Album Eight: Simulation Theory

[PlugInYorkie]

Muse are my favourite band ever but here I am way more excited for the new Arctic Monkeys album...this is a sad day as I’ve always been more hyped about muse! :/

[Aeterna]

Muse are my favourite band ever but here I am way more excited for the new Arctic Monkeys album...this is a sad day as I’ve always been more hyped about muse! :/

 

Sort of similar, but it's more curiosity for AM for me. I'm more excited for Muse's album as a whole, but it's further away, I know the general sound and style, and we've had a song every year from them since their last albums which was only three years ago. They seem to be more active than they've been in a looong time, which might be to stay in the public eye as I don't think they draw the attention that they used to.

 

AM, however, hasn't released any new material in five years, the album us out next month, and we have no idea what they'll sound like at all.

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

I think the new album will turn out to be at least a 7.

 

On the topic of being more excited for other band's albums, that happened to me last year. I got sucked into the five album releases from KGATLW, never been more hyped tbh.

[Jobby]

Sort of similar, but it's more curiosity for AM for me. I'm more excited for Muse's album as a whole, but it's further away, I know the general sound and style, and we've had a song every year from them since their last albums which was only three years ago. They seem to be more active than they've been in a looong time, which might be to stay in the public eye as I don't think they draw the attention that they used to.

 

AM, however, hasn't released any new material in five years, the album us out next month, and we have no idea what they'll sound like at all.

 

By the sounds of it, there’s gonna be a bunch of different sounds and styles so I’d say it’s pretty much impossible to have something in our heads at this point.

 

As for having a song out every year, one was a joke novelty cover for Halloween and the other was just a semi-accidentally premature start to this album. Doubt it has anything to do with staying in the public eye. This album cycle’s not really much different to others in terms of timeline/activity either tbh, we’re just getting singles while they’re still making the album as opposed to waiting closer to release.

[serpentsatellite]

I think it's definitely to stay in the public eye, and all the weird social media promotions as well.

They aren't at a period in their career where they can afford to risk people forgetting about them.

[Hat]

Honestly I think that's exactly what they need. Returning with a new single after a longer break will always get more attention than a new single every now and again. If Dig Down hadn't been released at all I'm sure that Thought Contagion would have received a lot more attention and listens. Now the buzz just kinda...fizzles out.

[Jobby]

I think it's definitely to stay in the public eye, and all the weird social media promotions as well.

They aren't at a period in their career where they can afford to risk people forgetting about them.

 

Really? I’d say that point ended around TR, personally. They could defo afford a few years of hiatus if they wanted imo.

 

Also, didn’t they change management or something fairly recently? Just remembered, that could explain the social media stuff.

[serpentsatellite]

I'm not saying I don't think they could use a break (although they're at an age where that might be problematic on its own) just that we're in an era where people's memories are getting shorter and shorter. Or I guess, rather, attention spans.

And it goes along with their trying to appeal to more "modern" genre fans, ditching guitar, etc.

 

We've known for a while they're courting new and more casual fans instead of their "hardcores" and the former need more consistent reminders.

[Jobby]

I think that’s defo true for younger acts, if you have success you have to build on it really quickly before you get forgotten, but once you’ve established yourself on such a high level for a decent number of years, you’re pretty safe.

 

Gotta disagree that they’re only interested in courting casual fans and that dropping guitar etc. has owt to do with that as well tbh. Their last album was pretty much purely fanservice for what they thought harcores had been asking for and now you’ve got these By Request gigs coming into the fold. The appealing to casuals thing just comes down to that mindset of wanting as much of the live audiences to be as responsive as possible and Matt’s been dropping guitar parts for nearly 10 years now for p much the same reason. Don’t think that drastically affects what they make or how they put it out. They’ve always been a band that’s primarily out to please themselves musically, as well as one that takes inspiration from modern trends and likes to stay relevant, but it seems mainly out of personal interest/drive as opposed to chasing sales numbers or owt imo.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Jobby

[serpentsatellite]

I was thinking more along the lines of putting out a track that reeks of Imagine Dragons/Fall Out Boy and talking about trap in interviews, really.

[Jobby]

I was thinking more along the lines of putting out a track that reeks of Imagine Dragons/Fall Out Boy and talking about trap in interviews, really.

 

I thought we were talking about the new release methods w/ singles?

 

Even then though, Dig Down was some 80s electronic gospel/glam rock amalgamation. Like I said, I don’t think they’re desperately chasing a mainstream audience w/ what they’re making, that’s just the scatterbrain approach they take to using their influences nowadays.

[Hat]

I'm not saying I don't think they could use a break (although they're at an age where that might be problematic on its own) just that we're in an era where people's memories are getting shorter and shorter. Or I guess, rather, attention spans.

I know you're not, but I really don't think Muse would suffer commercially from taking a break. As long as they're backed by a huge label, it doesn't matter if people forget about them, because they will show up in your feed anyway when the new single is released.

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

There's also such a thing as over saturation. Look at Rihanna, she was obviously worn out after constantly touring and releasing music. She left, came back a few years later, and there was a lot more hype surrounding her album then there would have been if she had not taken a break.

[Hat]

Yeah that was basically my point.

[serpentsatellite]

I thought we were talking about the new release methods w/ singles?

 

Well, that's certainly part of the parcel.

 

I just can't think of a reason to be doing things the way they're doing if it isn't because they think they need long term exposure.

And it fits with Matt talking about lessening the impact of guitar in his music because "that's the way things are going" instead of a person desire to try something new.

 

Another option of course is that other bands are doing quite a lot of this "very early singles before album" thing (although not quite on this long of a time line) but those bands (the ones I'm thinking of) tended to release songs earlier and more often because they were touring the entire time. I kind of expected that's why Dig Down existed for Muse, but then TC threw off that theory.

 

I know Matt's said he wants to release the "topical" songs while they're still relevant... but really, the topics aren't ones that are going to be irrelevant by the end of the year, and I want to hope Matt's not that naïve to think otherwise.

The songs really aren't that "topical" either, tbh. A bit vague to be such.

[Hat]

I definitely think they’re doing it because of long-term exposure. I just don’t think it’s a good thing. If anything it just makes people bored of them.

[EveryToilet]

There's also such a thing as over saturation. Look at Rihanna, she was obviously worn out after constantly touring and releasing music. She left, came back a few years later, and there was a lot more hype surrounding her album then there would have been if she had not taken a break.

I've never thought of it that way, actually but now that it's been put in this context, I kind of really want this. As much as I want #MoreMuseNao, it would be far more exciting for them to disappear for a bit and build up actual hype.

[forevermusic]

I was thinking more along the lines of putting out a track that reeks of Imagine Dragons/Fall Out Boy and talking about trap in interviews, really.

I'll be honest - I had no idea what trap is/was before TC appeared. Although I suspect I heard it in the background somewhere.

[PlugInYorkie]

At least the new Arctic Monkeys album will be great! Song titles are amazing and the little preview music sounded promising! I miss being this hyped for new Muse

[Jobby]

dude we get it you like arctic monkeys

[PlugInYorkie]

dude we get it you like arctic monkeys

 

Not much else musically exciting happening! Don’t see this new Muse track coming for 2 months?

[Jobby]

There’s tons of great music coming out all the time haven’t even kept up so far this year, probs well behind

 

New Muse single not until July/August-ish if I had to guess, yeah. Unless the band have alluded to a date and I’ve missed it. Plastic fan nowadays, me.

[PlugInYorkie]

There’s tons of great music coming out all the time haven’t even kept up so far this year, probs well behind

 

New Muse single not until July/August-ish if I had to guess, yeah. Unless the band have alluded to a date and I’ve missed it. Plastic fan nowadays, me.

 

I meant for Muse

 

I listened to the new 30STM album today...was absolutely horrendous and the final sign of it wasn’t already obvious that Jared Leto has permanently disappeared up his own backside and thinks he’s Jesus.

 

Listened to the new Alison Wonderland album that also came out today and that wasn’t much better...been a rough week musically besides a grain of hope this new Arctic Monkeys album can be something awesome!

 

Dig Down Contagion/The 3rd Law is an album that we already know will most likely disappoint us

[Bohemian-Cygnus-Running-Out]

I meant for Muse

 

I listened to the new 30STM album today...was absolutely horrendous and the final sign of it wasn’t already obvious that Jared Leto has permanently disappeared up his own backside and thinks he’s Jesus.

 

Listened to the new Alison Wonderland album that also came out today and that wasn’t much better...been a rough week musically besides a grain of hope this new Arctic Monkeys album can be something awesome!

 

Dig Down Contagion/The 3rd Law is an album that we already know will most likely disappoint us

 

There's still The Voidz and Jack White t listen to, that should drown out any memories of 30STM.

[serpentsatellite]

Wait, wait, wait... isn't the same person who told us off for talking about Drones and Abso the same one that's now made like 13 posts in here about Arctic Monkeys?