Drones Album Discussion Thread

[Sconn]

Drones has grown on me massively since the first play, when i thought i'd me more likely to just pick a few songs off it to add to my playlist, than listen to the whole album.

Than again, I think I feel the same with all of the albums. There are always some songs that you love from the start, and others that take time. Dead inside, Mercy, Revolt and Aftermath and Reapers are the standout songs at the moment.

[Clunge]

Feeling increasingly that The Globalist is by far the weakest link on Drones. It's just not very good at all . It's like Muse covering Muse - badly.

[Jobby]

Reapers might feel a bit cold and lifeless on the record but bloody hell I think it's become my favourite song to play on guitar.

[kueller]

It's among my favorites but I'm still sloppy in some parts.

[nerd herd]

It's definitely one of their best songs to play, even though the whammy wankery is a bit tricky to do with your feet.

[Alec Ferris]

Feeling increasingly that The Globalist is by far the weakest link on Drones. It's just not very good at all . It's like Muse covering Muse - badly.

 

My problem with the more Museish tracks in general. Or rather, it's Muse not getting what made old Muse tick. It's not St Anger, but it fails in a similar way.

[Boombleeb]

Am I the only one who doesn't really like the last three songs on the album? (Aftermath, The Globalist, Drones)

[Jazzthief]

Am I the only one who doesn't really like the last three songs on the album? (Aftermath, The Globalist, Drones)

 

Nope, The Globalist is garbage.

[TheHappySpaceman]

Anyone get a sense that Matt was still really bitter about Kate Hudson breaking up with him when he wrote this album? I mean, I know what he says about there being no bad blood between them, and I know that this is supposed to be a rock opera/concept album, but still, it's pretty telling when Muse's last album, The 2nd Law, was filled with slower, poppier songs and love ballads, while this album is filled with angry, bitter hard rock songs with lines such as this:

 

“Love, it will get you nowhere”

 

“Your lips are warm to the touch... On the outside you're ablaze and alive / But you're dead inside”

 

Again, this is all just speculation.

[serpentsatellite]

I don't think we're overtly allowed to talk about that, but I think the entire album is about personal affairs, often just using political metaphors to make it less obvious and potentially harmful.

Matt admits there's two parallel stories, you've got a "break up song" that references Showbiz, and especially if you think about the album initially having the character start happy and free and going into ending with Dead Inside...

 

Besides, who isn't bitter or at least hurt by a breakup?

They suck for everyone.

[TheHappySpaceman]

I don't think we're overtly allowed to talk about that, but I think the entire album is about personal affairs, often just using political metaphors to make it less obvious and potentially harmful.

Matt admits there's two parallel stories, you've got a "break up song" that references Showbiz, and especially if you think about the album initially having the character start happy and free and going into ending with Dead Inside...

 

Besides, who isn't bitter or at least hurt by a breakup?

They suck for everyone.

 

True. And hey, no sin if it is about bitter breakups. Every artist does it. Coldplay's second newest album was filled with sad breakup songs. In my opinion, it was their best album to date.

 

Though what song references Showbiz?

[serpentsatellite]

The Handler references Showbiz's lyrics at the end, and basically morphs into the song, as well.

Matt said the two were "quantum entangled"

 

I don't see too many other ways to interpret that.

[TheHappySpaceman]

The Handler references Showbiz's lyrics at the end, and basically morphs into the song, as well.

Matt said the two were "quantum entangled"

 

I don't see too many other ways to interpret that.

 

Hmm...

 

“Controlling my feelings for too long”

“I won't let you control my feelings anymore”

 

“Trying to please you for too long”

“I will no longer do as I am told”

 

...whoa. Never looked at it that way.

[serpentsatellite]

Hmm...

 

“Controlling my feelings for too long”

“I won't let you control my feelings anymore”

 

“Trying to please you for too long”

“I will no longer do as I am told”

 

...whoa. Never looked at it that way.

 

Yup. Matt said it was a "call and answer" to Showbiz, and there's a Soundcloud out there somewhere that shows how similar the endings of the songs are, if you don't quite hear it.

[TheHappySpaceman]

Yup. Matt said it was a "call and answer" to Showbiz, and there's a Soundcloud out there somewhere that shows how similar the endings of the songs are, if you don't quite hear it.

 

No, I definitely hear it. Both of them have loud guitars and Matt's amazing falsetto, though if he really wanted to invoke the feel of Showbiz, he would have ended The Handler by throwing all of his equipment off the side of a boat.

[Jobby]

I still wish he'd pop the end of the Showbiz solo onto the end of The Handler's, just as an extra link and nod to fans (wouldn't hurt to give it a little bit of variation either). I've been doing it on guitar since I thought of it and it's a great lead into the outro imo.

[TheHappySpaceman]

I still wish he'd pop the end of the Showbiz solo onto the end of The Handler's, just as an extra link and nod to fans (wouldn't hurt to give it a little bit of variation either). I've been doing it on guitar since I thought of it and it's a great lead into the outro imo.

 

Hmm. I wonder what that would sound like. Maybe someone can make a mashup of it?

 

I know a friend who was working on a version of Follow Me that replaced the dubstep with the instrumentals from Plug In Baby, and it actually was sounding pretty good.

 

I myself am making a ten-song mashup using Muse's "Dead Inside" as the basis.

[BlueEyedFloozy]

Personally, despite knowing the Showbiz angle, right from the very first listen The Handler hit me very hard emotionally. I am NOT saying anything about anyone, this is purely how the song speaks to me, but as a survivor of an emotionally abusive relationship I find it an exceptionally moving piece. Showbiz itself has moments for me as well; I've been unwell this week and it's left me a bit mentally battered and I listened to it today and the sheer size of the thing blew me away. I'm not quite sure how someone so young wrote that. It's immense.

[serpentsatellite]

Showbiz and Sunburn are so different than the rest of the album, and I think clearly show a turning point in the guys' lives, going from a small town to something as crazy and sinister as the music scene.

I found it strange that they'd decide to revisit that particular theme, all things considered.

It does work well thematically, though.

[Dominic.]

Feeling increasingly that The Globalist is by far the weakest link on Drones. It's just not very good at all . It's like Muse covering Muse - badly.

It's kinda grown on me, up until the piano. If they had expanded on the heavy part and ditched/done something completely different for the piano part could be decent.

 

I mainly only listen to Dead Inside, Reapers and occasionally The Handler now off this. Psycho and Defector are still fun too. The others eh can live without

Reapers might feel a bit cold and lifeless on the record but bloody hell I think it's become my favourite song to play on guitar.

 

It's among my favorites but I'm still sloppy in some parts.

What's the best tab out there for the solo? Also the verses, got a version I play at the moment which is probs 90% right but not exactly how Matt plays it

[serpentsatellite]

I've always liked The Globalist a lot anyways, despite my early misgivings. Yeah, maybe the piano bit is a bit long. But, the heavy part, and the fucking slide guitar!

 

And it was just utterly gorgeous live.

[heyjackk]

I've always liked The Globalist a lot anyways, despite my early misgivings. Yeah, maybe the piano bit is a bit long. But, the heavy part, and the fucking slide guitar!

 

And it was just utterly gorgeous live.

 

Yeah I actually really like the first two parts. If they'd made the piano part the shortest bit and got rid of that Explorers style part in it then I'd probably like it more.

 

The Handler is still my favourite song on the record. The whole last minute and a half or so is just fucking awesome.

[serpentsatellite]

I think the piano in the ending might be boring, but I'm so preoccupied with the vocals I don't notice.

 

The Handler still comes in after Dead Inside and Mercy, for me. It might edge out album version Mercy if there was more variation to that damned solo, or it weren't so damn long.

Ending of the song is insane, though.

[heyjackk]

Dead Inside is great too I'd actually forgotten about it Second half of Dead Inside is up there with second half of the Handler as best moment on the album. The "You taught me to lie" line is delivered so nicely.

[LewisF]

Dead Inside

Mercy

Reapers

The Handler

Revolt

The Globalist

 

Are all amazing IMO, and the others are great too. Yes, Revolt! You heard it