Drones Album Discussion Thread

[jonisdead]

But the issue is that Matt has failed to create an emotional connection with it, which is a huge part of writing music imo. He may be interested in it, but he doesn't deeply feel it and that shows very clearly in most songs on this album.

 

How can you imply he failed to create an emotional connection with it and make all of these presumptions about him as an artist when you don't know him personally? To even the most casual listener it's highly apparent that he was influenced by his relationships and I'm quite frankly astounded you've failed to see that very obvious influence throughout many of these songs. Artists don't simply make concept albums if they're not willing to put in the work to it. Matt said it's their best album, how does that not show a connection to the music?

[TheAlex]

That's why I said some. DI, Handler, Mercy, and Aftermath I agree with you are good, I felt it. But these songs aren't very literal either.

 

Well I'm balanced because I really felt this album but in a way I see your point, it's true that in a song like defector, his anger seems too much, and even reapers (which I love!) he just describes... But I think the music speaks for itself so I don't really mind after all

[jonisdead]

That's why I said some. DI, Handler, Mercy, and Aftermath I agree with you are good, I felt it. But these songs aren't very literal either.

 

Literal songwriting has nothing to do with anything. Concept albums are almost always not "literal" because they never happened in reality. I don't see what point you're trying to make here, you're just harping on about Matt being incompetent as a songwriter as well as a lyricist.

 

What? If I wanted to hear about war I can turn on the news. Music puts emotion into it and I don't feel any when listening to this album.

 

If you didn't want to hear about war then why exactly are you bothering listening to this album in the first place?

 

Eh I knew someone would bring up this point, and I'm well aware that there are good writers out there who haven't gone through what they write about. But they are WRITERS. They're good at it. Not everyone is.

 

"Good" is subjective just as is everything else you've asserted.

[jtj39]

If you didn't want to hear about war then why exactly are you bothering listening to this album in the first place?

 

I was hoping it wouldn't be all up in your face about war. The more subtle songs I can listen to but I can't stand someone whining about war when they've never been in anything like it. It's a heavy subject, that's all.

[jonisdead]

I was hoping it wouldn't be all up in your face about war. The more subtle songs I can listen to but I can't stand someone whining about war when they've never been in anything like it. It's a heavy subject, that's all.

 

You don't have to have gone through something to say it's unjust. Are you implying that heavy subjects shouldn't be addressed at all unless you've been through it yourself?

 

[jtj39]

You don't have to have gone through something to say it's unjust. Are you implying that heavy subjects shouldn't be addressed at all unless you've been through it yourself?

 

I'm not saying that, I'm saying that it takes more than a few lines of "war is bad" to fully explore it. It's a dark topic that didn't translate into an album very well. There's many things that weren't explored in the album. It's easy for Matt to have a song about rebelling against oppression, but is it in reality? No. I don't think that aspect was represented.

[jonisdead]

I'm not saying that, I'm saying that it takes more than a few lines of "war is bad" to fully explore it. It's a dark topic that didn't translate into an album very well. There's many things that weren't explored in the album. It's easy for Matt to have a song about rebelling against oppression, but is it in reality? No. I don't think that aspect was represented.

 

The entire album literally is the "dark topic". What are you talking about? The Handler explores the idea of trying to break away from your opressor(s) and fight for your own liberation from oppression on an individual level. Of course it was represented.

[jtj39]

The entire album literally is the "dark topic". What are you talking about? The Handler explores the idea of trying to break away from your opressor(s) and fight for your own liberation from oppression on an individual level. Of course it was represented.

 

I don't sense darkness in any of there songs other than The Handler. Gee maybe I have a different idea of what's truly considered "dark".

 

The cheesy lyrics in some of the songs don't help either, they just sound comical, and are probably what ruined the album for me. I was cool with it on T2L because the thing had a colorful broccoli on the cover for god's sake but Drones should have been more serious, no?

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

I don't sense darkness in any of there songs other than The Handler. Gee maybe I have a different idea of what's truly considered "dark".

 

The cheesy lyrics in some of the songs don't help either, they just sound comical, and are probably what ruined the album for me. I was cool with it on T2L because the thing had a colorful broccoli on the cover for god's sake but Drones should have been more serious, no?

 

If you want Muse to be serious, as in dark, go back to Absolution.

[jtj39]

If you want Muse to be serious, as in dark, go back to Absolution.

 

You say it like it's a bad thing

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

You say it like it's a bad thing

 

It's not, just they haven't really been serious over a whole album since then.

[jonisdead]

I don't sense darkness in any of there songs other than The Handler. Gee maybe I have a different idea of what's truly considered "dark".

 

The cheesy lyrics in some of the songs don't help either, they just sound comical, and are probably what ruined the album for me. I was cool with it on T2L because the thing had a colorful broccoli on the cover for god's sake but Drones should have been more serious, no?

 

You literally said war is considered a dark topic, so if you define war as "dark" then how is your idea of "dark" different from from mine when I didn't argue that point?

 

The only song that I take issue with on a lyrical level is Revolt, and that's independent of how they're delivered, because some of those lyrics barely advance the narrative, while others do; it's just not that consistent all the way through. Taken as a whole, Drones didn't mess around with the idea it aimed to address, Revolt exists mainly to "empower" people but it just had dodgy execution.

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

You literally said war is considered a dark topic, so if you define war as "dark" then how is your idea of "dark" different from from mine when I didn't argue that point?

 

The only song that I take issue with on a lyrical level is Revolt, and that's independent of how they're delivered, because some of those lyrics barely advance the narrative, while others do; it's just not that consistent all the way through. Taken as a whole, Drones didn't mess around with the idea it aimed to address, Revolt exists mainly to "empower" people but it just had dodgy execution.

 

Said it better than I did.

[jtj39]

It's not, just they haven't really been serious over a whole album since then.

 

So it's safe to say they've given up on the whole being serious thing? Daamn.

[Mattestro]

It's not, just they haven't really been serious over a whole album since then.

 

Eh, BHAR had some good/serious lyrics on it

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

So it's safe to say they've given up on the whole being serious thing? Daamn.

 

They still have serious songs like imo the Globalist, Soldiers Poem, etc. but they have also embraced the cheese of some of their material.

[jtj39]

You literally said war is considered a dark topic, so if you define war as "dark" then how is your idea of "dark" different from from mine when I didn't argue that point?

 

The only song that I take issue with on a lyrical level is Revolt, and that's independent of how they're delivered, because some of those lyrics barely advance the narrative, while others do; it's just not that consistent all the way through. Taken as a whole, Drones didn't mess around with the idea it aimed to address, Revolt exists mainly to "empower" people but it just had dodgy execution.

 

Buuut saying an album is dark doesn't make it dark. If I were to listen to it without knowing any background info, I wouldn't find it musically or lyrically dark. That's what I'm saying.

[jtj39]

k I think it's just Defector and Revolt ruining the album for me (I already deleted Drones so I'm not even counting that)

[jonisdead]

Buuut saying an album is dark doesn't make it dark. If I were to listen to it without knowing any background info, I wouldn't find it musically or lyrically dark. That's what I'm saying.

 

Why? That's your opinion, sure, but they definitely set out to make it obvious. I would definitely disagree. If it doesn't hit you immediately with Dead Inside, then it should be blatantly obvious by the time you hit Psycho. Might seem "lighter" with Mercy but the lyrics are obviously hinting towards some sort of control and power play going on, and again Reapers kicks a dead horse with the darkness and The Handler just... if you haven't gotten it by now you won't get it at all.

 

Psycho makes it very obvious the topic is war, and Reapers cements it. The concept is obvious enough to address casual audiences, that's what the point seems to have been with this album. The only way I wouldn't find it musically or lyrically dark is if there was ambiguity with the songwriting/lyricism. There isn't.

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

k I think it's just Defector and Revolt ruining the album for me (I already deleted Drones so I'm not even counting that)

 

Fair enough, I can enjoy those songs, but I can see how they could rub someone the wrong way.

[jtj39]

Why? That's your opinion, sure, but they definitely set out to make it obvious. I would definitely disagree. If it doesn't hit you immediately with Dead Inside, then it should be blatantly obvious by the time you hit Psycho. Might seem "lighter" with Mercy but the lyrics are obviously hinting towards some sort of control and power play going on, and again Reapers kicks a dead horse with the darkness and The Handler just... if you haven't gotten it by now you won't get it at all.

 

Psycho makes it very obvious the topic is war, and Reapers cements it. The concept is obvious enough to address casual audiences, that's what the point seems to have been with this album. The only way I wouldn't find it musically or lyrically dark is if there was ambiguity with the songwriting/lyricism. There isn't.

 

Most other bands I listen to are VERY ambiguous with their lyrics, so yeah, I'm not into being overly blatant. I know it's all opinions, and I get your preference, but I'm a little disappointed I guess?

[Con101]

Most other bands I listen to are VERY ambiguous with their lyrics, so yeah, I'm not into being overly blatant. I know it's all opinions, and I get your preference, but I'm a little disappointed I guess?

 

There's an argument that those kind of lyrics are easier to write though. I do it prefer when muse are less obvious, but I can only applaud the effort to try and make it all make sense on a concept album, something which I wouldn't imagine being easy.

[Redwingsrock]

I find it hilarious how people are deleting songs from an album that isn't even out yet. MP3 generation for ya.

 

Edit to clarify that even though I do enjoy every song on this album, it wasn't the case for me with TR and T2L. I still have those CD's and all of those songs in my music library. I paid for it all, might as well keep it!

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

I find it hilarious how people are deleting songs from an album that isn't even out yet. MP3 generation for ya.

 

True.

[Teitan]

I find it hilarious how people are deleting songs from an album that isn't even out yet. MP3 generation for ya.

 

 

Yeah. You should wait until it's "out" before you decide if you like what you hear. Arbitrary release dates are crucial.