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Drones Album Discussion Thread

Spectrum IV

By Spectrum IV
in Songs & Releases

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Redwingsrock Escapee

Redwingsrock

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Finally listened to it all from beginning to end. Not going to bother doing a track by track but here are my general thoughts.

 

The first half of this album (Dead Inside through The Handler) is some of the best work Muse have ever done.

 

The second half falls pretty flat in comparison. The guitar work in Defector is great, and the bass is killer, but the "Queen" like chorus feels a bit forced. I actually like Revolt, but it doesn't seem to have the same emotional feel as a song like Dead Inside, which makes it feel a bit....generic. Aftermath would be an amazing song if the vocal melody was a bit stronger. I wouldn't mind if Muse explored this direction a bit more. The Globalist is a bit....long. The middle section is great though! And call me crazy but I really really like Drones. It's another highlight for me. It wouldn't be a Muse album without something crazy.

 

All in all, the album is pretty good. I think the quality on most of Muse's albums tends to decrease (except Absolution) towards the back half of the album, so this wasn't a complete surprise. I think they were true to their word in terms of stripping back the experimentation, I just wish some of the melodies were a bit stronger on the latter half of the album.

 

Also, I don't really find the lyrics too terrible.

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serpentsatellite Escapee

serpentsatellite

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Posted
I'm sure they'll make up for any losses with a world tour.

 

Although didn't they end up losing money in the last tour?

 

They said that about the US, for sure. Maybe they could fuck off with all the actors and bullshit that distracts from the performance AND make some money? :awesome:

The center stage bullshit has prompted what I hope are just rumors of them needing to cut more US cities out of the tour, that wouldn't perform well enough with all the added tickets/seating.

Meaning Muse have put out some of my favorite songs in a decade, and I wouldn't get to see them performed. :'(

 

Those drones are gonna be expensive though

 

Matt said before that first festival that they'd already bought them... *sigh*

 

If you're going to do videos for all the first half of the album, may as well try and explain the 2nd with films too, right? It would be weird not to now! Half way thro! Maybe the lever game will come into play for those at a later date....It would seem all those green screen shots done were the boys playing thro possibly all the songs to use for these....

 

I was just thinking how sad I would be if lyric videos don't show up for the rest of the album. Would be a let down, for sure.

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WutDaFucksy Escapee

WutDaFucksy

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What is Revolt doing on this album? :LOL: It's not dreadful but the overall sound of it just doesn't fit in at all. Feels like it's only on there because the word 'drones' is in the lyrics, should have been a B-side.

 

Decent album, better than I expected, The Handler is the best thing on it

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jonisdead Escapee

jonisdead

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How does it compare to other albums for you?

 

I'll come through with a detailed review later tonight when I get the chance to sit down and have a couple more listens. If you want a rough idea where it stands in my rankings right now its:

 

Absolution > OoS > Drones = BHaR > Showbiz > TR > T2L

 

I'm sure with repeated listens that = sign will become >. There is a lot of quality on this record that flows across every song I would say, although there were some moments where Muse played it safe as well as went overboard. I'll talk about it later

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BTM Escapee

BTM

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They could have done so much more with the guitar part that was in an IG teaser that was at the end of the heavy section of Globalist. Instead they use it for like 30 seconds

 

Ya, that's really my only major gripe with the album. The part starting at 6:14 is absolutely fantastic but it only lasts like 15 seconds.

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jonesy39 Escapee

jonesy39

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Yeah, so that ended up being sort of a let down. Matt's vocal delivery just feels so forced on so many of these songs (and has for the recent albums). I guess that ends up turning me off to it a bit as the songs don't flow as well for me.

 

For me, typical muse album of late. A few songs that keep me interested, but not an album I can listen through beginning to end.

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Hazzr Escapee

Hazzr

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Despite posting one of if not the most melodramatic post/s that I've seen on this thread and being very negative, i'very listened to it all the way through with headphones and no distractions for my revised album review ( massive hypocritical U-turn incoming)

 

Dead Inside 7/10 like it, actually is quite powerful and like the vocals tbh especially towards the end. Like the simple drums

Psycho 7/10 the ass line still irks me, but actually has grown on me, if turned up loud I can enjoy it despite the repetition (similarly I like royal blood and their riffs can be the same)

Mercy 7/10 eat my soul isn't great but rest of lyrics are alright the vocal delivery in the bridge has grown on me and I quite enjoy the tone and beat of the song, kinda dark but light music as others have mentioned, like the piano

reapers 8/9/10 a haha always loved it but hearing it after mercy makes it seem better, lyrics get more tolerable if you get into it and I love it, no change there.

The handler 9/10 great old muse, has the classic falsetto but it and the deeper vocals sound so much more controlled which adds to the dark tone, great song love the transition into outer after long bridge that builds anticipation

[JFK] into defector 7/10 great build love the JFK riff thing the transition went unoticed by me very smooth. Dislike the queen harmonies but it's grown and rest of song I can get into, like the solo at the end particularly

Revolt 4/10 the rest of the vocals are better than the first chorus which I can't help but laugh out loud at, so camp and ridiculous I can picture an intro montage of clips from a kids TV show where they freeze frame while jump high giving at the end. But makes me happy because of how silly it is and so is redeeming, kind of fun to jokingly sing along with if you know what I mean

Aftermath 7/10 beautiful song, end is a bit ott but I like it overall, can overlook cliché lyrics as instrumentally beautiful

globalist 9/10 don't know what the problem with the transitions are to me they're fine, love the slide guitar part and ofc the heavy part. Heavy part lasts right amount of time just rest of song carries on too long. But love it

Drones 7/10 don't like it as a song on its own but is interesting like am over the top even more pretentious version of soldiers poem that while weird I cam listen to with the album comfortably

 

I listened to it without wanting to skip a track (no other album does that even OoS although it's better anyway) and with headphones the great bass from Chris made all the songs feel more driven. Also great drums from dom everywhere too. This is definitely better as a whole experience rather than individual songs bar a few but actually am very pleased. Still prefer their more rocky stuff but a good album with great tracks, the music on this album is fantastic (lyrics less so but are not awful apart from revolt)

 

Sorry for very long review buy it's 1.30 and I've gotten carried away

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