September 19th, 2009 3:39 pm

Muse: “The Resistance”

“The Resistance” is the album that will test the long term Muse fans, but proves they’re still one of the few bands that continues to surprise.

Muse are one of those rare bands that can reinvent themselves without reinventing themselves. The last outing, “Black Holes and Revelations”, saw them experiment with different sounds that would have alienated fans of any other band. Instead, they embraced the new direction, which saw said album closer “Knights of Cydonia” hit the number one spot on JJJ’s Hot 100 of 2007.

Clearly not content with walking on the knife’s edge of fan alienation, this follow up sees even more daring diversion from the norm. Pop, rock, operatic, dance, retro; Muse dabble in just about everything other than what they are known for. While it could come across as a lack of focus to some, the success rate in which they hit the right notes definetly suggest otherwise.

If there is one flaw, it’s that track 2 “Resistance” is what should have opened this album. Okay, it’s kinda obvious as an opening track when you listen to it and perhaps that’s why it’s second. But there is nothing wrong with lead single “Uprising” leading the pack. It’s clearly the safe bet before things just go crazy.

“Undisclosed Desires” is bordering on dance pop…the sound is instantly a hook…it’s crying out for single! Matt’s soaring vocals appear on “Guiding Light” is itself a guiding light. “Unnatural Selection” is crazy guitars and just a great old-skool rock track. “MK Ultra” has retro electro/techno rock; there is just so much going on in this one; listen for the warped vocals at 1:50. “I Belong to You” is just plain cheesy pop. In an album full of so many completely out of character sounds from the boys, this one is easily the standout when it comes to weirdness.

Ending on “Exogenesis”…incredible. It’s their most ambitious endeavour ever and combine to make easily the standout musical moments of the year. Amazing and worth the wait… the definition of epic.

Despite the massive shift in style, there is still something comforting in hearing Matt belt out his unmistakeable falsetto over the length of the album. Every track is epic in it’s own effortless way, pushing the progressive boundaries even further than they ever have. They make sure there is never a dull moment, you can be certain of that. And as different as things sound, it’s that curiosity in what lies around the corner that keeps The Resistance on the rails.

The Resistance is the album that will test the long term Muse fans. Weather fans are agreeable or not, The Resistance is the step that they needed to take creatively. It’s the sound of a band that is comfortable with where they are in their career, in that they can afford to take a chance on something new. it’s a bold move that has paid off in that it’s quite possibly their most consistent album yet. If nothing else it’s definitely one of the most unique albums of the year, and again proves that Muse are one of the very best bands that will continue to surprise. Just listen to the final track of Exogenesis and see how moving a rock band can be without being cheesy. Incredible.

Get the album on iTunes.