Album Eight: Simulation Theory

[Hat]

Both. They tried to replicate their old style with Drones and it was very hit and miss and they probably don't wanna keep doing that (thank god), but they don't really seem to know what the next step is for them. Genre-jumping is a great way to avoid evolving.

[Jobby]

Aye, pretty much.

 

Part of me still thinks/hopes that they do still have the ability to evolve in them but that it'd take them having a few years off to do so, which they don't seem keen on doing unfortunately. Either because they've been pretty much constantly creating for 24 years and don't know how to switch off from it or because they genuinely just enjoy it and don't want to.

[PlugInYorkie]

I think this could be their last album or second last.

 

I feel like this album is an attempt to get “relevant” again and churn out some hits for the radio. All that extensive American touring also seemed like an attempt to increase their profile over there.

 

But really at this stage they won’t ever top the success they had with Resistance...the music game has changed and boring generic shit like Kendrick, Ed Sheeran(vomits) and “Tay Tay” rule supreme and old bands like Muse should just be looking to keep the existing fan base onside.... :/

[serpentsatellite]

Let's be honest, I know it's sometimes hard to get a scope of the size of the US if you don't live here, but neither of their last tours, nor them combined, is "extensive" touring of the US.

 

Look up some of the bands that are touring here extensively, and there's no comparison at all.

[PlugInYorkie]

Let's be honest, I know it's sometimes hard to get a scope of the size of the US if you don't live here, but neither of their last tours, nor them combined, is "extensive" touring of the US.

 

Look up some of the bands that are touring here extensively, and there's no comparison at all.

 

Extensive for Muse.

 

They did all the Drones era, festivals etc and then came back for another tour with 30STM. That’s a pretty big focus in America considering Australia didn’t even get a tour.

[kueller]

It's kind of expected they'd scale down after lower numbers during The 2nd Law tour. But still while the density is nothing to western Europe it's still a dedicated area. I know it's much harder to get around the country but that's not the band's fault.

[Hat]

the music game has changed and boring generic shit like Kendrick

[FabriPav]

Wowwww.

[PlugInYorkie]

I’d rather watch paint dry then listen to literally the same song every time from overhyped mainstream artists like that.

[Jobby]

literally the same song every time

 

this must be a troll

[Hat]

I like how you use “mainstream” as some sort of insult, and as if your favourite bands aren’t mainstream as well.

 

Btw, Arctic Monkeys are more generic than Kendrick Lamar has ever been.

[FabriPav]

I’d rather watch paint dry then listen to literally the same song every time from overhyped mainstream artists like that.

 

How many songs by Kendrick Lamar have you heard in your lifetime?

[Bumpypotato]

Their worst album yet

 

Yeah... Damnit.

 

So either it will be random genre jumping with nothing connecting the songs, or they will share key sound elements with Dig Down and Thought Contagion.

 

Not sure which is worse.

 

Genre hopping at least gives us the potential for a couple of good songs in with the trash.

 

I’d rather watch paint dry then listen to literally the same song every time from overhyped mainstream artists like that.

 

I get where you're coming from (even though Kendrick doesn't really fit damn sucked though fight me), but don't you see that that's kinda what Muse are these days? It's a real shame. I still love their early albums and dull sets or not they're still ace live, but the music is just rarely interesting now. And this coming from someone who quite likes Thought Contagion for what it is.

[serpentsatellite]

Extensive for Muse.

 

They did all the Drones era, festivals etc and then came back for another tour with 30STM. That’s a pretty big focus in America considering Australia didn’t even get a tour.

 

Just because Australia didn't get a tour, doesn't mean the handful of dates the US got was "extensive" though. If touring the US was a focus for them to drive their popularity, they would have hit more areas instead of focusing on ones they knew were a sure thing for sales (and struggling in a few of those anyways.)

 

And a tour this time around is going to be even smaller because they can't keep blowing up the size of the live show spectacle in size and cost at the same time their popularity is waning.

 

Matt can ditch the guitar and his old fans, but these last two songs don't give me any faith that trying to "modernize" their music is going to bring them arena-level mainstream fame.

[PlugInYorkie]

this must be a troll

 

You mean finding generic overhyped hip hop music uninteresting is so unbelievable that I must be trolling? Lol Godbless haha

[PlugInYorkie]

I like how you use “mainstream” as some sort of insult, and as if your favourite bands aren’t mainstream as well.

 

Btw, Arctic Monkeys are more generic than Kendrick Lamar has ever been.

 

It’s not an insult nor intended; it’s just a fact that Muse don’t fit in with what’s popular in the mainstream music market nowadays and whether their sound is pop or rock it doesn’t seem to matter.

 

And you’re having a laugh if you seriously think Kendrick is less generic than Arctic Monkeys!

[PlugInYorkie]

Just because Australia didn't get a tour, doesn't mean the handful of dates the US got was "extensive" though. If touring the US was a focus for them to drive their popularity, they would have hit more areas instead of focusing on ones they knew were a sure thing for sales (and struggling in a few of those anyways.)

 

And a tour this time around is going to be even smaller because they can't keep blowing up the size of the live show spectacle in size and cost at the same time their popularity is waning.

 

Matt can ditch the guitar and his old fans, but these last two songs don't give me any faith that trying to "modernize" their music is going to bring them arena-level mainstream fame.

 

I think you’ve missed the point; it’s unrealistic to define extensive touring as every single region. The majority of Muse’s touring since Drones has been in the US which I just thought was interesting as in the past they’ve covered more regions and always done an Australian tour! Whereas this time around they didn’t bother and did extra US shows. So clearly they are trying to keep up their appeal in the US and see it as key to stay popular there.

[PlugInYorkie]

How many songs by Kendrick Lamar have you heard in your lifetime?

 

Far too many

 

I really tried to get into him and embrace the hype but it’s just not my thing and I see no reason to get excited about his music.

[FabriPav]

So Kendrick is generic and overhyped, while the new AM could very well be a gamechanging album

[Jobby]

and you’re having a laugh if you seriously think kendrick is less generic than arctic monkeys!

 

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[PlugInYorkie]

So Kendrick is generic and overhyped, while the new AM could very well be a gamechanging album

 

There is every reason it could potentially be a great album! Arctic Monkeys have gone missing for a while now and kept things very quiet so it’s not like they are coming into this new record with a big hype train.

Alex Turner is brilliant lyrically and I’m confident he’ll deliver something better than the last album.

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

Yeah... Damnit.

 

 

 

Genre hopping at least gives us the potential for a couple of good songs in with the trash.

 

So pessimistic.

Even if all the first three/four singles are duff, if they decide to settle on maximum amount of songs they claimed (12) for the , we'd still have 8/9 songs to look out to.

Between Algorythm being a piano-driven song, The Dark Side being the band's current favourite one, and the "Herrmann-like" strings mentioned in that IG post, I'm still looking forward to what they could do, "traditional song structures" or not.

Edited March 20, 2018 by MartianSpaghettiRider

[Hat]

It’s not an insult nor intended; it’s just a fact that Muse don’t fit in with what’s popular in the mainstream music market nowadays and whether their sound is pop or rock it doesn’t seem to matter.

 

And you’re having a laugh if you seriously think Kendrick is less generic than Arctic Monkeys!

But then what's the point in even adding the word mainstream here: "I’d rather watch paint dry then listen to literally the same song every time from overhyped mainstream artists like that"? Seems kind of pointless otherwise.

 

Far too many

 

I really tried to get into him and embrace the hype but it’s just not my thing and I see no reason to get excited about his music.

And you don't need to like it. I personally only like 'To Pimp A Butterfly'. But not liking it is not the same as calling it generic, a word which you seem to use as a synonym for "music I find boring". You can dislike Lamar all you want, but what he does still isn't generic.

[PlugInYorkie]

But then what's the point in even adding the word mainstream here: "I’d rather watch paint dry then listen to literally the same song every time from overhyped mainstream artists like that"? Seems kind of pointless otherwise. [\QUOTE]

 

Because what’s become mainstream nowadays is generally quite generic? It’s not like popular music right now is particularly imaginative or gamechanging.

 

And you don't need to like it. I personally only like 'To Pimp A Butterfly'. But not liking it is not the same as calling it generic, a word which you seem to use as a synonym for "music I find boring". You can dislike Lamar all you want, but what he does still isn't generic.

 

I found it boring because it was so damn generic. It’s just a seemingly random beat (like the stuff Kanye fooled around with on Yeezus) every damn time and the same typical rap lyrics thrown onto the beat...delivered almost spoken word by a man who has no real fire or anything interesting or unique about his vocal delivery.

 

People saying the guy is the greatest clearly never listened to decent rap music.

[Hat]

Kendrick Lamar is praised by huge rappers and long-time rap fans alike. But I guess you see through all of that and can tell that it's just random beats and typical rap lyrics. Although to be honest I don't doubt that that's what you hear when you listen to a song like Institutionalized.

 

And no, mainstream music isn't game changing. That's not really how it works. And it's not really a realistic expectation to have on music. Especially not as an Arctic Monkeys fan.