Album Rating: 3.0

First spin : 3/5. Hubby and I think it is nostalgic but they can’t figure out who they want to be. The common issue for albums post BHAR. The middle is the best (5-8). The first four tracks are kinda all over the place. Cryogen is too pandering imo. The last two are trash imo especially the closer. Feels anticlimactic to me. In terms of Muse post BHAR, it is their best since Resistance IMO. Too many ballads that want to build up. Queen worship like usual. What you would come to expect with Muse post-Absolution.

Album Rating: 3.0

Nice review - I am in big agreement about the similarities between 'Hexagon' and 'The Handler' from 'Drones'; and it's definitely one of the stronger songs on the album, though it suffers from being a bit too meek, and lacking the bombast of some of the more charismatic songs.



Also after a first listen - it's a middle-of-the-road album for me. Very hit and miss, and for most songs for me, they live and die on how well the vocals and lyrics land.



I was incredibly pleasantly surprised by how good Ellie Goulding worked in 'Hush' - easily the highlight of the album for me and probably one of the best songs they've written in decades (in addition to 'Verona', 'The Handler', 'Animals' all of the Exogenesis' suite). I think the album really would've benefitted from more vocal collaborations in songs where Matt seems to be struggling vocally (like 'Be With You', as much as I enjoy it).



However, there are some really, really foul songs on this album which I pin the blame solely on Bellamy. The lyricism of 'Cryogen' (whilst it wears the skin of 'Plug-In Baby') and the sleazy vocal delivery in 'The Sickness In You and I' made me physically cringe.



If the album gets an instrumental-only release, I'd happily listen to it on the regular, but as it stands - it's probably just 'Hush', 'Be With You' and 'Hexagons' that I'll give time for again.

Album Rating: 3.0

Also just seen Dylan620's comment - big agreement in that Bellamy does seem to be struggling vocally here

Album Rating: 4.0

Imma be real. I never thought I would love a Muse album ever again. But holy shit this actually rules.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

I'm almost ready to call this Muse's third best

The line cook at my job is obsessed with this band and I said I’d eat my shoe if this record was good… are you fuckers telling me this record isn’t just good but damn good??

Black holes will always be my favourite but thats probably more because it’s when I discovered them.

I can’t think of a more disappointing album release than bringing the resistance home on CD after work when it released and slowly realising it was actually shit. They really never got it back after that one.

Album Rating: 3.0

@Wildcard - my view is that some of this is copium/relativism because the last string of albums were pretty bad. When listening to this with my sister, our reactions to many of the songs on this album are that they are "competent" or "nothing was wrong with it"

Album Rating: 2.0

'I'm almost ready to call this Muse's third best'



[2]

Album Rating: 4.5

I listened to this and BHAR in succession and I'd call them about equal. But that's just me.



Black Holes has phenomenal peaks...but more filler. This one is just consistently great.

Album Rating: 4.0

Sowing, you can't change the order of Hexagons - Sickness - Unravelling. The transitions into and out of Sickness are perfect. Aside from that, love your tracklist; Shimmering Scars at 3 doesn't work for me.

Album Rating: 4.5

Nice, glad you like the ordering! I'll have to back track and see what you mean, because I'm sure you have a point. I actually really liked how Hexagons' outro mimics the beginning of Unravelling, which is what compelled me to place things where I did.

Album Rating: 4.0

Haha! I'll listen to it like that and see how it works too.

Edit: It does work - Hexagons into Unravelling anyway...

Album Rating: 4.0

There are 0 songs I dislike here. I will say I don't love Hexagons as much as everyone else. Love the intro but I feel like the rest of it lacks momentum.



Favorite probably still Unraveling because I love when they go heavier. Love Shimmering Scars and Nightshift Superstar as well.