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HomesickSubterranean

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Posts posted by HomesickSubterranean

    New Show: Bangkok, Thailand

    in News

    Posted

    Their albums are full of songs I can't imagine would go down well over there to be honest. :chuckle:

     

    Yep. Defector video was taken down in China, most likely because it had the infamous Tiananmen Square photo in it. I'm honestly surprised they were able to book gigs outside of Hong Kong, but maybe China doesn't really take the band's politics seriously (does anyone? :LOL:)

    Drones Album Discussion Thread

    in Songs & Releases

    Posted

    Wow, this album has grown on me a lot. And not just in a "convincing myself it's good" kind of way, I took some time off from listening to it and really enjoyed Defector, The Globalist/Drones, and even Revolt. Definitely on par with TR at the very least, and I love that album.

     

    Aftermath is still pretty hilarious though, it's a shame because everything before the singalong is absolutely beautiful

    The Globalist

    in Songs & Releases

    Posted

    It's more the mashup at the end of the heavy section, it makes it sound completely abrupt and disconnected. And yes, the fact that it's so short.

     

    I think had they fleshed out the riff section a bit more, allowing us to get the chance to discern the layers of instrumentation better, the transition would have been better. It's like, when the tremolo riff kicks in, we also get layers of power chords, strings, etc. and we only have so much time to process this wall of sound before it becomes a new section entirely.

    The Globalist

    in Songs & Releases

    Posted

    Compositionally, the transition from the heavy part to the ballad is cohesive. The section ends on a change from A minor (which is the key of the section) to an A major, transitioning to the ballad in D major. Technically, this is a well-written key change since the A major to D major (or V to I) change is commonly used in classical music.

     

    That being said, from a stylistic and production standpoint, how cohesive The Globalist is is completely subjective. Personally, I think how the riff section's transition into the finale is a bit jarring since it's so brief.

    Your reviews of Drones

    in Songs & Releases

    Posted · Edited by HomesickSubterranean

    Opinions ahoy:

     

     

     

    Dead Inside - A song that builds itself up with instrumentation wonderfully, but never really pays off. The masterfully constructed electro-pop stomp of the first half, with the help of plucked strings and a brief guitar solo akin to that of Madness, leads the listener to anticipate a great climax. But it never comes – yes, the drums and guitar may explode following the second chorus, but the vocal line meanders along through the second half and leaves one wanting more. A certain undefinable climax, like Madness' "I need your love," is missing from Dead Inside. Nevertheless, a catchy and well-crafted pop song.

     

    7/10

     

    Psycho - An unnecessarily long riff-centric track that would have been much more effective had it been shorter. Based around a 5-second long riff, the song alternates largely between a bluesy verse and anthemic chorus of "your ass belongs to me now." It sounds worse on paper, but it doesn't sound much better on the record. It's a fun song, for sure, but there's really one too many verse and chorus pairs in it. By the time the third chorus comes around, a listener is probably sick of the riff and waiting for some change. That change comes in the form of a classic Bellamy style octave solo that leads into the final chorus, arguably the highlight of the song. Guaranteed to be a great live song to mosh to, but musically there really isn't much more to Psycho than the short riff.

     

    5/10

     

    Mercy - An anthemic pop track that recalls the sounds of Black Holes and Revelations. Many aspects of the track are distinctly Musey, from the intro's fuzz bass and the octave piano to the chorus' synth arpeggios and layered vocals. The song's instrumentation slowly builds up towards each chorus: bass drum thumps, power chord clunks, and synths pave the way for a grand and anthemic chorus. Similar to past hit Starlight, Mercy follows a simple verse-chorus pattern with a sparse bridge, building back up to the chorus. As far as Muse's pop single output goes, this track delivers. A catchy and dynamic track, Mercy has potential to be one of the bands most memorable hits since Uprising and Starlight.

     

    8/10

     

    Reapers - One of Muse's most technically and compositionally impressive tracks in years. Probably one of their most ass-kicking tracks in years as well, introduced by a whammy-accompanied tapping solo. The frantic motion of the verses, based around the oft-used Andalusian cadence chord progression, gives way to a half speed riff. The riff, reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine's Bombtrack, is accompanied by a driving drum beat, vocoder, and of course, Bellamy's vocals, sung in octaves. The track modulates keys both between and within sections so flawlessly that it's entirely unnoticeable to the untrained ear. Perhaps the highlight of the track is the guitar solo, exceeding a minute of the 6 minute long track. Sporadic cuts from atonal Morello-esque whammy action to traditional classic rock licks make for one of Bellamy's most impressive guitar parts on record. Reapers culminates in chaos, as a chromatic riff is wailed over sirens and foreboding warnings of incoming drones. Since when has Muse ever been so dramatic?

     

    9/10

     

    The Handler – A gargantuan, sluggish, and menacing track that, if only for 4 minutes and 34 seconds, brings Muse fans back to the days of Absolution. Simple, stomping drums lay the base for the riff-centric verses. The chorus ignites in a fashion similar to their early work, as walls of guitars, synths, and bass accompany one of Bellamy's most infectious and impressive vocal parts in a long time. The track climaxes in the fast, if not a bit too long, guitar solo reminiscent of the band's early cut, In Your World. The final section, what may be considered the bridge, recalls the melodic and chordal structure of 1999's Showbiz. Not much more can be said about this incredible track. It sounds like a band who is not trying to recreate their old sound; rather, it sounds like one who has taken it to a whole new level.

     

    10/10

     

    Defector - A theatrical and loose-sounding rocker that suffers from the same serious repetition issues in Psycho. The chorus riff is catchy and exciting, but between the repeating verses and choruses, listeners are again waiting for something new. Luckily, something new and very exciting comes in the form of a melodic, pitch-shifted solo. As much as this solo does to save the track, the forgettable chorus melody and the downright cringe-inducing vocals of the "boom-boom-clap" verses hamper the track significantly. It's not quite bad, but not very good either. A very forgettable track.

     

    6/10

     

    Revolt - An 80s sports movie montage song that attempts to inspire people to overthrow government. Where does one begin with this song? The verses focus largely on the guitar's accentuation of the chord changes which reek of the worst music of the 80s. The chorus, while catchy, sounds like a cover of The Killers channeling U2. But this is not even the worst of the track. The pre-chorus is among Muse's worst bits of songwriting. Now, I've refrained from nitpicking on lyrics because a) Matt has never been much of a lyricist and b) the lyrics on this album are generally nothing to write about. But let's make one exception in the pre-chorus. Matt sings: "You've got strength, you've got soul, you've felt pain, you've felt love, you can grow, you can grow." Surprisingly enough, these lyrics manage to sound even worse not on paper. Accompanied by horrific Queen harmonies, the pre-chorus made me wonder why I was sitting through this song. The closest thing to a saving grace on this song is the guitar solo. Technically impressive and melodic, the solo almost makes the rest of the song listening to. Almost. Strangely enough, I'm not feeling too inspired to march down to the White House after hearing Revolt.

     

    3/10

     

    Aftermath - A beautiful and soothing track that could have been written by any band. Introduced by synth pads and warm, clean guitar licks, Aftermath is a moody, anthemic track full of musical and lyrical cliches. The musicianship in this track is stellar – the melodic bassline in the second verse, thanks to Drones MVP Chris Wolstenholme, and the sparse but effective guitar part make for a song that is undeniably well-written. The problem is, if it was written by any other band, I would most likely never listen to this song. Take the vocals away and I may enjoy some of the guitar bits, but that's about it. The culmination of the track into a singalong outro takes me back to the music played at Youth Ministry (that's not a good comparison). It's a catchy melody, but it's been written a million times before. This is Muse at its cheesiest, and I think I've had enough of it for one album.

     

    5/10

     

    The Globalist - A multi-part epic that seems to lead nowhere. The Globalist, touted by Bellamy himself as a "prog nightmare" and the sequel to one of Muse's most beloved tracks, Citizen Erased, set our expectations very high, Unfairly high, some might say. Regardless, the 10 minute long song is set into three parts – a slow, moody Western intro, a fast, heavy, and menacing riff midsection, and a piano ballad outro. The Western intro, borrowing heavily from Morricone's "L'Arena," shows off the band's orchestration skills. This first section is the highlight in my opinion; it showcases the softer and darker side of Muse. The wailing slide guitar accompanies Bellamy's singing. The Western bit leads into a heavy guitar and bass riff that is supposed to simulate a nuclear detonation. The midsection ends too abruptly and leaves listeners wanting more. Yes, you can argue that it's part of the concept to make this nuclear destruction seem quick to end. But when a concept gets in the way of songwriting, something's not right. The riff sections leads to the final piano section, which borrows heavily (I cannot bold that enough) from Elgar's Nimrod. Borrow may not be the right word. Copy may be better –

    Nevertheless, the ballad is, at the very least, pretty. The culmination of the section – "I just wanted, I just needed to be loved!" –nothingfeels genuine and exciting. But there's still something missing between the three disparate sections. Much of The Globalist feels like Bellamy wrote three different songs and found ways to put them together in one. This is no Exogenesis Symphony or Citizen Erased – it's about as musically cohesive as the confusing suite from The 2nd Law.

     

    7/10

     

    Drones - Not much can be said about this track other than the fact that it sounds beautiful. A bold way to end a popular rock album. Or pretentious, to some. Ending the song, and album, with the word "amen" breaches into Spinal Tap territory. But Muse's music, especially in recent years, has always had this air of absurdity to it. The closing track is nothing quite like Ruled By Secrecy, Megalomania, or Redemption. It's not really like anything the band has done before. At the very least, it's something new. Amen.

     

    5/10

     

     

     

     

    Overall - My expectations for this album were fairly low following The 2nd Law. I'm happy with some of what we got – tracks like Reapers, The Handler, and Mercy are sure to stick with me. Overall though, it feels like the band is continuing to try too hard to attempt too many styles at once. The tracks we heard pre-release – Psycho, Dead Inside, Reapers, and Mercy – all seemed to hint at a general cohesive sound. But once we were given tracks like Revolt, Aftermath, and Drones, that cohesion was hard to find. Experimentation can be good, but it can also distract a musician from mastering their known style.

     

    6.5/10

     

    Y'all know this is just my opinion, right? What did you think of this album? Love it? Hate it? Why?

     

     

    1. Absolution
    2. Origin of Symmetry
    3. Black Holes and Revelations
    4. The Resistance
    5. Showbiz
    6. Drones
    7. The 2nd Law

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