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Muse peaked at Absolution?


Novus Dies

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I don't think you can say anything about where a peak is, since they haven't hung it up yet.

 

Good point! My immediate reaction as well is - no way did they peak at Absolution. They have continued to experiment and develop since then. Indeed Exogenesis is a good example of this.

 

It really is down to personal taste and nothing else! I think each individual album is special for it's own individual reasons. I agree with those who say Showbiz is much too low on the graph drawing. I love Showbiz, even if the band weren't that happy with it themselves.

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Here is a hideous, not-to-scale graph which illustrates how I feel about the difference in quality between Muse albums:

 

musegraph.jpg

 

If the curve continues, we could see another OoS-level album next. Of course, it doesn't work like that in real life. :p

 

Haha that's an epic graph :LOL:

 

I don't think it's fair to say they've peaked just yet, but there's been a definite slope since Black Holes (in my opinion). The ratio of great songs to mediocre ones is a bit alarming to me. They've had experimentation and creativity on their side since day one, but the newer songs just don't have the same touch as the older ones. The Resistance feels a bit half-baked to me.

 

I think, so far, they've reached a plateau from 2001-2004.

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They just came out with Exogenesis. A band who is 'past its peak' and comes out with something like that, is definitely NOT 'past its peak'.

 

It's nothing I expected it to be. If you use the words symphonic monster you better fucking mean it.

 

We won't see another OoS, we'll see more pop rock like Uprising, SMBH, and the odd riff in the future.

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It's nothing I expected it to be. If you use the words symphonic monster you better fucking mean it.

 

 

What were you expecting from it then? I mean "symphonic monster" isn't actually a clear definition. It's subjective and doesn't spell it out. Exogenesis is very different by rock/pop standards and can easily be described as a "monster" due to it taking up three tracks (and, you know, I reckon there was an element of tongue in cheek there - that's how people speak. Muse often speak with tongue firmly planted in cheek, that's how they are) and blimey, it's pretty special. I think it's absolutely beautiful.

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Part 1 is good but part 2 and 3 are just ballads with some string arranging, albeit weak, thrown in there.....at Muse standards that's a let down for me....

 

not that I hate listening to it.

 

I think the piano pieces are pretty special! And the strings complement that. So many people have been completely wowed by it. It's a really emotional piece imo. I don't think the string arrangements are weak at all, and they are arranged by Matt which makes it all the more special because it's something that's totally new to him and it's totally the work of Muse. Part's 2 and 3 aren't ballads, not by my definition either. There's nothing wrong with your interpretation because it's your's and how you perceive it, but it doesn't make it factual.

 

Perhaps if all rock and pop musicians were only allowed to use their own work, Matt's accomplishment would be more defined, because I think the use of this kind of orchestral instrumental would then be a thing of the past!

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We won't see another OoS

 

Good. I don't want to pay for it twice.

 

Of course they won't make another OoS. That's in the distant past now. But Muse have surprised me enough times - including in The Resistance - that I think they're more than capable of creating something totally different from OoS that could still easily rival it.

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At the moment it seems like all of their kick-ass performances were during the Absolution era.. personally my favourite era. Why?

 

Fury - Orleans France - Matt's got some amazing growl in there and the end of the song instead of singing it he does the falsetto you hear in the background of the end of Fury.

 

Fury - Wiltern Theater - Compare it to Royal Albert's performance and this one destroys it. Absolutely destroys it. Way more energy. The one they did at Royal Albert's made them look old and tired.

 

Stockholm Syndrome - Earl's Court - Amazing. The stockholm scream is amazing and he still used the distortion on his voice. The end riffs are their classic closers and this one was full of energy. Compare it to Wembley, where his voice sounded like garbage and there was too much unpleasant noise at the end. No stockholm scream either.

 

Earls Court as a whole was incredible, same with Glastonbury,

The Groove in the States video is probably one of my favourites to watch.

 

Compare all of their Absolution gigs to Post-Absolution (except maybe 2006, early BH&R touring) they look pretty tired and just kind of going through the motions. I'm hoping that just because it's the beginning of the Resistance tour it's like that and that they'll step up their game by a bit next year.

 

Still great to see live though I'm sure.

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Absolution may have been the peak of their 'rock' side, but I don't think it was the peak of Muse.

 

I completely agree. What most people like about absolution, I think, is Muse "experimenting" with hard rock and metal. Hysteria, Time is running out, Thoughts of a dying Atheist, Stockholm syndrome and The small print are fabulous rock tracks that you can give to anyone who listens to rock and they will enjoy it.

 

I think a lot of people consider Absolution to be its peak because they consider Muse to be a rock/hard rock band, so any music they create that isn't rock or hard rock is them deviating and experimenting, and will have to prove itself far more than any other rock track in order to be considered excellent.

 

So I agree. Just wait until you see Exogenesis live. Just wait until Muse finds another source of inspiration to rest at and circle about. Just wait 'till in 2 years where we're all talking about the highlights from the Resistance tour, and all the cool stuff that happened there. I think that, just as with a wine, Muse only gets better as it ages. :)

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Here is a hideous, not-to-scale graph which illustrates how I feel about the difference in quality between Muse albums:

 

musegraph.jpg

 

If the curve continues, we could see another OoS-level album next. Of course, it doesn't work like that in real life. :p

 

Exactly how I see it.

 

OOS-Absolution era was the best but TR is at least a step up from BHAR.

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Here is a hideous, not-to-scale graph which illustrates how I feel about the difference in quality between Muse albums:

 

musegraph.jpg

 

If the curve continues, we could see another OoS-level album next. Of course, it doesn't work like that in real life. :p

I like how on the graph from Origin to Resistance the trend line makes a smiley face. :happy:

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I think the piano pieces are pretty special! And the strings complement that. So many people have been completely wowed by it. It's a really emotional piece imo. I don't think the string arrangements are weak at all, and they are arranged by Matt which makes it all the more special because it's something that's totally new to him and it's totally the work of Muse. Part's 2 and 3 aren't ballads, not by my definition either. There's nothing wrong with your interpretation because it's your's and how you perceive it, but it doesn't make it factual.

 

Perhaps if all rock and pop musicians were only allowed to use their own work, Matt's accomplishment would be more defined, because I think the use of this kind of orchestral instrumental would then be a thing of the past!

 

Well, they are weak....City of Delusion, now THAT is how strings should be arranged :yesey: really complement the music rather than just filler instruments.

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Muse peaked in June 2002, when Dead Star was released and their gigs had the early versions of Apocalypse Please, Hysteria, TSP and the Stockholm Jam :happy:

Pretty much agree with this, although I'd say they sustained this peak until the Glastonbury 2004 appearance. Then it fell.

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I completely agree. What most people like about absolution, I think, is Muse "experimenting" with hard rock and metal. Hysteria, Time is running out, Thoughts of a dying Atheist, Stockholm syndrome and The small print are fabulous rock tracks that you can give to anyone who listens to rock and they will enjoy it.

 

I think a lot of people consider Absolution to be its peak because they consider Muse to be a rock/hard rock band, so any music they create that isn't rock or hard rock is them deviating and experimenting, and will have to prove itself far more than any other rock track in order to be considered excellent.

 

So I agree. Just wait until you see Exogenesis live. Just wait until Muse finds another source of inspiration to rest at and circle about. Just wait 'till in 2 years where we're all talking about the highlights from the Resistance tour, and all the cool stuff that happened there. I think that, just as with a wine, Muse only gets better as it ages. :)

 

:yesey:

 

Agreed, except I'm not a big fan of The Small Print and ToaDA. heh

Honestly, I don't think I've ever liked Muse as much as I do now, so The Resistance era could easily become my favourite.

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