![]() ![]() ![]() This one was done in bits and pieces here and there, and spread over the last year or so. ![]() It wasn’t like most albums, where we just go into the studio for a couple months. It was quite a gradual and sporadic process. Chris Wolstenholme, Dominic Howard and Matt Bellamy (Image credit: Jeff Forney) And I think that’s great.” And with Simulation Theory, Bellamy continues, “we’re embracing the freedom that defines the times we’re in.” The bottom line, he says, is that “there are no rules anymore about what defines a genre or a particular style of music. It’s there because it’s doing something that is being featured.” But, Bellamy says, “When the guitar is there, it’s there because it has to be there. This time, you just have to be a bit more patient in waiting for those moments. There’s plenty of Muse-isms in the throttling grooves of “Pressure,” the celestial rock of “Blockades” and the epic sweep of opener “Algorithm.” But there’s also an r&b and funk edge to tracks like “Break It to Me” and “Thought Contagion,” an overt global pop influence on “Something Human” and “Get Up and Fight” and a full-on electro-Prince pastiche, “Propaganda” (which also features - because why not? - an acoustic slide solo).Īnd while Simulation Theory is far from the band’s most guitar-centric record - there’s no aggro-riffing along the lines of, say, “Stockholm Syndrome” - there’s still plenty of enthralling playing to be found in the album’s 11 tracks, with Bellamy continuing to display the blend of virtuosity and idiosyncratic creativity that has led him to become one of the 21st century’s few true guitar heroes. But on Simulation Theory the band, which also includes bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard, find a way to build upon what is already a remarkably singular sound. Album DescriptionTrue to Bellamy’s word, Simulation Theory is far from the traditional Muse sound - which is saying something indeed, given how untraditional Muse’s music is to begin with. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. On an album packed with such catalog standouts, the highlight here is "Blockades," which propels along a pounding gallop that recalls "City of Delusion" and "Knights of Cydonia." While Simulation Theory might appear to be overly polished mainstream trickery - all part of the simulation! - it's purely Muse at heart, successfully merging electronic-pop songcraft with their typically urgent, stadium rock foundation. The uplifting "Something Human" is the "Invincible"/"Guiding Light" of Simulation Theory, leading into singalong anthems such as "Thought Contagion" and the politically charged "Madness" redux "Dig Down." Swedish singer Tove Lo even makes an appearance on the unexpectedly gorgeous "Get Up and Fight," a huge rallying cry produced by Shellback. His Prince love returns on the slinky, Timbaland-assisted "Propaganda" - the type of camp that Muse have been perfecting for years - while an homage to Tom Morello's guitar stylings - wonky, down-tuned riffs and hip-hop scratching - collide with Bellamy's pseudo-rapping on "Break It to Me." On the second half of the album, the mood is lifted as the simulation begins to crack. From here, the simulation gets weirder as some of frontman Matt Bellamy's big influences rear their heads. After the dramatic opener, "Algorithm," introduces this new Muse era, they launch into "The Dark Side," one of their strongest singles to date, which blends the urgency of "Bliss" with the groove of "Map of the Problematique." Meanwhile, "Pressure" is a rollicking, horn-backed blast that wouldn't sound out of place blaring from the stadium speakers at a football game. Fully embracing their sci-fi tendencies, the trio dip into the nostalgic '80s, tapping the aesthetics of Tron, Blade Runner, and composer John Carpenter. Unlike these same predecessors, there's also no filler or wasted time, making it the most compulsively listenable and immediate Muse album since 2006's Black Holes & Revelations. The least complicated or overly conceptual offering (for Muse) in over a decade, the 11-song set is focused and cohesive, blaring down a neon-washed highway of pulsing synths and driving beats while swerving to avoid the orchestral and dubstep meandering of their preceding 2010s output. On their eighth effort, Simulation Theory, they attempt to break through the virtual matrix in search of that human connection and freedom from the machine. Whether they're fighting alien invaders, shadowy government conspiracies, or the Apocalypse, Muse always do it for love. ![]()
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