Search - Muse :: The Resistance

Unexpected, but very impressed with the guts this cd took to

M. Chris Billings | Indiana | 09/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been obsessed with Muse since Origin of Symmetry and I'll have to say this cd worried me when I first heard Uprising before it's release. First off, a little background for me. I play in an instrumental prog/experimental band and run a small recording studio. Other bands I adore are Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Opeth, Pink Floyd, Dredg, and Sigur Ros to name a few...



With that said, Absolution is my favorite Muse hands down. I was slightly bummed by the direction the last album took and was unsure of the future of Muse. HAARP rid me of my fears there.



The Resistance (after many listens) is a huge step in a new direction that they were only pointing at with Black Holes and Revelations. The problem with this album is its song placement and short length for this wide array of styles. If they wanted to really explore each of these areas and sounds, then I believe another 15 minutes or so divided between each style would help solidify this album and make it their cornerstone.



Uprising - This is a good track but no way to start off the cd. This song does not represent the rest of the album at all even if it is powerful and catchy with a great sing-along chorus



The Resistance - The first track that caught my ears on the cd, the title track is definitely a standout with an even balance of creativity and catchiness. I relate this track to Map of the Problematique off their last cd, until the prechorus where it reverts into a style not heard since Absolution. Great bass work on this song.



Undisclosed Desires - the most underrated track on the cd. As poppy as this track seems on the first listen, it is an incredibly gutsy track to add to the disk.. This really reminds me of something from Thom Yorke's Eraser cd, on steroids...with a more glammy Matt Bellamy flair to it. I actually realllly like this track when I don't think of it in the context of the rest of the album. If there were some sort of lead in/out tracks for this it would possibly make more sense and be more at home on the album.



United States of Eurasia - Love this track. It has all those Muse elements that everyone has loved throughout their career. There is the definite Queen influence here, but it was just as noticeable on Knights of Cydonia... Never-the-less its still an amazingly good and epic track. What other rock band uses Chopin? seriously people...



Guiding Light - Eh, it's ok. By no means a bad track, but nothing i'm going to write home about. It does its job.. fill the spot after United States of Eurasia when you are still thinking...what the hell just happened?!?



Unnatural Selection - New Born?? catchy tho.



I Belong to You - A strong look at their earlier work with a fun break in the intensity, the French is a nice addition as well. Fun track.



Exogenesis Symphony - THIS IS THE MUSE I'VE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR! as the Overture begins I feel that there is something amazing getting ready to happen.. and it does.. from Matt Bellamy's own excellent orchestrations to the chord progression to his falsetto melody over the top.. this track is incredible. The second and third pieces are perfectly done as well. This is the set of tracks that should've been the big centerpiece to this album to really wow fans. Instead it is tacked on the end like some last minute stroke of genius.



If I were setting up the track listing here to make this a successful disk, here's what we'd be looking at



United States of Eurasia

Resistance

Guiding Light

Exogenesis Symphony 1,2,3

Uprising

MK Ultra

I Belong to You

Unnatural Selection



but thats just me.... however, after several listens, certain parts of this album are my favorite things Muse has ever done, other tracks could have at least been better placed..

I am pleased with this addition to my Muse collection and will continue to support one of the best bands the world has seen in a very long time."

Five for five

David Sleger | West Allis, WI | 10/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'd like to weigh in on this before overexposure utterly ruins this fine CD for me. It should come as no surprise that as muse grows in popularity their music becomes more mainstream. That is a hard and fast truth that has repeatedly been proven correct throughout the history of popular music. The pop radio sheen has been polished brightly for this record. THE RESISTANCE is not like SHOWBIZ or SYMETRY, two earlier recordings that typified their youth and exuberance whereby the song's inherent energy trumped production. But even then they appeared to possess a grander vision of where they're headed. Their penchant for a larger-than-life sound, and anthemic showstopper mentality was apparent as young up-and-comers. Given the breakthrough of ABSOLUTION and the overwhelming success of BLACK HOLES it's only natural that this album would continue in that path toward US stardom. Consequently, it's at this point in the progression that I usually lose interest in a given artist. But I couldn't resist. What works for this band since the beginning is a combination platter of loud, razor-sharp guitars, obtuse lyrics, rich, layered vocal harmonies and classically-infused (nocturne-like) piano passages. The latter are also the components that many detractors obsess upon. Isn't it curious that those who routinely resort to tired old cliches like self-indulgent, bombastic and pretentious when criticizing progressive and art rock are themselves guilty of self-indulgence, pretension and verbosity in their own writing and (more insidiously) in their thought process? They know better than the unwashed, uncultured masses.



This is simply another superbly artful endeavor by muse. Matthew Bellamy's ambiguous writing and showy playing is at the core of this band. He has endured the unjustifiable accustations of being a Thom Yorke ripoff, which have finally been silenced. Now it's Freddie Mercury and Brian May that he's beholden to. Well, he's certainly not the first artist to dare reveal his influences. It's that melting pot of experience, talent and influences that yield the most meaningful, enduring and controversial art.



I fully realize that this is the record that launches muse to new heights but since I don't listen to radio for music purposes I pray that I am at least partially insulated from the unfettered hype that is sure to ensue."

Almost didn't write this, but the other reviews made me laug

Niven | Indiana, US | 11/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Especially the one about "old-man emo". That was pretty funny. I'm an "old man" that has just recently discovered Muse (after hearing "Knights of Cydonia" on Guitar Hero when it first came out) and finding a lot to enjoy here. Part of the reason that Muse gets a bad rap is because 1. they sound so much like Queen and U2 (listen to "Map of the Problematique" again if you don't agree with the U2 reference), and 2. most of their stuff never makes it onto radio, at least not enough for DJ's to tell listeners who they are. This is a crying shame. Back in my day, we had "emo" too, except we called it "glam", and the artists were considered ground-breaking. It's too bad that we have degenerated into a society where we don't appreciate songs on the basis of whether or not we actually enjoy them - we have to analyze the details of their construction and bash every artist who emulates one of their glam-heyday heroes.



So is Resistance Muse's way of getting onto the radio? There's nothing wrong with this Muse CD - it might even be my favorite one by them if I had never heard Black Hole and Revelations - but it certainly represents a shift in how they view themselves and how they want the public to view them. This is a step in the direction of being less serious, and being more fun, in my opinion. My advice for the first-time listener is to embrace Black Holes, give this CD a shot if you decide you like what you hear there, and not dig too deep on The Resistance, since Muse will be what they want to be, and we (as listeners) should appreciate them for what they create. Long time listeners will want to read Chris Billings' review (above) for track info and comments, although I would have to say I place this CD just slightly ahead of Absolution for listen-ability."