11.04.2009

PULSE RATING

Muse: The Resistance [2009]

by Aldus Santos

“The pandemonium is in bloom,” Matthew Bellamy warns in the opening track, “The Uprising,” and, right away, the lack of political specificity—i.e., What pandemonium? And against whom?—reeks of bourgeois guilt. Nobody’s saying rock artists, if they wish to be “militant,” should always be as black-and-white as anyone who’s clearly expected to be black-and-white, like, say, Zach de la Rocha of the late, great Rage Against the Machine (or, heck, Bob Marley). The general feeling of suffocation, subjugation, censorship, et cetera dictates the lyrical content of The Resistance, the new outing by British power trio Muse. Musically, there is nothing new to be said about the band—which is not bad at all; I mean, it’s not their fault they peaked early (Origin of Symmetry is evidence enough of Bellamy’s mastery of both piano and guitar, which is apparently backed by classical schooling). Obviously, you won’t hear these guys dishing out Linkin Park songs. On “United States of Eurasia,” you can forgive the collegiate militant stance of “Must we do as we’re told?” because of the soaring changes and four-movement structure. (In short, it’s the rock equivalent of Lego: you can custom-fit it to any issue, political or otherwise.) There is, certainly, much to be desired about Muse—and it all appears in The Resistance: the tasty Queen-worthy harmonies; the requisite guitar-hero soloing, the lilting Jeff Buckley pitches. To be crude about it, it’s forgivable glam for the 2000s. It’s also, in a way, like sing-able metal for the iPod generation. And, speaking of metal, which prides itself with its affinity to classical, there is The Resistance’s coup de grace: the three-part symphony called “Exogenesis” (sub-titled ‘Part 1: Overture,’ ‘Part 2: Cross-Pollination,’ and ‘Part 3: Redemption’), all book-ended by moody keys and strings that could very well score a modern tragedy. After churning out playful cuts off of their previous record Blackholes and Revelations—“Starlight” and “Supermassive Blackhole,” anyone?—the bombast of Muse’s new outing will wash away their old sins (i.e., bad stabs at danceable rock, though, yes, The Resistance’s “Undisclosed Desires” threaten to commit the same dogged larceny). In the accompanying DVD (in the stateside edition, at least), you see a Bellamy going (creatively) amok inside the booth, at one point even directing bassist Chris Wolstenholme how the progression for “Guiding Light” (I think) should be played: mildly slapped, not crunchily picked; he also shadows the orchestral conductress like a micro-managing ninja (are ninjas micro-managers by nature?). Why am I bringing this up? Because, in the context of the-act-of-creation-as-an-act-of-love—incidentally, in the literal sphere, the act of lovemaking also gives cause to creation—the grand orchestrator, Bellamy, remains the dude on top, frozen in a missionary stance that pins down his (creative) lover(s) in the process. Perhaps this submissiveness in arrangement (the rhythm section being a mere accent of the musical theses being forwarded by guitar-and-voice) is what makes Muse a glorious in-the-pocket unit. However, this is why they can never be Nirvana or anyone like that (they’re too self-contained); and which is also why, in every new record, I can almost always hear a veritable “Bohemian Rhapsody” begging to be birthed (arena-rock traditionalism is always at play). It’s all grand and well thought-out, but perhaps, ironically enough, not revolutionary. Nor resistant.  

 

TAGS: Muse

Share this Review!

POST A COMMENT:

You must be logged-in to post a comment.



  • 2010
    • FEBRUARY
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        THE FLAMING LIPS' EMBRYONIC
        7
  • 2009
    • APRIL
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        THE DAWN'S THE LATER HALF OF DAY
        6.5
  • 2008
    • DECEMBER
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        ERASERHEADS: THE REUNION CONCERT
        7.5
    • OCTOBER
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        RICO BLANCO: YOUR UNIVERSE [WARNER]
        8
        BEHOLD, REJOICE! SURFERNANDO IS HEAR NAH! JOAN ISON SURFS THE MARKUS HIGHWAY AND ENDS UP WANTING TO SURF MORE.
        8
    • APRIL
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        EDDIE VEDDER INTO THE WILD
        8.5
        FOO FIGHTERS ECHOES, SILENCE, PATIENCE & GRACE
        8
  • 2007
    • OCTOBER
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        DOLORES O'RIORDAN ARE YOU LISTENING?
        6
    • SEPTEMBER
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        PETER BJORN AND JOHN WRITER'S BLOCK
        8
        VARIOUS ARTISTS DISNEY 50: THE MUSIC BEHIND THE MAGIC
        8
        MIKA LIFE IN CARTOON MOTION
        4.5
        RIVERMAYA BAGONG LIWANAG (EP)
        8.5
    • AUGUST
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        COLD WAR KIDS ROBBERS & COWARDS
        7
        PAROKYA NI EDGAR MATIRA MATIBAY

        PG-13 (SINGLES 1994-2007)
        8.5
    • JULY
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        PERNILLA ANDERSSON CRADLEHOUSE
        8
        RADIOACTIVE SAGO PROJECT TANGINAMO ANDAMING NAGUGUTOM SA MUNDO FASHIONISTA KA PA RIN
        10
    • JUNE
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        SILENT SANCTUARY FUSCHIANG PAG-IBIG
        4
        VARIOUS ARTISTS IN LOVE WITH BACHARACH
        7.5
    • MAY
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        INCUBUS LIGHT GRENADES
        7
        BLOC PARTY A WEEKEND IN THE CITY
        8
        JENNIFER LOPEZ COMO AMA UNA MUJER
        8
    • APRIL
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        BROWNMAN REVIVAL AYOS DIN
        2.5
        JOSS STONE INTRODUCING JOSS STONE
        8.5
    • MARCH
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        AFI DECEMBERUNDERGROUND
        4.5
        NORAH JONES NOT TOO LATE (Blue Note Records/EMI)
        8.5
        SOUND BLUE MONSOON
        8.5
        CHINGY HOODSTAR
        7
    • FEBRUARY
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        LL COOL J TODD SMITH
        8
        LANI MISALUCHA LANI MISALUCHA
        7
        FOO FIGHTERS SKIN AND BONES
        8.5
    • JANUARY
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        HALE TWILIGHT (EMI Philippines)
        7
        EVANESCENCE THE OPEN DOOR (Wind-Up/Sony-BMG)
        6.5
  • 2006
    • DECEMBER
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        SALINDIWA ONE
        8.5
        THE DAWN TULAD NG DATI
        9
        SESSION ROAD BAKIT HINDI?
        7
        GERALD SANTOS A DAY ON THE RAINBOW
        5
        D'SOUND MY TODAY
        8.5
        GNARLS BARKLEY ST. ELSEWHERE
        7
    • NOVEMBER
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        HILERA HILERA (EMI Music Philippines)
        8.5
        IMAGO BLUSH (Universal Records Inc.)
        8
    • OCTOBER
      • SONG TITLE ARTIST RATING
        NARDA DISCOTILLION (eVille Productions/Synergy Music)
        9
        JANET JACKSON 20 Y.O. (Virgin/EMI)
        9
        ORSON Bright Idea (Mercury/Universal Music Intl.)
        8
        CALLALILY DESTINATION XYZ (Sony BMG Music)
        6.5
        THE RACONTEURS Broken Boy Soldiers
        (Third Man Recordings/V2)
        8