Thoughts and Aspirations on the MUSE:Resistance album

MUSE:THE RESISTANCE

It's been quite a while since I updated my blog.
But with the release of the new MUSE album (one of my fav. bands...if not my fav.)
I decided it was high time i get my opinion and say out in the open.

Its been a little over 3years since Muse released a new full studio album ( Previous album: Black Holes and Revelations was released on 3 July 2006 in UK )

Was one of those albums you just love from the start and the more you listen the better it gets !
With tracks like Black Holes, Starlight and Invincible that set the stage for another great performance and album from the legendary UK rockers !

14 September 2009 saw the release of their latest addition to a string of allready awesome albums.
This one is called The Resistance, and talks much about Conspiracies, Love and how the people gets controlled by the Governments and everything else.

MUSE also explored a diffrent style and route with this album.Instead of the heavy riffs,insane Guitar solos, all together with the weird, but understanding and meaningfull lyrics, now gets replaced with a more classical feel and sound.

MUSE frontman Matt Bellamy stated that "Muse is always trying to re invent themselves." and this time they decided to go a diffrent route and try a more classical approach.

U can go as far as to say as this is a classical rock journey !

After listening through the whole album, it didin't immediatally shock me in aw. Or take my breath away, while shouting this is how the best band in the World sounds ! Awesome !  (Like with previous albums.) No.....I must say I was a little disappointed.

For as I mentioned this is totally different from their previous work.
But never the less it's a MUSE album and you can be sure of it, that somewhere on it their is bound to be something awesome !!!  Something worth listening.Even if you're not a fan.

I listened to the songs a couple of times more. And will give you my opinion review of each.
Below is the Tracklist.

Tracklist

1.Uprising
2.The Resistance
3.Undeclosed Desires
4.United States of Eurasia + Collateral Damage
5.Guiding Light
6.Unaturual Selection
7.MK Ultra
8.I belong to you
9.Excogenesis Symphony: Pt 1. (Overture)
10.Excogenesis Symphony: Pt.2 (Cross Pllination)
11.Excogenesis Symphony: Pt.3 (Redemption)

Uprising

The first single from the the CD.
And what an opener. Played so much on the radio,and yet never get tired of hearing it.
The lyrics in this song cleary states, Join us ! Join the Resistance ! Say no to the mind control !
"They will not force us, they will not control us ! We will be victorious !!! "
Simply awesome ! and done like only MUSE can.

The Resistance

The piano so classically played and mixed into some MUSE songs, makes it's debut return here.
Before bursting out with "Love is our resistance"  not long after.
A truly uplifting song, and should be one of those timeless classics live. Where "Urpsing" was a track to convince you why to join. The track "Resistance" tells you why.
"Is our secret safe tonight ! Love is our Resistance ! They'll keep us apart and they won't stop breaking us down !"

Undeclosed Desires.
This track sounds a lot like Depeche Mode, and  has Depeche mode R & B sound and feel to it.

United States of Eurasia + Collateral Damage.

The first track to be released on the net.
With a little mix of Lawrence of Arabia, speaks of the joining of Europe and Asia and is inspired by the 1984 Novel.***
One of those tracks you don't immediatally fall in love with.This is one im gonna have to listen to a few times, before I can truly say. I like it !

*** In a pre-release interview featured in the August edition of music magazine Mojo, vocalist and guitarist Matthew Bellamy reveals the song to be inspired by "a book called The Grand Chessboard by Zbigniew Brzezinski," explaining that "Brzezinski has the viewpoint that the Eurasian landmass, ie Europe, Asia and the Middle East, needs to be controlled by America to secure the oil supply."^[6] Bellamy goes on to suggest that the song is also influenced by George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.


Guiding Light

What a song ! Talks about one that strays from the path. " No Guiding light left inside ! "
In this song there is a bit of the return of the frontmans famous solo's. Not as as aggressive as the solo of Invincible or Plug in Baby.
But none the less has a special kind of uniqueness to it that makes you just appreciate it even more, the more you hear it.
A very slow and gentle song, much compared to Blackout, Soldiers Poem and perhaps Starlight, and defininatally one of those "take out the lighters and cellphones" and sway them side to side in the air.

Unnatural Selection
All about a protest, demanding the truth !
Great song  !

MK Ultra

After Uprising the heaviest track on the album. Starts and ends with a huge riff.
More comparable to some of their older work and songs.
"MK Ultra’ continues themes introduced in songs like ‘Ruled By Secrecy’ (‘Absolution’). It may or may not tackle a covert 1950’s CIA mind-control and chemical interrogation research program - depending on who is reading this. "


I belong to you

You van almost feel the precencse of Maroon 5 in this song. Muse attemps a love song for the new Album.
Half way through the song Matt switches over to master the French accent.
But im sorry to say, this is my least favourite song on the album,and songs like Unintended,Sing for Absolution and Starlight
was far better love songs in my opinion. They say " I belong to you." or want to belong to you sooo much better.

The Excogenesis Symphony

WoW ! WoW ! WoW ! Amazing ! Awesome ! Unbelievably good !.....Heck there aint enough words in the English language to describe this 3 part symphonic track.

Ive been waiting to hear this the moment I heard they were planning it and will feature on the new album.

This 3 part track, is the reason I wanted to go buy the album, and the best of all it's composed and put together and arranged by Matt Bellamy himself, and too years to finish.
It can only be described as a 12min classical space rock, apocolyptic journey & return.

And together with the colaboration of the Orchestra, makes this epic piece of musical masterpiece, any classical music lover will love. A piece of music MUSE can be proud of, no other Rock band will equal this.

The Excogenesis Symphony:Pt 1 (Overture)

The start of the symphony.An incredibly dark.....eerie and creepy feel to this track. A sinister piece of music that creates images of an apocolypse in your mind. A desolate warzone ! Call it the rise and fall of Earth. The destruction of a planet.
You can't really hear what Matt sings in this...It just creeps into your heart and boggles your mind right from the start.
I love it !!!

Excogenesis Symphony Pt.2: Cross Pollination

Piano tracks accompany the Overture ands fades over and signifies the start of cross polination.
The journey of leaving the destructive,apocolyptic desolate plane and place created by Overture,
To go and find a new hope, a new beginning. Flawelessly sweeping across the Universe.
Ever seeking, for that litte place we can call home again.
Matt sings: " You must rescue us all."
A plea to an unknown saviour. A call for help.
To escape and seek refuge from all those responsible for bringing chaos & destruction to the planet.

The Excogenesis Symphony Pt3: Redemption

Separated by only a slight pause.
And then the start of the finale of finales.
The planet is gone.Matt singing: "Let's start over again."
A beautifull grand finale to end the symphony & album.
A settlement on a new planet a new start. A message to all.

And to quote a few lines from a fellow fan and reviewer: "With enough conviction that you could be convinced were all to take up our flight sticks and click in place our seatbelts on a spaceship which will take us to a brighter future."

"The whole Excogenesis is incredibly moving ,and if u arnt moved or stirred by it ,you couldent possibly have a soul.
It's staggerlingly beautifull !!! and left me shaken."

Final Thoughts

The Resistance is definitally something diffrent from their previous work. Muse went out & tried something different.
Some will love, others may be a little dissapointed ,and won't put and rate this as the MUSE album to get.
But love or hate this is a truly amazing album, and shows us yet again what truly great musicians MUSE are.
Be it rock, or classical or a collaboration of both.Symphony's or heavy solos and riffs.
The Trio from Devon will never sease to amaze.

I would like to se them return to a more heavilly Origin of Symetry, Absolution style album after this.
Simply loved those, and never get tired of hearing the weird and aspiring lyrics, solo's & riffs, like only Matt Bellamy can.

Im gonna close of by saying, that even if your not a fan.
Go and listen to this and take the journey. There's bound to be a song you will like and if not...just go and listen to the Excogenesis Symphony.
Well done Matt, Dom & Chris on another great album !!!
And well done Matt on the completion of Excogenesis. Truly an epic piece of Musical Masterpiece.
Proves again......Muse is the best band in the World.
Feel sorry for those that fail to see it and not like at least one of their songs !