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BH&R is second only to Absolution for me, and only because 1) it's shorter and 2) Invincible is a bit paint-by-numbers (although the changing percussion is great and at least brings some variety during the song). It also has my favourite Muse song ever, Map of the Problematique. Also I can't think of many three-track combos on other albums better than CoD-Hoodoo-KoC. I probably ranked the albums last week in this thread? I can't remember. But as it is now I'd put them like this: Abso > BH&R > OoS > Drones > TR > Showbiz > T2L
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Jun 9, 2015 13:53
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"So, listen... Drones are bad... m'kay? And, and you shouldn't use 'em... and they're bad... m'kay..." Listening to the whole album hasn't done much to improve my first impressions of it. Despite the lyrics being insultingly simple, in terms of the alleged concept of the album as a whole, they're incredibly confusing. It's really hard to tell what point they're making, other than... well, drones are bad. "The Globalist" in particular has potential to be a really solid high-concept prog-rock suite, but I don't even understand who it's supposed to be about. It really sounds like it's supposed to be about Obama (or at least some fictional stand-in, considering it refers to a commander-in-chief) but this idea was never even hinted at in any of the songs leading up to it. It's supposedly about this character who gets depressed and joins the military and revolts. I guess maybe the president is killing him now? But in the process he nukes the entire world? Why? The way the song ends definitely could be chilling and poignant, but there's pretty much no solid justification for it. Nine Inch Nails pulled off something like this way better about 10 years ago, with the whole Great Destroyer / Another Version Of The Truth / Zero-Sum sequence at the end of Year Zero . Trent Reznor isn't the greatest lyricist either, but he's good enough to make this kind of thing work. Now let's rewind a bit to "Revolt". I don't have much to say about it that hasn't already been said, except that Muse could've done a cover of "Let It Go" from Frozen and stuck it in this same spot on the album and it honestly might've been an improvement. (Still can't decide whether or not I want to hear this now.) "Aftermath" is... whatever. Muse obviously has everything it takes to do a terrible-yet-awesome power ballad (just listen to "Guiding Light", even though I know most of you would rather not) but here, they've disappointed even on that front. It just never gets bombastic enough to be enjoyable on that level. And what's up with the part around 4:10? The guitar seems to be climbing up Hair Metal Mountain, ready to unleash an epic squeedly solo, and then it suddenly fades out and gets replaced with some unrelated riff. Sounds like a really bad edit to me.
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Jun 9, 2015 14:18
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Sir Lemming posted:Muse could've done a cover of "Let It Go" from Frozen and stuck it in this same spot on the album and it honestly might've been an improvement. (Still can't decide whether or not I want to hear this now.) Everyone in this thread wants this immediately
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Jun 9, 2015 14:31
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I think BHAR's pretty good on the whole, but it was definitely the turning point. The production got too "hot", the harmonies too ridiculous, some of the lyrics are proper bad (Destroy this city of delusion!!) and it was the start of the Great Muse Bridge Rot (see my earlier moaning in this thread about that). Hedrigall is correct in identifying Map of the Problematique as basically perfect. Sir Lemming posted:"So, listen... Drones are bad... m'kay? And, and you shouldn't use 'em... and they're bad... m'kay..." I think the biggest missed opportunity with the drones concept is that it should have been authentically terrifying. It should have actually sounded like you and your family are being bombed to death by drones. It should have used the power of heavy rock music, with layers of droning feedback, to actually evoke that dread and terror, and that mood should have persisted until the finale. Reapers sort of tries to do that at the end, but it still sounds way too much like a bunch of kids having fun in a mosh pit. The Observer review is exactly right when it says: "There’s a glaring missed opportunity here to incorporate more musical drone, a rich seam of elegiac, heavy music. Aftermath does start with a faintly eastern hum – the calm after the storm of Revolt, the previous track – but the moment quickly passes." You can keep riffs and melodies, I'm not asking for a John Cage-style hour of atonal horror, but basically this album should have been terrifying and it isn't, it's dumb.
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Jun 9, 2015 17:41
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KillerMojo posted:Matt's said he's more concerned with making the lyrics sound right in a song from a vocal perspective, and that they're the last part of the process for him (as if that needed to be confirmed). Alright fine, I would agree with that if they're going to make them totally indecipherable anyway (microcuts is just random words thrown together), but since BHAR he's been working on a cleaner vocal style that emphasizes his lovely lyrics over using his voice as another instrument in the mix. That started before BHAR. I remember the first time I heard Absolution, and I thought: "wow, you can actually hear what he's singing now, and it kind of makes sense". Time is Running Out seemed like such a pop song back then: "I think I'm drowning / asphyxiated..." It's not just that Muse's lyrics were unintelligible in the early days - I still don't know what half the words on OOS are - but they really were better. I mean, don't get me wrong, they're not going to win any prizes, but they were genuinely surreal, and served the subject matter: "My plug-in baby crucifies my enemies".
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Jun 9, 2015 17:47
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Popcorn posted:I think BHAR's pretty good on the whole, but it was definitely the turning point [...] and it was the start of the Great Muse Bridge Rot (see my earlier moaning in this thread about that). MotP in all its alleged perfection had such an excellent bridge! 
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Jun 9, 2015 18:31
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the truth posted:MotP in all its alleged perfection had such an excellent bridge! Doesn't need one, daddy-o.
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Jun 9, 2015 18:40
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I've a feeling the newness of a Muse album is giving this album extra credit it will lose in time. Over time in will be interchangeable quality wise with The Resistance and T2L. You know what I'd love, since the inspiration is clearly there. For Muse to record/ perform an entire album cover of Queen Live at Wembley, with whatever Muse twist they want to put on it. That would blow my mind. I'm not saying they can do Queen better than Queen. I just think it would be balls to the wall bombastic.
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Jun 9, 2015 22:04
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Muse's lack of bridges confuses me given that the bridge of Stockholm Syndrome is basically the best thing they've ever done.
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Jun 10, 2015 08:28
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Pirate Jet posted:Muse's lack of bridges confuses me given that the bridge of Stockholm Syndrome is basically the best thing they've ever done. Absolution certainly doesn't lack bridges - they're often the best bit, the moment when everything in the song strikes together in an exciting direction. Stockholm Syndrome, Ruled by Secrecy, Apocalypse Please, Butterflies, Hysteria, TIRO... even the moment in TIRO when everything drops back to the fuzzy bassline is a simple and effective midpoint. Like I said, BHAR is the album when they started to get lazy. Revisit Supermassive Black Hole's bridge and ask yourself what the hell it's achieving.
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Jun 10, 2015 10:57
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Fat Turkey posted:I'm not saying they can do Queen better than Queen. I am 
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Jun 10, 2015 13:32
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I haven't really enjoyed Muse all that much since Black Holes, and this album isn't really changing anything for me. That said... Revolt owns. I totally get the cheesy as hell angle they're going for and I dig it.
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Jun 10, 2015 19:37
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Well, at least this album's better than The 2nd Law but that's damning with faint praise. I miss BH&R-era Muse.  Revolt and The Globalist were okay though.mfcrocker posted:I am I'll fight you IRL son
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Jun 10, 2015 22:58
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Do you guys know how long it takes for the Instrumentals to become available? Those were my favourite parts of the last two albums...
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Jun 10, 2015 23:59
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Ok we just got two pro-Revolt posts in a row, let's calm down a bit here guys.
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Jun 11, 2015 00:15
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Paperback Writer posted:Ok we just got two pro-Revolt posts in a row, let's calm down a bit here guys. I'm not entirely pro-Revolt but at least it's a nice and cheesy Queen tribute and I can always get behind that. It's the most lighthearted song on the album.
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Jun 11, 2015 00:23
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auzdark posted:Do you guys know how long it takes for the Instrumentals to become available? Those were my favourite parts of the last two albums... Absolution instrumentals are a fantastic sleep aid, in a good way.
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Jun 11, 2015 01:02
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I honestly don't see any of the supposed tongue-in-cheek cheesiness, '80s inspiration, or Queen tribute aspects of "Revolt". It just sounds like a bad, generic, modern rock song to my ears. And remember, I'm that guy who keeps defending "Guiding Light". But I just don't "get" this one at all.
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Jun 11, 2015 02:03
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Sir Lemming posted:I honestly don't see any of the supposed tongue-in-cheek cheesiness, '80s inspiration, or Queen tribute aspects of "Revolt". It just sounds like a bad, generic, modern rock song to my ears. I can't stand Guiding Light but Revolt is one of my most listened to songs on this album by now. It just sounds so catchy and fun to me, which I realize is something not a lot of people are looking for from Muse. I'm at the point where I just start listening at Reapers and end with Revolt. I don't know how much I'll enjoy these songs in the future though, I'm hoping at least The Handler stands the test of time as it's by far my favorite.
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Jun 11, 2015 02:27
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This album is super loving boring. I don't even really like Muse and I keep trying to give them a shot and I couldn't even be like "man this album sucks" because that would require me to have an actual emotional response to it and not just yawn. That's my story about this album which is boring.
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Jun 11, 2015 02:48
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Revolt is actually the "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" part of that one Killers song, mixed with Weezer. And it's good. Unlike Defector
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Jun 11, 2015 02:59
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I feel like this album had far more memorable stuff, either for cheap laughs or actual poppiness, than 2nd Law, which felt like "Madness, "Panic Station," and then a bunch of dull B-sides. I don't know, I guess I don't give a poo poo about lyrics enough to get mad at Matt going on about how he's "free from society" or what the gently caress ever.
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Jun 11, 2015 03:55
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Hedrigall posted:Revolt is actually the "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" part of that one Killers song, mixed with Weezer. This is correct until you said it was good
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Jun 11, 2015 07:35
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Literally The Worst posted:This album is super loving boring. I don't even really like Muse and I keep trying to give them a shot and I couldn't even be like "man this album sucks" because that would require me to have an actual emotional response to it and not just yawn. That's my story about this album which is boring. If you want to give muse a shot you should listen to origin of symmettry and absolution and if you dont like that give up on it because its all downhill from there.
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Jun 11, 2015 14:54
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I got around to the final three songs. Aftermath, eh, it's catchy. I actually remember it later. Doesn't really have a pay off though. The Globalist, I do love that Morricone intro. I dont know what the rest of it is about though. It like they fundamentally forgot what made Citizen Erased so good. Drones…thank god none of you spoiled that for me. Muse end their album on a Gregorian chant? I actually laughed heartily through that, its like the punishment for getting through the album. I think even Resistance tops this. The Exogenesis Symphony might be the sole reason, but its got some tracks I still listen to today. In hindsight, USE (and the interlude), Unnatural Selection, MK Ultra and the Symphony are more preferable to me than all of that album save Handler.
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Jun 11, 2015 14:56
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This would obviously differ substantially for everyone but I present The Second Resistance Drone 1. Supremacy 2. Madness 3. United States of Eurasia + CD 4. Animals 5. Unnatural Selection 6. MK Ultra 7. Dead Inside 8. Soaked 9. The Handler 10-12. Exogenesis Rule was 12 songs from the last three albums, but Soaked gets in because why not. I've no real idea about track order except it has to end on Exogenesis and 2-5 flow kinda well.
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Jun 11, 2015 15:12
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I wish they did more awesome eastern sounding songs like United States of Eurasia - I was excited that it felt like Aftermath was going to go somewhere with the intro...
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Jun 11, 2015 15:21
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auzdark posted:I wish they did more awesome eastern sounding songs like United States of Eurasia - I was excited that it felt like Aftermath was going to go somewhere with the intro... But that would be expanding their sound, which is a bad thing now because people didn't like the dubstep! So here's a "back to basics" album that I'm pretty sure doesn't even have live drumming. 
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Jun 11, 2015 16:04
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Making playlists with songs from this album is a pain in the rear end because at least half of them are mixed to flow from one to the next.
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Jun 11, 2015 16:16
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Something about the whistling at the start of The Globalist makes me laugh. 0:25, that's hilarious. It's not quite on-pitch.
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Jun 11, 2015 16:57
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I've kind of overplayed The Handler but if only because it's a top shelf Muse song start to finish and we haven't got one of those for nearly a decade. It seriously boggles my mind how they were able to ditch all the gimmicks and stupid stuff and produce this gem. Didn't think they had it in them anymore.
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Jun 11, 2015 18:57
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Paperback Writer posted:I've kind of overplayed The Handler but if only because it's a top shelf Muse song start to finish and we haven't got one of those for nearly a decade. It seriously boggles my mind how they were able to ditch all the gimmicks and stupid stuff and produce this gem. Didn't think they had it in them anymore. This is absolutely true, even though it's secretly a dubstep song.
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Jun 11, 2015 19:17
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Sir Lemming posted:This is absolutely true, even though it's secretly a dubstep song. Sure, but it's not from the skrillex school like Unsustainable
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Jun 11, 2015 19:44
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Was eating me a little bit but it sounds like the first two parts of the globalist is a Tarantino wannabe soundtrack mixed in with the verse from 'Soaked' The Piano part is a bit weak - no real motif carried through from any of the other songs on the album which could have saved it as a bit more of a true finale. I have to admit I was initially bored by Psycho - but it's starting to get its hook in!
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Jun 12, 2015 19:05
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auzdark posted:Was eating me a little bit but it sounds like the first two parts of the globalist is a Tarantino wannabe soundtrack mixed in with the verse from 'Soaked' E: btw I don't mean the obvious Morricine intro with the whistling, but the first verse. and yeah Psycho is fun every once in a while turned up loud. Paperback Writer fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Jun 12, 2015 |
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Jun 12, 2015 19:29
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The reason The Globalist reminds you guys of Tarantino is that it is an obvious Morricone pastiche. Tarantino has used shitloads of Morricone soundtracks in his movies. Muse have covered a Morricone track, Man with a Harmonica, live several times.
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Jun 12, 2015 20:48
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Popcorn posted:The reason The Globalist reminds you guys of Tarantino is that it is an obvious Morricone pastiche. Tarantino has used shitloads of Morricone soundtracks in his movies. Serves as the lead in to Knights of Cydonia.
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Jun 14, 2015 04:45
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6/13/15 @ Donnington Park Download Festival  1. Psycho 2. The Handler 3. New Born 4. Hysteria 5. Micro Cuts 6. Dead Star 7. Agitated 8. Citizen Erased 9. Munich Jam 10. Dead Inside 11. Supermassive Black Hole 12. Mercy 13. Time Is Running Out 14. Reapers 15. Stockholm Syndrome Encore: 16. Uprising 17. Plug In Baby 18. Knights of Cydonia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV7NZ69VZ-Q That solo sounds loving awesome live!
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Jun 14, 2015 07:19
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Was there at Download to see Muse live and it was pretty awesome!
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Jun 14, 2015 08:35
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That is a pretty crowd pleasing set list! Can't wait for the arena tour!
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Jun 14, 2015 09:38
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