ComfortComes

Review: Muse – The Resistance

Muse’s new album The Resistance has been one of the most highly anticipated albums this fall. If I had to describe this album in one word it would be ‘epic.’ Muse tries to outdo themselves with adding more of everything to The Resistance —more classical arrangements, more guitars, more electronic infusion, more of the epic-ness that has become Muse. Unfortunately it epic fails at topping their two previous albums. The Resistance starts off strong and ends strong, but somewhere in the middle things become a little forgettable. I can’t even remember what those songs sounded like and that’s never a good sign. Of course it’s not to say that those songs are bad, but they will never top the electrifying sounds of Absolution.

The first single “Uprising” is an infectious track and it’s exactly the type of song we expect from Muse. Rocking electronic sounds, a clap-along beat, and a catchy chorus makes this song easy to fall in love with. The political atmosphere continues on “Resistance” with a love that refuses to be torn apart. An eerie mood is set, like the quiet sounds one can expect after the world has ended. Love is Matthew Bellamy’s resistance and it’ll surpass even the hardest of times in this heartfelt song.

One aspect of this album that makes it both amazing, yet confusing, is the heavy incorporation of classical instruments and arrangements. “United States of
Eurasia (+ Collateral Damage)” slaps on a loosely based version of “Nocturne in E Flat Major” by Chopin to the end of the song. And of course we cannot forget the intensely epic fifteen minute symphony that spans across the last three tracks. These pieces of music are truly spectacular but I feel that either the entire album should have been a concept album or Muse should have stayed on course with the rest of The Resistance. If Muse decided to expand on “Exogenesis” and turn it into an entire album, I’d be the first one to buy it. These three tracks make the album worthwhile even if they do feel somewhat misplaced. Rock and classical music are two genres that need to spend more quality time together and Muse perfects this union. Enjoy the beginning of The Resistance and then skip on over to an explosive yet serene fifteen minutes of bliss.