"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gan...
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi. Music is my life. I can't live without it.
Member since:19.03.2005
Reviews:17
Members who trust:3
(A personal message Prelude before we get going: Hi everybody! *waves*. This is my first review for like two years. I hope to get a lot more done from now on. :-D)
THE INTRO
Three long years were spent waiting for Muse’s next offering by a huge number of fans from around the world. These three long years have turned out to be worth every second of want. Muse’s Black Holes and Revelations is their best album to date.
From the haunting “Take A Bow” to the western influenced prog-rock soundscape that is “Knights of Cydonia”, this album will blow your head off your body and kick it into orbit around the Sun.
Muse are:
Matt Bellamy – Vocals, Guitars, Pianos/Synths; Chris Wolstenholme – Bass, backing vocals; Dominic Howard – Drums, backing vocals.
THE TRACKS
1 – Take A Bow – Rapidly moving synthesisers mark the start of the album, followed shortly by a deceptively calm vocal by Matt. This song powered by the arping nature of the synths, although the drums and guitars that come in as the track builds just adds to the enormity of this event. A fantastic opener, setting the tone of the album. – 9/10
2 – Starlight – The second single from this album is a cracking song. The bass very much drives the beat of this track, cushioning a very unique but a rapidly
recognisable piano riff. The drums themselves have elements of Queen-like rhythms, with a live crowd knowing exactly when to clap. Matt’s voice is at its best right here. The guitar, although still evident, takes a back seat for a lot of this track, allowing the synths and bass to control the song. – 9/10
3 – Supermassive Black Hole – This was the first single to be released from the (then forthcoming) album. It’s is completely different from anything Muse have ever done before, yet it still works and sounds like a Muse track. Why? Brilliant instrumentation of Matt’s vocals. He himself says that he uses his voice as an instrument, not just as a word-deliverer. The bass is brilliant, and the guitar matches it. A breakdown section features a guitar sound very similar to that heard in one of their earliest tracks “Sober”. Smashing. – 8/10
4 – Map of the Problematique – This is my favourite track off the album. Haunting pianos and interesting guitar effects are driven by a varying display of percussion. This is Dom’s song; his drumming skills are perfect for it and I love the way his style of beat changes at various sections, going from a “random” effect using the whole drum kit, to a more obvious beat that just adds to the power of the track. The guitars, bass, synths and vocals are, of course, text book. – 10/10
5 – Soldier’s Poem – The tempo drops for this track. A very quiet drum beat starts us off before some acoustic guitar gives some melody. The vocals are the main point on this track, with the whole band almost doing a Beach Boy’s tribute. Not my favourite track but still a good piece of music. – 7/10
6 – Invincible – A slow intro with "echoey" guitar effects lead up to a song that has a very “Absolution” style sound to it. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the first song they recorded after the success of their last album. Vocals and guitars lead most of the song, but approaching the end, the bass comes out of nowhere the song transforms into something completely different to the first part. My only gripe is that it takes a tad too long to get going. – 7/10
7 – Assassin – “Heavy” is the best word to describe this song. “Rapid” is also apt. This song sounds very metallish in terms of instruments but Matt’s vocals are far too easy on the ears for the track to be classed as metal. That’s a good thing. This track is much more energetic that the previous two tracks and is a brilliant piece of music. – 8/10
8 – Exo-Politics – All of the instruments join forces for this track to provide a very powerful beat that only ends when the beat changes for the chorus. Again, brilliant vocals are evident although, for me, the real joy is in the harmony achieved between all of the instruments. – 7/10
9 – City of Delusion – This is a strange one. It begins with an acoustic guitar and vocals, before the powerful bass and percussion come in. The electric guitar work is brilliant but the use of synthesised strings is a good cushion to all of the instruments. The strange bit is the inclusion of brass as the album starts to take spaghetti western soundtrack theme. It’s not the brass itself that’s confusion, simply the fact that they’re on a Muse album! And that they suit the song perfectly! – 8/10
10 – Hoodoo – This track is Matt’s chance to assert his presence. His guitar work is brilliant, his vocals, exceptional. The real joy of this track is the piano section which is a pleasant reminder of some of Muse’s earlier work. It’s also the perfect build up to the next track. – 9/10
11 – Knights of Cydonia – This track is an epic. Granted, in terms of progressive rock, it’s a very short epic, but at six minutes long, it’s certainly an epic in Muse terms. It’s moved “Hysteria” down their track listings at live gigs as this track is a perfect set opener. If you were to buy this album for just one song, it’s likely that this will be it. Fantastic guitars, awesome vocals, brilliant synths, and tremendous bass, all powered along by powerful, brilliantly delivered percussion. I love this track, and you should too! ;-) – 10/10
THE SLEEVE
The album sleeve is interesting. The cover shows a strange image of a scene on the surface of Mars. Strange covers are something Muse have a speciality for! The sleeve notes themselves feature all of the lyrics and the usual collection of images that might or might not be relevant to the music. Oh, and a photo of the band too. ;-)
THE VERDICT
This Album is fantastic. It is their best album yet. It’s also going to be their hardest to progress from, but I have faith that they will. Muse are a special type of band that actually spends a lot of time working on new material, rather than trying to gush out albums on a yearly basis. Quality takes time. And they spent a lot of time on this one.
Yes, you should…..you must buy it. :-)
Pictures of Black Holes and Revelations - Muse
Front Cover
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Black Holes and Revelationsfinds Muse finally achieving their full potential, producing an ... more
album that is their biggest yet. And for a band that was responsible for the grandioseOrigin of the Symmetry, that's no mean feat. In a time when lo-fi and acous...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Black Holes and Revelationsfinds Muse finally achieving their full potential, producing an ... more
album that is their biggest yet. And for a band that was responsible for the grandioseOrigin of the Symmetry, that's no mean feat. In a time when lo-fi and acous...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Wide range of styles; MotP; live, these songs are amazing; band's talent is immense Disadvantages: So many different styles, some may not appeal to you
exceptional by (8%):
very helpful by (92%):
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
