CD Reviews by Julie Schmerbeck
Muse - The Resistance (2009)
This is the fifth studio album released by the British Alternative Rock band. It was released in the UK and North American in September of 2009. It topped the charts in 19 countries and got to number 3 in the United States. It beat out it's previous album Black Holes and Revelations. The album has received much acclaim for it's ambition and it's classical musical influences. The album has a very developed sound and their sound continues to progress. The band produced their album and it was mixed by Mark Stent. Their first singled, Uprising, was released September 7 and their newest singled Undisclosed Desires was released on November 16.
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uprising | 5:02 |
| 2 | Resistance | 5:46 |
| 3 | Undisclosed Desires | 3:56 |
| 4 | United States of Eurasia + (Collateral Damage) | 5:47 |
| 5 | Guiding Light | 4:13 |
| 6 | Unnatural Selection | 6:54 |
| 7 | MK Ultra | 4:06 |
| 8 | I Belong to You + (Mon Coeur s'ouvre a ta Voix) | 5:38 |
| 9 | Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture) | 4:18 |
| 10 | Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination) | 3:56 |
| 11 | Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)" | 4:37 |
Mark Bellamy - lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, programming and production
Christopher Wolstenholme - bass, vocals, production
Dominic Howard - drums, percussion, synthesizers, programming and production
Source: Wikipedia
Source: Photo Courtesy BBC
My Opinion:
I purchased this album and I could not stop listening to it. I was mostly accustomed to the driving sythesized beats and rhythms that Muse is known for. However, I am a classically trained musician, so I could appreciate the Chopin influences. Actually, one of the classical pieces that comes out of United States of Eurasia + (Collateral Damage) was the first song I learned on the piano. The first time I listened, I was happy with a couple songs, but the whole album grew on me and now I cannot stop hearing the songs in my head. I have a lot of respect for musicians who are influenced by the classics and Muse has gone the extra mile to incorporate them into an alternative rock style and it definitely works. The album is very epic and it's kind of larger than life. The way that the songs crescendo in the middle and each song really tells a story. The band almost sounds like Queen at points with their progressing melodies and layered vocal harmonies.
Muse is definitely a band of well-versed and multi-talented musicians who use synthesizers as a base for their sound, but it doesn't sound over-technical and is far more than just "dance music". Muse still makes what I, perhaps a music snob, would call music and more so, I enjoy it immensely.
For more on Muse, check out their website: www.muse.mu