And wait till you hear Defector and The Globalist.
Oscar J · Member since
They're not as good, me thinks. The Handler is the best of the bunch.
The Real Wizard · Member since
Ignore this post ... there's a better version below.
The Real Wizard · Member since
I'm happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed the new album. Definitely their best since Black Holes and Revelations. The concept of rediscovering oneself in the midst of delegating tasks to drones is wonderful and timely. Matt Bellamy has furthered himself as a poet, getting in touch with the human condition deeper and deeper with each passing record.
I'm still not a fan of the track Psycho on its own, but in the vein of the record it is a vital organ. Muse are almost parodying itself with the style, but that's the point - this track isn't the one that's supposed to be treading new ground. It's the one that the protagonist is rebelling against.
The last track in particular, the title track of Drones, an Eric Whitacre style piece of choral music, is the single most interesting thing to happen in popular music possibly in decades. A chorus for the fallen after the dictator has unleashed his fury, not unlike the Soon section of The Gates of Delirium by Yes from the Relayer album.
Everyone remotely interested in rock music should be aware of the fact that Muse is setting the trends for what can be done.
Just like Queen once did.
Muse are by far the most interesting rock band in the world right now. They've been making great records for 15 years now - I honestly didn't think they'd be able to keep up, and with no changes in membership. Most bands this prolific crash and burn by now.
The Real Wizard · Member since
I've been having fun with the multi-tracks from the Rock Band games, and there are a few Muse tunes in there.
Simply due to the excessive compression in the majority of today's popular music thanks to the loudness war orgy, even a cursory amount of time spent on a mix when you have the right tools (i.e. the master tapes!) can result in something that sounds 10x better than the album, where everything can breathe and be heard.
With that delightful thought in mind, here's my mix of Butterflies And Hurricanes. Curious to hear your thoughts.
I just may do a few more of these.
Cheers,
Wiz
The Real Wizard · Member since
And just for fun, enjoy the sheer beauty of the backing vocals and strings on Butterflies And Hurricanes.
Oscar J · Member since
Matt Bellamy is a great musician, but I very much disagree about Bellamy reaching new levels of poetry here. While the concept had potential, the execution of it is hamfisted, over-explicit and overall heavy handed. "Mercy" ended up sounding like a Disney song more than anything else.
There are a couple of jewels in there, but the album as a whole isn't all that great by Muse standards. Could have been so much more with more finesse to the lyrics and one or two more strong tracks.
Mr.Jingles · Member since
I don't particularly consider 'Drones' better than 'The 2nd Law'. There are some aspects that show improvement, but overall I'd say it's just as good. Both are definitely better than 'The Resistance', which I consider their weakest album.
My main problem with 'Drones' is that is not as heavy as they claimed it was going to be. I guess hardcore Muse fans like myself crave for some of those heavy riffs from the earlier albums, and while this is the heaviest of the past few albums, it kinda boggles me how the album starts as a heavy guitar oriented album and then along the middle it starts to sound more like musical. I know this turned out to be some type of 'The Wall' / rock opera type of album, but I guess my expectations led me somewhere else The lyrics are sort of lame at times, which has always been their main weakness. However, from my own perspective less than average lyrics can be ignored by great music.
BEST TRACKS:
- 'The Handler'.... all the elements that make Muse are great band are here. This could well be one of the Top 10 Muse songs so far.
- 'The Globalist'... love the Ennio Morricone type of intro. Middle riff totally kicks ass and one of the most amazing they've ever done.
- 'Defector'... some Queen elements to appreciate on this one, but unlike 'United States of Eurasia' this one doesn't sound too cheesy and over the top.
- 'Dead Inside'... here's a good example of how to sound retro without sounding like a rip-off. Amazing 80s new wave sound, and yet original in it's own way.
WORST TRACKS:
- 'Aftermath'... this sounds like a filler song from a Bon Jovi album.
- 'Mercy'... Meh.
- 'Reapers'... I have a hard time liking a song that sounds too much like something that has been done before, even if it sounds good. The beginning sounds too much like 'Hot For Teacher', and the ending riff is indeed amazing, but it sounds way too much like 'Freedom' from RATM. Not to mention that the middle verse sounds like Madonna's 'Express Yourself'.
Doga · Member since
They are going to release a new 4K movie, filmed in the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles, and (hopefully) featuring songs like Hyper Music, Bliss or Assassin.
Uprising was released as teaser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO7k53pXw-o
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And by the way, i love that new mix of B&H.
Bo Alex · Member since
The Handler is their best song in years. I really like Drones, but I was expecting an overall more heavier album. But my expectations are always high with Muse. I think their creative peak was the trilogy Origin Of Symmetry, Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations. Something similar with the Queen period of 1974/76 (from Queen II to Races). So I guess we have to wait for their Innuendo, I mean a full back to form later in their career.
By the way, I loved your mixs Wizard! Please continue the nice work!
And a fine show, with The Groove, Citizen Erased and Supremacy. They still don't play Defector or The Globalist,though, must be the catch for the arena tour.
[QUOTE] [b]Doga wrote:[/b]By the way, the Mayan movie in 720p in Vimeo [url=http://vimeo.com/133588666]http://vimeo.com/133588666[/url][/QUOTE] Thanks, I downloaded and it looks great on my TV.