MUS
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  2. Already 2 years ago...
  3. Time flies doesn't it!
  4. Bought Drones today. Here are my thoughts after one listen through.

    Dead Inside: Sounds very progressive regarding the musical style. Lyrically complex, but generally dark. This song puts Matt's very unique vocal style on full display. I'd say that this is a refreshing take on traditional Muse themes. Really good song overall.

    [Drill Sergeant]/Psycho: I had very high hopes for this song when I heard the riff they commonly used live to close out Stockholm Syndrome, but I was disappointed by the overall feel of the song. Thematically, this song is well within what is considered normal by Muse's standards, but the presentation is a huge turnoff for me. While many of Muse's rougher songs maintain a certain element of elegance to them, this song is borderline crass. I personally found it hard to believe that this song could be placed next to the masterpiece that is "Dead Inside". The song was rated quite highly on iTunes, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

    Mercy: This song feels very similar to Starlight, but it's much more profound and much more powerful. It's a very rare "feel good" song from Muse, but I'll definitely take it.

    Reapers: A very big-sounding song. It hangs on the border of being almost too busy, but it sounds catchy. I definitely need to check the lyrics before I can comment on that aspect of the song. My initial feeling is that I'll like this one.

    The Handler: A really interesting song. The first and second half of the song have slightly different feels to them. The front half of the song sounds very imposing and slow-sounding, almost like lava flowing. The second half of the song picks up tempo and takes off. This song is definitely a highlight of the band's ability as musicians as the vocals almost take a backseat at times.

    [JFK]/Defector: A strong set of songs. It starts off with a speech from JFK warning America about the dangers of the military industrial complex with some musical elements played in the background. This song is carried by very simple guitar riffs. This song impresses me because they effectively use musical silence to emphasize certain lyrics. It gives the song a really nice rhythm and vibe. Understanding the speech really enhances the song's worth.

    Revolt: This song talks about revolting as a means of change, but for some reason it doesn't seem like a perfect fit from a musical standpoint. Maybe it'll grow on me after a while, but my initial listen left me with mixed feelings about this one.

    Aftermath: The intro is basically One. Musically, it's easily in the same class as One, but lyrically it's far simpler. However, this isn't a bad thing at all. As one of a short list of Muse ballads, this song stands out on the album.

    The Globalist: It felt like they wanted another take at the Exogenesis Symphony, but I don't think it really panned out here. Neither of the three "movements" sound very convincing and the lyrics get a bit lazy towards the end.

    Drones: Muse's take on a temple hymn. Aside from the initial curiosity of wondering if I had stumbled into the Sistine Chapel, this song isn't really worth listening to.

    Overall comments: To me the album felt very much like a mixed bag as opposed to a strong first half and weak second half. Dead Inside, Mercy, and Aftermath immediately stood out to me and I'll most likely be incorporating those into my playlists soon. [Drill Sergeant]/Psycho, The Globalist, and Drones are probably going into cold storage. I know many people like Psycho, but it's really not my cup of tea. As for the rest of the songs, it'll take more listens for me to formulate opinions. Musically, this album has a lot of variety, which actually leads it to sound quite fresh. Lyrically, I found this album more interesting than their previous one and I liked that there was a general theme that was carried through the entire album. All in all, this album has some stand-out songs but is an average album.
  5. Saw them open for U2 during 360 in Arlington on my birthday and then again at Houston 360 2 days later. I was super excited to see MUSE. I knew who they were for a long time, all the way back to 'Sunburn' featured on a CMJ magazine CD.

    So it was a great birthday present to myself to see not just U2 but MUSE on the same night for my first 360 show.

    That being said I don't like the new MUSE songs.
  6. If you liked old Muse, you probably wouldn't like The 2nd Law. Drones is an interesting mix between old Muse themes with a new style. I'm still formulating my opinions as I listen to Drones a bit more, but what is pretty concrete to me is that Psycho is pretty much unlistenable to me. The drill sergeant sections totally destroy the song for me. I feel like it would be alright without it. Also, I found myself listening to Dead Inside far too many times for my own good. It's probably the strongest song on the album, but man does it make you feel dark after a while.
  7. I like your review Alex. I disagree with many points but they're well formulated so it's OK with me


    Muse are playing Bilbao (biggest city in the north of Spain after Barcelona) tonight at the BBK festival, but I can't attend it bc today marks the 25 wedding anniversary of my parents. Ah life.
  8. The album is still very new to me, so I'm curious to see how my opinions change as I keep listening to it. What are your opinions about the new album?
  9. Originally posted by LikeASong:I like your review Alex. I disagree with many points but they're well formulated so it's OK with me


    Muse are playing Bilbao (biggest city in the north of Spain after Barcelona) tonight at the BBK festival, but I can't attend it bc today marks the 25 wedding anniversary of my parents. Ah life.
    I'm sorry. And congratulations!
  10. They played fucking Citizen Erased
  12. I like that show

    They featured 'Utada Hikaru' and 'Larc en Ciel' (lead singer is Hyde) at one time. 'Monoral' too I think.

    I didn't know they showcase foreign bands like MUSE though.
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Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.