Author Topic: [Music] Muse - The Resistance  (Read 3236 times)

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Offline setrataeso

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[Music] Muse - The Resistance
« on: October 13, 2009, 11:06:50 PM »
Artist: Muse
Album: The Resistance
Genre: Prog Rock / Alt Rock
Release: 2009


Since Origin of Symmetry, Muse has had to live in the shadow of Radiohead, often cited as a direct copycat of their British alt-rock predecessors. Absolution fell to the same fate. It was not until Black Holes and Revelations that Muse began to emerge as a viable threat to Radiohead's reign of alternative rock. Since then, Muse has gained more respect from listeners and critics alike for their ability to distinguish themselves from not only artists that influenced them, but also their past work. The breakthrough of Black Holes inevitably led to the next, bigger step; The Resistance. Does The Resistance live up to expectations? Read on...

The Resistance starts off on a bit of an odd foot. The very Marylin Manson-style bass/key combo kicks into Uprising, the first track and first single from The Resistance. The fist-pumping beat is separated by softer, Bellamy-driven choruses that sum up the entire album's premise; "They will not control us...We will be victorious." The Resistance is all about, you guessed it, resisting authority. The unique thing is how Bellamy approaches the subject. Unlike the typical Green Day-esque method of pointing the finger at the president and saying "That a**hole is the problem", Muse uses more natural ways of resisting. In short, The Resistance is about love. Not the media influenced, cardboard-cutout love; this is real and raw. Muse's love is their resistance as the title track puts it.

Resistance is a real feat. For a song under 6 minutes, Muse managed to make it feel like an entire epic, featuring intricate musical breaks, singing of the most grandiose form, and yet doesn't feel like it overstays its welcome. Undisclosed Desires will likely turn into a highly debated song from fans. Some may see it as a takeoff on Supermassive Black Hole as the more "dance club" song off the album, while others may feel the reliance on the Timbaland-ish beat undermines the lyrical content and will snub it for that. I personally love the song and would likely call it my favourite from the album, owing the catchyness, and unique feel.

Many fans of Queen will quickly see much of Freddy Mercury's singing style leaking into Bellamy's voice in United States of Eurasia. Compile that with the Chopin tribute at the end of the song, and Eurasia begins to feel overinspired. What United States of Eurasia does right is set up the Exogenesis suite to appear later in the CD. Eurasia features string arrangements and the most epic moment since maybe Knights of Cydonia. Also, Bellamy belts the falsettos better than ever at the chanting section.

The middle drags a bit, but still features a few good moments. Guiding Light is a nice break from the intensity of Eurasia, set up nicely by the Chopin piano bit. However, it does little to impress and feels like a negligible 4 minutes. Unnatural Selection is a very well written piece, with some great riffs, and a rocking ending. However, at 6:55 it feels too long for its own good. MK Ultra is easily the weakest piece, and it feels too much like Origin-era Muse. This song could have been cut and I would have had no complaints. The final isolated song is I Belong To You / Mon Coeur S'ouvre a ta Voix. The part-english, part-french song is very groovy, and follows The Resistance and Undisclosed Desires lyrical content about love. This song is purely a heartfelt "I Love You" song. Of course the French lyrics do plenty to differentiate itself from the other songs, but even without it the song is great, owing in no small part to the Enrico Gabrielli clarinet solo near the end.

Finally, the Exogenesis Symphony arrives. Fans have been eagerly awaiting Muse's first true epic. Exogenesis is split into 3 parts: Overture, Cross Pollination. and Redemption. With Overture, you get exactly what you'd expect; an introduction to the ambiance and musical ideas present in the symphony. Overture takes its sweet time gaining momentum, and before you know it, you're listening to Cross Pollination. Cross Pollination is one of Muse's most bombastic pieces, bookending itself with piano pieces. Like Overture, Cross Pollination takes its time getting into the swing of things, and right when it picks up, its over. Redemption is a more thoughtful piece, and builds to a monumental ending, and gracefully fades away. As a three-part pieces, Exogenesis works fairly well. It will be the classical buffs who will be more attracted to the symphonic finale to The Resistance. As separate tracks, Exogenesis doesn't work very well. The symphony relies on momentum rising and falling. If one was to listen to the songs separately, there would be only rise or fall, no chance for momentum to change. I like the direction Muse took with their first epic, however it needs more finesse in order to achieve the greatness of their other work. Exogenesis was not what I was expecting; it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the standout piece, either.

One noticable difference from previous Muse records is the lesser reliance on guitar. Bellamy is more often at the piano than holding the axe, as more songs tend to take the symphonic route of composition. I harbour no complaints, though, as Bellamy is just as skilled on the keys as he is at the guitar, and plays with just as much vigour.

I found the Resistance to be a real treat, espcially following Black Holes and Revelations. While I still find Black Holes is the superior record, The Resistance holds a very close second. The Resistance has higher highs and lower lows, feels like a bigger album than the previous one. While it doesn't feature anything quite as perfect as Map of the Problematique, The Resistance brings several fantastic songs to the catalog, and many will exciting to see live. Like Black Holes, The Resistance takes a lot of risks, and capitalizes on many of them.

Standouts:
Uprising - A great opener, and features a great groove.
Resistance - Muse's most musically filling song yet. Every second is filled with great music from 0:00 to 5:47.
Undisclosed Desires - Great beat, cool lyrics, and a departure from what many might come to expect from Muse.
I Belong to You / Mon Coeur S'ouvre a ta Voix - A beautiful love ballad with a sweet clarinet solo spot. French lyrics included.

Burnouts:
Guiding Light - Nothing particularily engaging here. A nice ballad, but not up to standard.
MK Ultra - Unnecessary addition to the album. Far too similar to old Muse.

Checkouts:
United States of Eurasia - Despite the blatant Queen influence, still worth a look. The Chopin piece at the end is testament to Bellamy's skill on the piano.
Unnatural Selection - This song mostly suffers from poor placement. Had it been at the beginning or end, it would have fared better. Being in the middle it gets crowded in with the weaker songs. Feels a bit too long at times.
Exogenesis Symphony - Many will not enjoy the classically-based space-epic. Those who have the patience will find a flawed, yet beautifully-crafted suite. Just don't listen to the pieces separately.


9/10
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Setra, I think that is the best statement I have read on this forum.  Very well said.

Offline shadowfex

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Re: [Music] Muse - The Resistance
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2009, 08:07:50 AM »
Good review, I agree the album is a treat! i disagree that MK Ultra is a burnout track though. It would be one of my favourites off the album.
"Once he had forests and mountains that were only his - listening to him. Once he would run through the summer days catching memories for ages to come. Now he is dressing this naked floor with his flesh and blood, and time passes by. His trade of pain might just have lead him to deal with consequence for some change as time passes by"

Offline Space Invader

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Re: [Music] Muse - The Resistance
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2009, 04:39:36 PM »
Good review, I agree the album is a treat! i disagree that MK Ultra is a burnout track though. It would be one of my favourites off the album.

THIS!
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Offline setrataeso

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Re: [Music] Muse - The Resistance
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2009, 09:21:48 PM »
Bah!
Do not want.
But overall I thought the album was tremendous.
NEW REVIEW: Lady Gaga - Born This Way
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=25343.0

Setra, I think that is the best statement I have read on this forum.  Very well said.

Offline Quadrochosis

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Re: [Music] Muse - The Resistance
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2009, 10:27:07 AM »
Good review, I agree the album is a treat! i disagree that MK Ultra is a burnout track though. It would be one of my favourites off the album.

This, so far my favorite tracks are "Undisclosed Desires" and "United States of Eurasia"
space cadet, pull out.
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