Your reviews of Drones

[marinamuse]

dead inside: ehhh

drill sergeant: i think drill sergeant is really unnecessary

psycho: it rocks,man perfect!

mercy: it's just so good,no more words....

reapers: just perfect!

the handler: my favorite and one of the best songs muse ever made i just love it

jfk : unnecessary but good

defector: great, i love the guitar solo part

revolt : worst song ever!

aftermath: such a relaxing song, i love it,that song is great

the globalist: im just in love with this song, i love every part of it. intro part, guitar part and piano part all just great

drones: unnecessary and really bad

[TheAlex]

Let's not divide! I think we can all say that almost everyone here likes the album right? Some love it (me), some like it, some enjoy it, but I don't think I've seen anything bad about the album as a whole...

[Mr Problematique]

Let's not divide! I think we can all say that almost everyone here likes the album right? Some love it (me), some like it, some enjoy it, but I don't think I've seen anything bad about the album as a whole...

 

It seems like the same thing happened with The 2nd Law at first.

[TheAlex]

It seems like the same thing happened with The 2nd Law at first.

 

Of course, we'll see in the long run. But the production is better here overall, it doesn't sound like a blockbuster like t2d law did, it sounds like a real album well thought, so maybe it'l stick longer

[Mozza]

Agreed. It was shockingly so on on my first listen! But now that I've listened to the album a few times, it's well placed.

 

Defector took a few listens to overcome the vocals but I really like it now. Shame Revolt follows and the album goes very silly

[Bumpypotato]

I can't be assed to do a track by track review, but my overall impression of this is very positive. It admittedly falls apart a bit towards the end and some track took a while to warm up to, but even then I enjoy it more than I thought I would, and it's refreshing to hear such a focussed album from these guys again. Highlights are Reapers, The Handler and The Globalist.

[levin]

Dead Inside 8/10

Big grower. Love the vocals, the minimalistic synths, everything is just so catchy. The song also feels very real and honest, and I love Matt's emotion in the last part.

 

Psycho 6,5/10

Really liked it when it was released, the main riff is cool and all but it's a little boring compared to many of the other tracks on the album.

 

Mercy 8/10

The Starlight piano is a bit meh imo, the melody isn't as catchy as it is in Starlight. However, I find the chorus to be very powerful, making me really get into this song. Love it!

 

Reapers 8,5/10

So sexy.

 

The Handler 9/10

So sexy. Love the vocal effects and pretty much everything about it, except that maybe the solo part could have used something more to be more pleasing.

 

Defector 9,5/10

Oh I just love this. I know some of you think the Queen harmonies are too over the top or whatever but I just adore them tbh. The song is so uplifting too, the solo/climax part is just so amazing.

 

Revolt 5/10 Haven't been able to get into this one, not yet at least

 

Aftermath 10/10

It's a masterpiece in my book. Yes it's kinda cheesy but I love me some cheese as long as it's good cheese!!!!!! Those guitars and strings are just so damn good! I find the vocals overall really catchy too, so this one is definitely my favorite song on the album. Definitely among their very best work imo!

 

The Globalist 8/10

Kind of feel like all three parts would have worked better as three separate songs. I think that instagram clip-melody should have had a whole own track built around it! But all the parts are really good, though! Especially the first two imo. The intro is amazing!

 

Drones 6/10

Hard one too rate, but I have too say I think it's a really cool album closer! Good ending to The Globalist but nothing I would really listen to on it's own merit.

 

 

Overall: Their second best album after Black Holes and Revelations in my opinion.

Edited June 5, 2015 by levin

[Citizen Erased 01]

Aftermath 10/10

It's a masterpiece in my book. Yes it's kinda cheesy but I love me some cheese as long as it's good cheese!!!!!! Those guitars and strings are just so damn good! I find the vocals overall really catchy too, so this one is definitely my favorite song on the album. Definitely among their very best work imo!

 

Ditto

[Menno]

Dead Inside 6/10

 

Psycho 7,5/10

 

Mercy 3/10

 

Reapers 9,5/10

 

The Handler 9/10

 

Defector 8/10

 

Revolt 7/10

 

Aftermath 8,5/10

 

The Globalist 9/10

 

Drones 7,5/10

[Museic Syndrome]

"Some may think its a load of pretentious wank, others may like it because it's different" - Matt Bellamy on his music.

 

The term "musers" in general understanding is a person who is a fan of muse. What "musers" don't understand is that it does not mean "oh I want muse to be a specific kind of muse and if they're not then I don't like their music because it's different". It means you love muse from beginning to end. You have the right to opinion on songs, what you've disliked and what you liked. But you accept each song and enjoy the positive of each, because you understand they are changing constantly. That is the beauty of muse and true Musers. We listen, and adapt.

 

 

Got what a load of bullshit. So, by that means, if they start doing Nicki Minaj covers and collaboraitons with alikes only, by the end of their lives and careers, we should listen and adapt? People have the right to like or dislike things. This way it is natural. Following your logic, I bet you can make yourself fall in love with any person in the world, and suffer the rest of your life, just so you could adapt?

[Hat]

"Some may think its a load of pretentious wank, others may like it because it's different" - Matt Bellamy on his music.

 

The term "musers" in general understanding is a person who is a fan of muse. What "musers" don't understand is that it does not mean "oh I want muse to be a specific kind of muse and if they're not then I don't like their music because it's different". It means you love muse from beginning to end. You have the right to opinion on songs, what you've disliked and what you liked. But you accept each song and enjoy the positive of each, because you understand they are changing constantly. That is the beauty of muse and true Musers. We listen, and adapt.

Pretentious wank so you can feel good for being a "true muser". Accepting that a band change is not the same as enjoying that change. I'm very aware that Muse aren't the band they were 10 or 15 years ago, but I'm still gonna expect them to write songs that I enjoy. To think that people in general don't like Muse simply because "it's different" is such a oversimplification simply for your peace of mind.

 

Some people don't like a certain Muse song because it's cheesy and has bad lyrics, others don't like another Muse song because they don't like the vocals. Not everything is as black or white as you make it out to be. I like a bunch of Muse's pop-rock songs, but I still don't like Mercy. How do you explain that? Because it's certainly nothing "different".

[Mozza]

Pretentious wank so you can feel good for being a "true muser". Accepting that a band change is not the same as enjoying that change. I'm very aware that Muse aren't the band they were 10 or 15 years ago, but I'm still gonna expect them to write songs that I enjoy. To think that people in general don't like Muse simply because "it's different" is such a oversimplification simply for your peace of mind.

 

Some people don't like a certain Muse song because it's cheesy and has bad lyrics, others don't like another Muse song because they don't like the vocals. Not everything is as black or white as you make it out to be. I like a bunch of Muse's pop-rock songs, but I still don't like Mercy. How do you explain that? Because it's certainly nothing "different".

 

Even in their albums I dislike (TR, T2L) there's still *just* enough good to keep them interesting (MK Ultra, Overture, Animals, Isolated System). As long as the balance in the live stuff doesn't go too far into cheese and full on pop then I'd still go see them because the first 3-4 albums are so good.

 

But I wont force myself to pretend to like stuff like Guiding Light, Big Freeze, Explorers just because Muse wrote them.

[Citizen Erased 01]

Even in their albums I dislike (TR, T2L) there's still *just* enough good to keep them interesting (MK Ultra, Overture, Animals, Isolated System). As long as the balance in the live stuff doesn't go too far into cheese and full on pop then I'd still go see them because the first 3-4 albums are so good.

 

But I wont force myself to pretend to like stuff like Guiding Light, Big Freeze, Explorers just because Muse wrote them.

 

I agree with this, if there's a Muse song I don't like I will try my best to like it and listen to it an increased amount to try and find positives within that song because I feel like that's what a Muse fan should at least try and do. Occasionally though, even this doesn't work for some songs (imo). I get that fans should try to accept changes that their favourite bands make but sometimes there's just that step too far for a person's tastes

[jeffrey0603]

Dead inside (8/10) - Pretty good and catchy, last chorus is possibly the most emotional part of any muse song I've heard. Muse seems to have gotten the electro rock pop down pretty well (madness and UD both being pretty good)

 

Psycho (7/10) - played to death by me, unnecessarily long, sounds pretty lazy to keep playing that same riff throughout. I expected the riff to evolve into something more after the first few verses but nope. Could have been great but falls short

 

Mercy (7/10) - reminds me a lot of BHAR, especially 'easily'. good, catchy, possibly the best melody line on the album.

 

Reapers (9/10)- now this is a beast of a song, hated it on the first listen (live) because it felt so disjointed. Like a mix of van halen's 'eruption', with some ACDC guitar work, tom morello esque solo, ending with (a ripoff of) RATM 'freedom'. But right now I think it is the most creative song on the album, felt like a lot of effort has been put into its song construction (which i will get to in the end)

 

Handler (8/10)- I don't get the hype over this song, its good but the SOLO.... way too long. Cool riff and good vocals, thats about it. Lacks any sort of climax i feel

 

Defector (8/10)- hated it on first listen but after a few more times, it has become one of my favourites. Sounds like something off 'showbiz' especially the solo part. Very uplifting song with a very interesting vocal part (SOCIEETYYYY) good song

 

Revolt (6/10) - cheesy, but i guess listenable. got that killers vibe in the chorus.

 

Aftermath (7/10) - SO DISAPPOINTING, the into and first verse was SO GOOD. Very haunting and dark, the vocal melody was also very appropriate, expected a dark song but it evolved into a rather cheerful and optimistic chorus line. Could have been amazing but once again falls short.

 

Globalist (6/10) - Hmmm, where to start. Intro sounds promising but a little long drawn out. Shall ignore the fact they BLATANTLY stole from 'adagio'. Goes on into a pretty cool riff and just when you thought the riff was going to evolve into some epic and grand piece, nope it stops and ends with some piano rambling. Disappointing once again muse, could have been great

 

Drones (1/10) - goddam this song is ridiculous. layers of 'killed by drones' and 'are you dead inside' , matt probably sneaked a 'you are trolled' in it too. what were they thinking when they recorded this. why didn't dom and chris stop matt from committing this aural atrocity.

 

 

Conclusion (7/10)- Last three tracks were not as solid as the first half which I thought was on par with T2L and TR (and yes i happen to like them both) On a whole, I would place this below T2L and TR, and obviously BHAR, OOS and Absolution.

 

I think there are two main problems regarding this record.

1) Muse became too preoccupied with 'getting back to their roots'. And they were very wrong to equate 'back to roots' to 'moar riffs lulz'. I felt a lot of their songs were too simplistic and simply revolved around a singular guitar riff, which muse prob thought was their roots like you know guitar driven sound. Case(es) in point; psycho, defector, handler. It kinda felt like matt just made up a riff in his head and from that riff, develop a song. A song produced in that fashion will (most likely) create very simplistic sounding songs, we need matt to get back on his piano and write songs there!

 

2) Muse has totally lost the 'tension and climax' idea on this album. Look at 'new born' for instance, the main riff was used sparingly; at the start(climax) after the piano(tension) and another time at the end, after the chorus built up the tension and the riff once again provided the climax. On this record, riffs were thrown all over the song and I felt it did not produce that climax effect well. Example, psycho started the song with the riff from the start, I felt that a better buildup leading to the main riff could have elevated the songs. I guess this problem is partly due to problem uno as they became too preoccupied with having a 'riff-fy' album. A lot of the songs just felt very 'forced' to have riffs in it just for the sake of having a riff there to sound 'heavy'

 

Edited June 5, 2015 by jeffrey0603

[FabriPav]

Dead Inside

Ok song overall. Best vocal melodies in quite a while. The guitar from 2:30 could be so much better than those boring chords though. And the beginning with "DEAD INSIED!!1" and the robot voice are shit.

 

[Drill Sergeant] + Psycho

Would be decent if it wasn't the same thing over and over and over for 5 minutes. Should have been 1.30 mins shorter. As it is though, just mediocre.

 

Mercy

Perhaps the most boring, generic song they've ever put on record. Awful lyrics, awful vocal melodies, awful music, awful mix, awful everything.

 

Reapers

The mix ruins the verses quite a bit. The song itself is pretty good though, despite vocoder and lyrics. I like the Freedom outro.

 

The Handler

Best song on the album. Not incredible though, the In Your World intro doesn't work perfectly as a solo/bridge, and it's a bit too sudden.

 

[JFK] + Defector

I was hoping for the background to the speech to be a bit more interesting, but it's not bad. Defector is garbage. The riff itself isn't bad, but a bit like with Psycho, the fact that it repeates throughout the whole song ruins it. I don't like the vocals, I was hoping not to hear Queen in this album for once. And don't get me started on the lyrics.

 

Revolt

 

Aftermath

I don't mind the very beginning, decent atmosphere. It becomes a cheesefest rather quickly though (if there's no crap

backing vocals in at least one song it's not a Muse album nowadays, it seems).

 

The Globalist

If this is their definition of a '10 minute prog monster' then I'm out. How could an external producer be ok with them ripping off Morricone and Elgar in the same song? The riffs and those USOE/Survival vocals sound cool though (I wish the drums sounded punchier in the buildup, they seem so distant). The "solo" comes out of nowhere and is quite jarring, and also really short. They could have at least made it so that the sections had some kind of transition between them.

 

Drones

This is not how you close an album. If it had good lyrics it could have been decent as an interlude of sorts between two sections of an album, maybe.

 

 

TL;DR:

 

Might actually be their worst release (yet) for me. Just too many bad songs. They also seem clearly out of ideas, and the concept feels so weak to me due to how shit the lyrics are (on their own and in context). The number of ripoffs (either of themselves or of other artists) has increased too.

[BigGeorge]

Killlledd by faabriiiiii(killled by fabri) My mother, my father(fathher killled) by fabriii(fabri, fabri)

 

Amen

[FabriPav]

Amen.

[kueller]

It's confirmed to be a credited Elgar cover.

[jonisdead]

It's confirmed to be a credited Elgar cover.

 

Rearrangement =/= cover

[LewisF]

It's confirmed to be a credited Elgar cover.

 

Yep. No mention of L'Arena though

[FabriPav]

Rearrangement =/= cover

 

This puts it into such a different perspective.

[kueller]

Yep. No mention of L'Arena though

 

Not close enough.

[jonisdead]

This puts it into such a different perspective.

 

Diction is a beautiful thing.

[topo_musero]

It's confirmed to be a credited Elgar cover.

 

If they didn't credit it, they would be in a problem, it's exactly the same :LOL:. Not that I dislike it, I find it an amazing arragement. I don't think they have to credit L'arena, even if it's obviously inpired in it, the melody is not similar.

[kueller]

Diction is a beautiful thing.

 

But irrelevant for the point being made.