Black Holes and Revelations - Muse > Reviews > Keeping Their Muse

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Cryptic lyrics, good guitars, good singing
Disadvantages:	No killer track as such, tracks a bit too similar

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

It's hard to imagine, 12 years on, just what kind of state music was in when Muse where formed. Oasis were just breaking through, as were Radiohead; Green Day were beginning to get recognition, Smashing Pumpkins were reaching their creative peak, R.E.M. were one of the worlds biggest bands and the type of music that would later be labelled 'Britpop' was about to take centre stage with Blur, Oasis, The Spice Girls and Suede. It could be argued that it was the wrong time to form a band based on roughly the same principles as many of the alternative bands of the previous five years. Muse were formed under the name Muse in 1994 by singer/guitarist Matt Bellamy, percussionist/drummer Dom Howard and bassist Chris Wolstenholme. Since 1994, Muse have retained the cryptic, alternative rock sound alive through 4 rather stunning albums: Showbiz (1999), Origin of Symmetry (2001), Absolution (2003) and, their latest offering, Black Holes and Revelations (2006). The albums received critical acclaim both here and in the states, and Absolution in particular was hailed as a brilliant album.
Black Holes and Revelations, I'm happy to say, continues the brilliance of Absolution. It costs about £9.99 and contains 11 tracks, with a running time of just over 40 minutes. It debuted in the UK album chart at No.1; such was the anticipation to the album. The name itself reflects the dark, brooding and cryptic nature of the album itself; the cover depicts four men sitting around a wooden table in the middle of the desert. How many mainstream bands have done that?

The album begins with Take a Bow, a powerful, angry song that begins with a rather elegant keyboard soundtrack that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song speaks of an evil being ("Bring Corruption to all that you touch") that must be punished. "You'll burn in hell, yeah, you'll burn in hell for your sins" preaches lead singer Matt Bellamy, on the backdrop of the upbeat keyboard and computer effects, shortly before the guitars and drums set in. It isn't the best opening track I've ever heard, but it does represent the themes and style of the album. The anger and drive of Take a Bow gives way to the second track, Starlight, which signals quieter and sadder times. It begins with guitars and drums, before quickly moving on to the keyboard, which again sounds wonderfully instrumental and instantly memorable. The central lyric, "This ship is taking me far away, far away from the memories, of the people who care if I live or die" is often repeated and gives the song a slightly mournful sound, although this is partly reverted by the aggressive chorus, which name checks the album. It ends on one of Bellamy's more thoughtful lyrics "I just wanted to hold". Starlight shows Muse at their most challenging and creative best, and is certainly a keystone song in the album.

The third track is one that has been released as a single, so it is well known. Supermassive Black Hole combines both the anger and resentment of Take a Bow and the elegant sound of Starlight. It is built on a powerful guitar riff that forms the base of the lyrics. Due to this, Supermassive Black Hole could have been on Absolution. Bellmay displays his range of singing; he sings very high pitched on this track, whereas on other tracks he is lower and sometimes more harmonious. The lyrics mean that it is perceived as a love song ("I though I was a fool for no-one/But oh baby I'm a fool for you") but the lyrics of the chorus ("Glaciers melting in the dead of night, And the superstars sucked into the supermassive" do much to dispel this. The backing vocals are vamped up to sound robotic and rather odd. It's a good song, but like most singles you'll eventually tire of it. However, it is a great song to get into Muse with if you're not already a fan. The delightfully named Map of the Problematic is the next track. Beginning with electric guitars that fuse with piano sounds, the lyrics add a thoughtful undertone to the music. Thus, it is a listenable track, but it isn't Muse at top gear. The lyrics are of someone confused, fearful and slightly resentful. The next song, Soldier's Poem, is a slow and elegant song, in which Bellmay sings very softly and with much emotion. It isn't traditional Muse, but it Bellamy pulls it off with aplomb. The lyrics are excellent, reflective of the honour of being a soldier, the sound of the keyboards fused with the singing is marvellous, and the backing vocals make it sound like a Beach Boys song rather than a Muse one. The last line, "There is no justice in the world and there never was" is particularly touching. Soldier's Poem shows just how wide ranging the songs of Muse can be. Track 6 is Invincible, and it begins with the harmony that Soldier's Poem ended on, albeit with drums. The drumbeat is a military one, the lyrics about standing together. Brilliantly, it can be conceived as a love song or a battle hymn; either way, the lyrics and music fuse together well, and Invincible is one of the albums many high points; a song about standing up for what you believe. In fact, Invincible sounds like a song from Keane rather than Muse. The guitar solo at the end merely heightens the power of the song. The first six tracks are certainly powerful and musically excellent.

The rest of the album retains the mournful, resentful sound of the start of the album. Assassin, track 7, begins with some fast, powerful guitars that would not be out of place on Absolution. After the more peaceful Invincible, we are suddenly thrust into a powerful rock song. Though it is chaotic it remains listenable and also quite emotional. It ends on the same mad guitar as it began. Exopolitics begins with thundering drums and some guitars, which wrong foots the listener, as the singing is peaceful to begin with. A ghostly whistle fills the background music. The mistrust of the government seems to be the main flavour on offer here, and once again Muse prove themselves more than capable of challenging some of society's more problematic topics. The guitars and drums heavily influence the entire song, and Bellamy is almost screaming with frustration. Exopolitics gives way to City of Delusion, which is the only acoustic guitar song on the album. Bellamy is mournful this time, and until the bass begins, we expect a song in the mould of Invincible. The peculiar Spanish beat and aggressive chorus bring this theory to an abrupt end, however, and the frustration in Bellamy's earlier lyrics surface again. There is a brief interlude, where synthesisers take over, but soon the Spanish rhythm and guitars are back, with the same overbearing as the earlier tracks and the acoustics make a brief return with some trumpets towards the end. City of Delusion is an interesting track, and apart from the chorus, sounds very different from anything else on the album. The penultimate track, Hoodoo, is another very strange song. It begins with some strings, and Bellamy adds his slowest vocals yet. It is a strangely soft and emotional song, with lyrics like "Why is this a crisis?" Soon, some strong piano and guitar sounds smash the tranquil begging of Bellamy. The final track, Knights of Cydonia, is possibly my favourite. Thrashing guitars, screaming, defiant vocals from Bellamy, and some great lyrics, the best of which "No one's going to take me alive/ The time has come to make things right" is the basis of the last two minutes of the track. Knights of Cydonia is Muse at their best, no doubt about that. And at 6 minutes and 6 seconds, it's also the longest on the album.

Overall, Black Holes and Revelations is a very strong album from Muse. It has an electric, space age feel throughout. It continues the trend of Muse singing about deep and troubling issues throughout. Bellamy pulls it off very well indeed, and his singing is usually exemplary. There are, however, problems with the album that I haven't mentioned yet. Firstly, all the tracks are quite similar. This is partly a good thing, as the album flows seamlessly. But sometimes it can be hard to tell what song you are listening to, as they are all quite similar. Secondly, Bellamy's singing is sometimes quiet, and so you can't hear the lyrics very well. Thirdly, the album isn't as listenable as you might think. The album isn't boring; far from it, but some of the tracks can get quite tiresome. Finally, the album doesn't hold up that well compared to some of the better albums in the genre. Radiohead's OK Computer (1997) and Muse's own Absolution are better than Black Holes and Revelations, mainly because the best songs on either album are better than the best songs on this album.
Nevertheless, these are small annoyances rather than fundamental problems. The album remains a strong one; loud, brooding and fiercely attacking the evils of this world, Black Holes and Revelations shows Muse at their most thought provoking. It is unmissable for Muse fans, and highly recommended for those who like rock music, or alternative rock. It is a wonderfully oblique and mysterious album, and anyone who is curious about it should give a couple of the songs a try at least. Below are my personal ratings for each song.

Take a Bow - 3.5/5
Starlight - 4/5
Supermassive Black Hole - 4/5
Map of the Problematic - 3/5
Soldier's Poem - 4/5
Invincible - 4/5
Assassin - 4/5
Exopolitics - 4/5
City of Delusion - 3.5/5
Hoodoo - 3/5
Knights of Cydonia - 4.5/5

If you have the album, leave a comment letting me know what you think of it. I'd love to know what everyone else's take on the album is. Thanks for reading.
 

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