Album Eight: Simulation Theory

[OriginOfAbso]

Yeah Dig Down is just unforgivably lazy. When I first heard it I couldn't believe they would actually make something so similar to Madness.

[Jobby]

It’s a valid criticism but, if you take it out of that context and isolate it at as a Muse song, it’s not that naff. Defo more than a few worse individual songs in their discography.

[Nicklord]

Yeah, Fabri shouldn't be taken seriously. I mean he said St. Vincent doesn't write stale music while her last album was just shitty 2009 Lady Gaga impression

[forevermusic]

If any of the 5 new songs were to take the title, surely it’d have to be Dig Down

As far as I'm concerned, for the moment, I'm yet to hear anything I dislike as much as Big Freeze.

 

… so far, of course.

[Unidentifiable]

I honestly consider Dig Down my least favourite Muse song. The vocal melodies are literally the first thing you’d think of over a gospel-y chord progression, the guitar solo is laughable noise and there’s that “when God decides to look the other way / and a clown takes the throne” bit that’s just the KoC lyrics rewritten (more clunkily, of course).

[smoledman]

Actually of the 5 songs so far, I'd say "Something Human" is the only one that measures up to the usual Muse standard of quality. I wonder if there will be a single heavy rock song on the album.

[smoledman]

Yeah, Fabri shouldn't be taken seriously. I mean he said St. Vincent doesn't write stale music while her last album was just shitty 2009 Lady Gaga impression

 

Exactly. A total shocker to see Annie Clark sell out like that. It's like in the history of music the only acts to never 'sell out':

 

The Beatles, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Radiohead, David Bowie, Aimee Mann

[frutiger75]

Exactly. A total shocker to see Annie Clark sell out like that. It's like in the history of music the only acts to never 'sell out':

 

The Beatles, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Radiohead, David Bowie, Aimee Mann

 

why is st. vincent seemingly getting discussed in multiple muse threads all of a sudden? in any case, i don't think it was a sell out; her latest album is just a mishmash of very crappy songs (except for maybe one) that, unfortunately, is juxtaposed to her prior album (which is of the better albums of the decade).

 

way off-topic now.

 

declining to revist (for now) some real duds in muse's back catalogue, dig down is so horrifically shitty that it needs to be interred posthaste.

[jonisdead]

Y’all are taking fabrizio too seriously

 

 

 

Honestly Dig Down’s not even baaad in of itself. It just suffers from a combination of being v short, simple and conventional whilst sounding overly familiar to Madness, causing it to feel like a less inspired or ‘lazy’ version. If it’d come first there probs wouldn’t be a problem.

 

Dig Down is terrible

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

Actually of the 5 songs so far, I'd say "Something Human" is the only one that measures up to the usual Muse standard of quality. I wonder if there will be a single heavy rock song on the album.

 

At this point, I'm seriously starting to think you're indeed trolling.

 

It’s a valid criticism but, if you take it out of that context and isolate it at as a Muse song, it’s not that naff. Defo more than a few worse individual songs in their discography.

 

I swear the amount of bashing against DD seems almost irrational.

The song may have all the flaws you listed before, but seriously, sometimes I have a feeling people seem to grasp at straws just to make it a lot worse than it actually is, like the comparison with Freedom: outside of those few notes in the chorus and the vaguely gospel-like atmosphere they're literally nothing alike.

Edited September 28, 2018 by MartianSpaghettiRider

[Niall]

i adore this album. even dig down has grown on me. the dark side is the best thing they've done in years. ❤️

[kueller]

Now there's a name I haven't seen in a while.

[odier]

Y’all are taking fabrizio too seriously

 

 

 

Honestly Dig Down’s not even baaad in of itself. It just suffers from a combination of being v short, simple and conventional whilst sounding overly familiar to Madness, causing it to feel like a less inspired or ‘lazy’ version. If it’d come first there probs wouldn’t be a problem.

 

I actually believe this kind of theory. If songs like NSC, US, Supremacy, Explorers, Psycho, Mercy, and The Globalist were released in early years, then there are no much hate on these songs.

 

Esspecially Mercy-Starlight comparison. If Mercy came first, someone can say Starlight has the lazy bass, lazy drumming, and cheesy lyrics compare to Mercy, And Mercy is heavier too. Not to mention Starlight doesn't have outro guitar lol.

 

But no to Dig Down. There's a big difference between DD and Madness.

[Bohemian-Cygnus-Running-Out]

Something Human

The Dark Side

Pressure

Thought Contagion

Dig Down

 

 

I'll agree DD isn't as bad as people have been saying. I mean, it's very well arranged and is in fact catchy. I think my real problem with the new tracks in many cases is they seem a bit stiff (DD, Pressure, TDS). Like, this is the band that Mutt Lange just forced to do tons of live takes on Drones before choosing one to put on the album. Why do they sound so metronomic and ungroovy a few years later? And Madness and Uprising groove like heck, so this I think is a newer issue.

 

But honestly the songs could be worse. Remember they aren't just doing impressions this time around like on T2L (Big Freeze = U2, Liquid State = Foo Fighters, Panic Station = Superstition, Stevie Wonder, Supremacy = James Bond music, and of course, Unsustainable = Skrillex).

[jonisdead]

Something Human

The Dark Side

Pressure

Thought Contagion

Dig Down

 

 

I'll agree DD isn't as bad as people have been saying. I mean, it's very well arranged and is in fact catchy. I think my real problem with the new tracks in many cases is they seem a bit stiff (DD, Pressure, TDS). Like, this is the band that Mutt Lange just forced to do tons of live takes on Drones before choosing one to put on the album. Why do they sound so metronomic and ungroovy a few years later? And Madness and Uprising groove like heck, so this I think is a newer issue.

 

But honestly the songs could be worse. Remember they aren't just doing impressions this time around like on T2L (Big Freeze = U2, Liquid State = Foo Fighters, Panic Station = Superstition, Stevie Wonder, Supremacy = James Bond music, and of course, Unsustainable = Skrillex).

 

ITT vague musical influences are now impressions

[sade]

Interesting that they are bombarding us with new songs. Have they discussed the release strategy in the media? I'm way out of loop in day-to-day Muse.

 

I can see it being a clever tactic, especially in the US. Alternative radio there seems to be in their pocket, any song seems to go top 10 in the Alternative chart (according to that great Chart thread by muse s'amuse). Even SH reached top 10. Having the obviously radio friendly TDS and Pressure doing damage one month before and after album realease, plus SH and TC receiving radio play might create a wave for the album in the target audience. Or then again, the songs might cancel each other out - I don't know how commercial radio/record label release strategy work - do they push for one song over the others?

 

Interesting strategy in any case, in this era of short attention spans.

[forevermusic]

Someone on the Reddit thread when I was doing a lurk saw a soft drink can with the brand Propaganda and the date October 23rd on a poster and put 2 and 2 together.

 

Could be a stretch but...

[fuesch]

I actually believe this kind of theory. If songs like NSC, US, Supremacy, Explorers, Psycho, Mercy, and The Globalist were released in early years, then there are no much hate on these songs.

 

Esspecially Mercy-Starlight comparison. If Mercy came first, someone can say Starlight has the lazy bass, lazy drumming, and cheesy lyrics compare to Mercy, And Mercy is heavier too. Not to mention Starlight doesn't have outro guitar lol.

 

But no to Dig Down. There's a big difference between DD and Madness.

 

I think the dislike of certain songs is intensified by the accumulation of these songs. I can't speak for others, but the more bad songs we get, the more frustrated (and even distressed*) I get.

 

* Probably because the early stuff helped me with my issues and now that the "music medication" doesn't work anymore I'm wondering what's the fucking point in even still taking it.

[Hat]

Something Human

The Dark Side

Pressure

Thought Contagion

Dig Down

 

 

I'll agree DD isn't as bad as people have been saying. I mean, it's very well arranged and is in fact catchy. I think my real problem with the new tracks in many cases is they seem a bit stiff (DD, Pressure, TDS). Like, this is the band that Mutt Lange just forced to do tons of live takes on Drones before choosing one to put on the album. Why do they sound so metronomic and ungroovy a few years later? And Madness and Uprising groove like heck, so this I think is a newer issue.

 

But honestly the songs could be worse. Remember they aren't just doing impressions this time around like on T2L (Big Freeze = U2, Liquid State = Foo Fighters, Panic Station = Superstition, Stevie Wonder, Supremacy = James Bond music, and of course, Unsustainable = Skrillex).

How on earth is Pressure lacking in groove? And how does Uprising have more of it?

 

Also Supremacy is hardly a James Bond impression other than the last chord. And Liquid State is a Foo Fighters impression? Really?

[Nigel_Tufnel]

This has the potential to become my 3rd favourite Muse album js

 

The potential

 

Your optimism is refreshing with this being an online forum and all. I mean, I don't necessarily share it but it's still refreshing.

[Nigel_Tufnel]

How on earth is Pressure lacking in groove? And how does Uprising have more of it?

 

Also Supremacy is hardly a James Bond impression other than the last chord. And Liquid State is a Foo Fighters impression? Really?

 

Funny. Pressure seems to be almost all groove and not much else.

 

Personally, I wouldn't call Supremacy a "James Bond impression" but, upon first hearing it, I couldn't help but think that it would be the theme song for the next JB movie.

[OriginOfAbso]

Can we please get some interesting drums at some point on this album? This is 2 songs in a row now that could've used some more varied drumming at times, and it just never happens.

[jonisdead]

Can we please get some interesting drums at some point on this album? This is 2 songs in a row now that could've used some more varied drumming at times, and it just never happens.

 

Pressure's drumming is a far cry from whatever amateur drum programming happened on Dig Down

[OriginOfAbso]

Pressure's drumming is a far cry from whatever amateur drum programming happened on Dig Down

They're still very uninteresting imo. The bass drum has been so simple in every song.

[Jobby]

They're still very uninteresting imo. The bass drum has been so simple in every song.

 

Simple drums =/= bad. I’ve had my gripes with Dom’s drumming at times over the last couple of records but I don’t see owt wrong with Pressure at all tbh. The beat during the verses has been one of my favourite things about the song.