Muse
Will Of The People

They have become known with their own style, with their own mix, with their own sound; they quietly entered the music scene and immediately acquired their own identity, they quickly became "MUSE"; however, they have increasingly been criticized or even hated for alleged unfulfilled promises, sometimes for too much electronics, sometimes because they were too seduced by certain current trends, sometimes for losing that characteristic touch and copying from here and there.

What could be expected after the electropop whirlwind of "Simulation Theory"? The answer is not exactly "anything," because in over twenty years of career the band hasn't ventured too far beyond the three fundamental souls of their brand; the Muse fundamentally revolve around three basic incarnations: one decidedly rock, one electronic, and one timidly classical or symphonic, they have also welcomed other influences but everything leads back to those three foundations.

So what kind of album is "Will of the People"? Well, we can say it’s a compendium of everything that the Muse are. It roughly seems like a well-organized report, as if the band paused for a moment to reflect on what they've done so far; the short duration (only 37 minutes) seems to want to unveil this subtle summarizing intent. With each of the 10 tracks, you can easily play a game, you can try to imagine from which previous album of the group this or that song might have come from.

We can start by saying that those who thought to get rid of the eighties electronics of the previous album will be disappointed, indeed, when it dives into certain sounds, it does so even more sensationally than before, with riffs that really seem taken from a hit parade of that era. "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween" seems created today by any synth-pop group with today's production but with their head still in the '80s, the synthesizer hits sound blatantly '80s, only with horror movie organs deliberately creeping in to give that dark atmosphere without depriving the song of its commercial edge; we're vaguely halfway between Depeche Mode and Ghost. Even the lively riffs of "Euphoria" and its upbeat and cheerful rhythm seem like a late and previously unpublished product of the '80s, yet Muse add their own touch, bringing their "own" synth, and when the guitar intervenes it does so in Muse's style. The eighties cyclone does not even spare the most romantic "Verona," a song that aims to be dreamy and visionary, seemingly made to warm hearts live, seemingly ideal for being performed amid colorful and bright lights; it's characterized by a powerful and loaded electronic arrangement. Different is the case for "Compliance," where the arrangements are a bit more futuristic and a timid funk vein emerges just enough, the song seems perhaps more like something from "The 2nd Law."

The rawer and more straightforward rock side emerges in the opening track which gives the album its name, a powerful and modern hard rock but sounding fully Muse; it could easily appear in "Drones," it seems like a more modern and edgy twin of "Psycho," the galloping rhythm is the same. In any case, the song that most sounds in their style is undoubtedly "Kill or Be Killed," where the perfect blend between energetic guitar and old-fashioned synth loop is achieved, with that slight sense of apocalyptic atmosphere, it could easily be found in "Absolution."

Matthew Bellamy then doesn't forget his love for piano compositions and thus includes two: "Liberation," too pretentious and choral in Queen style but lacking the necessary punch, for me the lowest point of the album; "Ghosts (How Can I Move On)" instead is more classical but very catchy, the hands move smoothly over the piano with precise and regular transitions, never difficult.

Then there are also the surprises, the less expected ones. In particular, "Won't Stand Down," a song with two faces where for the first time they explicitly venture into metal territories; the verses have a slow progression with modern but also very pop sounds, then Bellamy fires very sharp riffs but does so without mimicking practically any metal band, it’s metal Muse style, with their characteristic guitar sound, it even sounds as if they are inventing metal themselves and it's a remarkable fact; when it was released as a single, it was reasonable to think of preparing for a heavier turn of the trio, but it remains an isolated experiment. The other surprise, a bit less sensational, is represented by the concluding track "We Are Fucking Fucked," a sort of post-punk guided by a precise and fluid bass, with a final rock'n'roll march that still cannot compete in any way with "Knights of Cydonia."

In essence, therefore, the formula hasn't changed, the desire to delve into rather commercial territories hasn't passed but the Muse imprint is present this time. In different albums, one could reproach the band for becoming denatured and not being so much Muse anymore; here instead at least when venturing into more rock territories the Muse sound is there, Bellamy behaves like Bellamy and doesn't imitate Brian May, The Edge, or who knows who (as happened for example in "The 2nd Law").

What perhaps can be reproached is the lack of courage to go too far beyond those three souls described above. I feel they probably have others, perhaps a somewhat funk one, perhaps a somewhat metal one, perhaps there would even be an acoustic one but they all appear a bit with their handbrake on, it's certainly not that courage shown for example in "Black Holes and Revelations," probably the trio's most audacious album.

Still, it remains an excellent work that comfortably satisfies various types of listeners.