(Mushroom)
What is it about the United Kingdom? So many smashing bands have come from England: the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Duran Duran, Coldplay and Radiohead, to name a few. Yet there exists many brilliant musicians that never make the trip across the Atlantic. Hopefully the United Kingdom's extraordinary band Muse is not one of them. Unfortunately their most recent release, , is not currently released in the United States; however, this should not be the case.
The album opens with a militant beat and builds up to the opening of the second track, \Apocalypse Now."" It maintains the beat established in the intro, but adds heavy piano chords as singer-guitarist Matthew Bellamy proclaims, ""declare this an emergency,"" and the epic begins.
The third track, ""Time is Running Out,"" is the band's single. The continuation of the military theme is paired with heavy bass and enhanced by passionate guitar riffs. The same powerful bass is apparent in ""Hysteria,"" but it escalates with intense guitar melodies and Bellamy's emotional and passionate lyrics when he explodes, ""I'm breaking down / I'm breaking out / I will lose control."" The guitars take over and keep building the sensation of the album.
The same emotions are resonated in ""Blackout,"" yet the listener feels as though they are entering a dreamlike, fantasy world. The mood resembles the break before the rest of the storm with classical orchestration, a waltz-like time signature and the feelings of a Broadway musical performance. The hint in the middle of electronic elements, with Bellamy warning, ""Don't kid yourself / And don't fool yourself / this life could be the last"" implies that intensity will return, and, indeed, it reappears in the following track.
""Butterflies and Hurricanes"" recaptures the intensity not only with Bellamy's lyrics, but also with provoking musical elements. This track incorporates raw musical components, but the classical orchestra is repeated with a beautiful piano interlude. The listener is whisked away to Carnegie Hall, but Bellamy softly makes his entrance as the piano fades out and energy escalates. The song rapidly builds up to its pinnacle with the lyrics, ""Best, you got to be the best,"" the musical energy and passion remain at a high level and the track abruptly concludes.
The last track, ""Ruled By Secrecy,"" starts with a soft piano and powerful bass, but it is combined with Bellamy's eerie yet stunning vocal abilities. Once again, the piano takes control of the song with the escalation of chords followed by Bellamy's insightful lyrics. The last couple measures of the song display piano arpeggios, heavy bass, heavy drum and the remnants of Bellamy's falsetto vocals. With the very last sounds, however, the harmonies get softer, the cymbals slow in rhythm and the album closes on a minor note. It is hard for one to conclude whether the battle was victorious or if the epic will continue.
Each track on Muse's album connects and works well together. The band's artistry is phenomenal just as it was on their prior release, . The unique sound of the band can be compared to the harmonies, passion and stadium-rock style of Queen, yet there are many magnificent classical elements making the album so original and exceptional. Muse deserves recognition in the United States because as musicians and artists they are more than worthy of being accepted into the worldwide music scene.
