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85 of 101 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpected, but very impressed with the guts this cd took to release, September 15, 2009
I've been obsessed with Muse since Origin of Symmetry and I'll have to say this cd worried me when I first heard Uprising before it's release. First off, a little background for me. I play in an instrumental prog/experimental band and run a small recording studio. Other bands I adore are Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Opeth, Pink Floyd, Dredg, and Sigur Ros to name a few...
With that said, Absolution is my favorite Muse hands down. I was slightly bummed by the direction the last album took and was unsure of the future of Muse. HAARP rid me of my fears there.
The Resistance (after many listens) is a huge step in a new direction that they were only pointing at with Black Holes and Revelations. The problem with this album is its song placement and short length for this wide array of styles. If they wanted to really explore each of these areas and sounds, then I believe another 15 minutes or so divided between each style would help solidify this album and make it their cornerstone.
Uprising - This is a good track but no way to start off the cd. This song does not represent the rest of the album at all even if it is powerful and catchy with a great sing-along chorus
The Resistance - The first track that caught my ears on the cd, the title track is definitely a standout with an even balance of creativity and catchiness. I relate this track to Map of the Problematique off their last cd, until the prechorus where it reverts into a style not heard since Absolution. Great bass work on this song.
Undisclosed Desires - the most underrated track on the cd. As poppy as this track seems on the first listen, it is an incredibly gutsy track to add to the disk.. This really reminds me of something from Thom Yorke's Eraser cd, on steroids...with a more glammy Matt Bellamy flair to it. I actually realllly like this track when I don't think of it in the context of the rest of the album. If there were some sort of lead in/out tracks for this it would possibly make more sense and be more at home on the album.
United States of Eurasia - Love this track. It has all those Muse elements that everyone has loved throughout their career. There is the definite Queen influence here, but it was just as noticeable on Knights of Cydonia... Never-the-less its still an amazingly good and epic track. What other rock band uses Chopin? seriously people...
Guiding Light - Eh, it's ok. By no means a bad track, but nothing i'm going to write home about. It does its job.. fill the spot after United States of Eurasia when you are still thinking...what the hell just happened?!?
Unnatural Selection - New Born?? catchy tho.
I Belong to You - A strong look at their earlier work with a fun break in the intensity, the French is a nice addition as well. Fun track.
Exogenesis Symphony - THIS IS THE MUSE I'VE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR! as the Overture begins I feel that there is something amazing getting ready to happen.. and it does.. from Matt Bellamy's own excellent orchestrations to the chord progression to his falsetto melody over the top.. this track is incredible. The second and third pieces are perfectly done as well. This is the set of tracks that should've been the big centerpiece to this album to really wow fans. Instead it is tacked on the end like some last minute stroke of genius.
If I were setting up the track listing here to make this a successful disk, here's what we'd be looking at
United States of Eurasia
Resistance
Guiding Light
Exogenesis Symphony 1,2,3
Uprising
MK Ultra
I Belong to You
Unnatural Selection
but thats just me.... however, after several listens, certain parts of this album are my favorite things Muse has ever done, other tracks could have at least been better placed..
I am pleased with this addition to my Muse collection and will continue to support one of the best bands the world has seen in a very long time.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
five for five, October 3, 2009
I'd like to weigh in on this before overexposure utterly ruins this fine CD for me. It should come as no surprise that as muse grows in popularity their music becomes more mainstream. That is a hard and fast truth that has repeatedly been proven correct throughout the history of popular music. The pop radio sheen has been polished brightly for this record. THE RESISTANCE is not like SHOWBIZ or SYMETRY, two earlier recordings that typified their youth and exuberance whereby the song's inherent energy trumped production. But even then they appeared to possess a grander vision of where they're headed. Their penchant for a larger-than-life sound, and anthemic showstopper mentality was apparent as young up-and-comers. Given the breakthrough of ABSOLUTION and the overwhelming success of BLACK HOLES it's only natural that this album would continue in that path toward US stardom. Consequently, it's at this point in the progression that I usually lose interest in a given artist. But I couldn't resist. What works for this band since the beginning is a combination platter of loud, razor-sharp guitars, obtuse lyrics, rich, layered vocal harmonies and classically-infused (nocturne-like) piano passages. The latter are also the components that many detractors obsess upon. Isn't it curious that those who routinely resort to tired old cliches like self-indulgent, bombastic and pretentious when criticizing progressive and art rock are themselves guilty of self-indulgence, pretension and verbosity in their own writing and (more insidiously) in their thought process? They know better than the unwashed, uncultured masses.
This is simply another superbly artful endeavor by muse. Matthew Bellamy's ambiguous writing and showy playing is at the core of this band. He has endured the unjustifiable accustations of being a Thom Yorke ripoff, which have finally been silenced. Now it's Freddie Mercury and Brian May that he's beholden to. Well, he's certainly not the first artist to dare reveal his influences. It's that melting pot of experience, talent and influences that yield the most meaningful, enduring and controversial art.
I fully realize that this is the record that launches muse to new heights but since I don't listen to radio for music purposes I pray that I am at least partially insulated from the unfettered hype that is sure to ensue.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best thing to come from Twilight..., October 31, 2009
So yeah, I'm late to the game having only found Muse after Twilight came out. I bought Black Holes for one song and was impressed with the whole album. When the New Moon soundtrack came out, I bought it just for the Muse song, so I decided to give another CD a try. One listen of The Resistance and I haven't found one song I'd skip, that's saying a lot for me. In my 30s, Muse makes me nostalgic for the days when I first discovered Queen (1992!) and bought their entire canon, so felt compelled to do the same for Muse and eagerly awaiting their arrival. Stand-outs for me: Exogenisis, United States of Euroasia, Uprising, I Belong to You.
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