Written by Nick Smelser
The word “hype” is a dangerous but necessary demon in the music industry. If you have too little of it, your band falls into obscurity, and you amount to nothing special. But, if you get too much, you stand to disappoint your fans, and that can be a nail in your career’s coffin. This is the demon that Muse has been fighting ever since they announced they would be heading to the studio to make their next album.
It has been three years since any new material has been heard from the English trio. “The Resistance” is the much-anticipated follow up to the critically acclaimed “Black Holes and Revelations” album. Muse had a lot to live up to following such a market success, and they did not disappoint. The band, in fact, took their music to a whole new level of excellence.
I will admit that the first single off the record, “Uprising,” had me a bit worried about the album as a whole. The song gives off a much more poppy tone than past Muse hits. With a shuffle feel set by the drums and a steady bass pattern leading the harmony, it is up to Matthew Bellamy’s vocals to carry the song. This being said, it is a solid first single that does draws the curious listener into the album.
Muse is quick to shove off any ideas that this is a pop record as soon as the second song plays. The next song that needs to be brought up is “The United States Of Eurasia.” With a beautiful melodic piano intro, followed by accompanying synthesizers, Bellamy’s amazingly smooth voice carries the song to a strong Arabic-feeling interlude that sticks for the remainder of the song. The song feels like something out of a Queen album with the vocals creating chords all by themselves, and it ends with a brilliant piano concerto.
The next song is a brilliant throwback to an older Muse. “MK Ultra” feels like a throwback to Muse’s “Absolution” album. It is a beautiful mix of synths, strings, percussion and bass that carry the backup to the amazing vocal harmony that carries the song.
The final piece of music that must be mentioned is the masterpiece, the three-part symphony that closes out the album. There is not a part in this piece that stands out because all three are so brilliant. The first movement serves as an overture for the next two pieces. Since it is a symphony, there is more of a focus on strings and instruments than on vocals. This may seem risky, but Muse pulls it off beautifully. The second movement contains a fantastic piano piece with strings in the background. This movement contains more vocal melody than the previous movement. The simplistic feel of the piano does not last long as the drums, guitar and bass enter, and the song spirals until it somewhat fizzles out into another piano interlude. The last movement brings about rest and resolution to the piece. Much slower than the previous two movements, the song runs its course, and it slows into a final cadence between strings and piano.
This album blew my mind. I will admit that I went into listening to it with very low expectations and expected nothing more than a remake of “Black Holes and Revelations.” Muse proved me wrong. They made a fantastic record that is both classical and innovative. I hope they continue to make their amazing music so that I can be pleasantly surprised again.
