revelations. I figured though like so many other times before, this would be a one album band for me. This CD though, did not disappoint me. In fact, I'd say it gets better every time I listen to it and become more familiar with the songs.
The album opens with "Take a Bow," showing how Muse has grown in the last three years. The sound still sounds full and rich, and the vocals as soaring as ever. "Starlight" follows the opener, and it's a really good tune. I like how the guitars and piano back a nice melody that builds into a strong chorus, and the song even has a decent bridge.
"Supermassive Black Holes" has a retro '70s feel, with its deep rich bass and falsetto vocals. It has an almost Disco feel to it, while keeping in tune with the whole spacy/sci-fi theme of the album.
The CD isn't all hard rocking, synthesizer jamming, fast beat songs. "Soldier's Poem" is a short, lullaby-like tune featuring guitar arpeggios and Matthew Bellamy's haunting vocals. It seems to go hand and hand with the next track, "Invincible," which starts out slow and builds to a climax. The drums make the song come across as a march.
On the other hand, "Assassin" is a true hard rock number. The drums and guitars make for a frantic intro before the vocals finally come in. This song is immediately followed by "Exo-Politics," one of my favorites from the album. The guitar riff is catchy, and the song is a real earworm (a tune that sticks in your head for days.)
Another one of my favorites is the last song, "Knights of Cydonia." This song is more experimental than the rest of them, and can be best described has "Western meets Sci-Fi." The song opens with horses neighing and thundering hoofbeats. It's followed by a '60s sounding guitar solo that makes me wonder if it's inspired by The Tornados. The Tornados had the first American number one by a British band with "Telstar." Bellamy's father was the rhythm guitarist for the band.
The first few times I heard Black Holes and Revelations was on my headphones. I then heard it on my surround sound stereo system and it's much richer and darker. I highly recommend you listen to this album under the best sound arrangement you have available. While some may see Muse as super-cheesy, I have to disagree and say it's some of the best British rock I've heard in awhile.
For further reading:
Muse's homepage
All Music Guide's Muse entry
Wikipedia's Muse entry
posted by Tom at 6:23 PM
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