Muse
Black Holes And Revelations

THE REVIEW

More than thirty-three thousand people attended the latest Italian tour of the now-famous band led by Matt Bellamy. Why? The answers are multiple; a good number of successful singles, of course (since "Bliss," they haven't really missed one), but also a (healthy or not) propensity for excess that many flagship bands of a certain simplicity and whininess in compositions (Coldplay and Travis, albeit excellent, above all) do not have.

So, what has the Muse done after an album ("Absolution") that divided everyone, absolutely everyone (even though it sold like hot cakes)? The answer is: they've stopped in the middle of the ford. Certainly, the start is like a Eurostar; "Take A Bow" immediately makes it clear that we are in Muse territory, with its progressive melody and electronic beat in the background, inevitably destined to explode at the end. "Starlight" was one of the singles of the year, in terms of radio play, as well as being an excellent song that focuses entirely on Bellamy's great vocal prowess and on a guitar-keyboard mix from the '80s that couldn't be more '80s.

Then come the first troubles; "Supermassive Black Hole" would be a good track if it didn't (let's put it this way) "wink" at an old hit none other than from the now-ended Britney Spears ("Do Somethin’"). Try it to believe it. And the subsequent dance-oriented "Map Of The Problematique" doubles down this time by retracing the introduction of a classic '80s electro-pop, that "Enjoy The Silence" now a symbol of Dave Gahan's Depeche. Thankfully, things pick up again; after a guitar and voice interlude ("A Soldier's Poem"), the new single "Invincible" arrives, also progressive and based on the epicness of Matt's singing, as well as on a suitably "acidic" guitar solo. Following the heavy outburst of "Assassin" (intro even indebted to certain things by the latest System Of A Down), "Exo-Politics" (among the best tracks on the album) genuinely roots itself in very, very catchy and pleasantly enjoyable pop-rock. The same goes for "City Of Delusion", while the best label applicable to "Hoodoo" is that of filler good only to highlight Bellamy's remarkable vocal prowess.

Last but not least, comes the album's gem, namely "Knights Of Cydonia", an inspired blend of Morricone sounds, rather noisy hard rock, and sung-slogans that lead us to an intense conclusion perfect for the trio's beautiful live shows.

A good album, although after almost ten years of career, Muse still fail to fully convince. Will there be a turn that will make everyone agree? We'll see, although those thirty-three thousand seem to care less about it.