Hey, remember the good old days when Muse was being unkindly compared to Radiohead? A more rocking, less substance-y Radiohead? I sure do, and I enjoyed their output for the most part. The band is immensely talented, Matt Bellamy’s voice is a knockout, and they’ve produced some pretty great songs in their career.
But their newest album, The Resistance, is where the band seems to have finally lost all concept of subtlety and decided “screw it, let’s make this as overwrought as possible.” Every song on The Resistance is an immense, world-shattering statement where the band lashes out against both shady governments (or whatever) and GOD HIMSELF*. Yes, it’s really that over the top. Whereas 2006’s Black Holes and Revelations showed bits of that hugeness, The Resistance pushes it to the edge. And then takes a dump on that edge.
The shining example is “United States of Eurasia (+ Collateral Damage),” which discards its pretty piano melody early for a sweeping, Freddie Mercury-aping statement, which leads into dumb chants of “Eurasia,” and so on, and so forth, etcetera and good day sir.
The songs are technically great – the production is well suited to the band’s sound, and the instrumentation is solid as always. Bellamy’s voice is just as engaging as it’s ever been. (Except when he decides to sing in french. Fucking seriously, Bellamy?)
The problem is the songs are shells: gigantic sentiments that, when cracked open, have nothing inside them. So while The Resistance is the kind of album that you’ll pump your fist to, the kind of album you’ll listen to with a shit-eating grin, you’ll really only be doing it ironically. It’s dumb fun, but boy is that fun dumb.
Muse – “Uprising” [MP3]
Muse – “Guiding Light” [MP3]
*This is not true.
just shaddap .
You honestly don’t know what you are talking about.