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by Anna Newby
 Black Holes and Revelations is Muse’s fourth studio album, a welcome
return following a three-year post-Absolution break. During this time
Muse found themselves in a secluded studio in France, experimenting with
new sounds and trying out uncharacteristic melodies. ‘Black Holes…’, the
product of this exploration, has now been unleashed on the world.
Fans of Muse’s old work will be pleasantly surprised. Although the first
track, ‘Take a Bow’, begins with the trademark dark, sweeping orchestral
score for which Muse are well known, this record transforms into a
incredibly diverse aural experience. On first listen, the album sounds
fairly unusual and may not be the direction many devotees were looking
for.
Take ‘Starlight’ for example. The track who’s chorus of ‘Our hopes and
expectations/ Black Holes and Revelations’ gives birth to the album’s
title, is a very melodic and upbeat pop song about love, a far cry then
from such melancholy moments as ‘Unintended’ which first gave these
British rock lords their big break.
However, this album is more than a grower. The ‘groovy’ undertone of the
latest single, ‘Super Massive Black Hole’, is infectious; listen once
and you’ll not forget it!
After the initial shock of the new samples and sounds have had a chance
to sink in, it becomes easier to hear Muse’s hallmark in these tracks,
as all of the songs are still very much grounded in the typical dark and
meandering stylings of Bellamy and co.
Comparisons to earlier work abound. ‘Assassin’ bears a striking
resemblance to the lead single from 2003’s Absolution LP, ‘Stockholm
Syndrome’, and ‘City of Delusion’ also sounds remarkably familiar. Yet
neither could be mistaken for a carbon copy of anything pre-‘Black
Holes…’, as they both add a new depth and quality to the old riffs;
especially the inclusion of a horn section in ‘City of Delusion’!
As a stand alone record, Black Holes and Revelations is a wonderful
homage to a handful of many influences, some of which Muse may not even
admit to; ‘Soldiers Poem’ opens on what sounds like the opening chords
of REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ and makes use of Bohemian Rhapsody-esque
vocal harmonies.
As a follow up to the three wonderfully electric and wildly exciting
amalgams of lavishness and grandiose, ‘Black Holes…’ stands its ground
and then some. A much needed addition to any Muse aficionado’s
collection.
Recommended Links:
www.muse.mu – Official Muse website.
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