Apocalypse (-pk-lps): “Great or total devastation; doom: the apocalypse of nuclear war. A prophetic disclosure; a revelation.” Herein, then, lies the question: after the apocalyptic masterpiece that was 2003’s Absolution, where to go for Muse?
Should they deliver another incessant, monstrously ominous sonic assault to the masses, or should they - like all great sadists - offer a moment of light relief before administering the killer blow?
Clearly, the trio have plumped for the latter, as Black Holes & Revelations appears to be a mesmeric tapestry of retro computer-pop noodling and thunderous, almost theatrical riffery. Like its predecessor, the new album is a paean to corruption, although Muse sound much more accepting – in control, even – of their sense of doom.
Although their epic, expansive melodies are still intact, Muse purists may lament the advent of the electro-metal synths, not least on slinky leading single ‘Supermassive Black Hole’. Alas, when held against the illustrious canon of other Muse singles, this is a disappointing, low-calorie offering. Compared to the band’s usual fare, this is less breast-beating beast and more simpering cyborg.
‘Starlight’ with its optimistic handclaps and sugary piano keys, is another curiosity. Whether it’s the band’s stab at accessible, arms-around-the-world stadium rock or a return to the tuneful form of Origins Of Symmetry remains anyone’s guess. Bellamy’s deranged choirboy delivery is still intact, but this is a song that (whisper it) Coldplay would be happy to call their own.
Still veering off into virgin quadrants, ‘Map Of The Problematique’ is an epic, delightfully Depeche Mode-tinged wonder; likewise, ‘Assassin’ kicks off with a Knight Rider-influenced moment before throttling with a blizzard of breakneck riffs and Queen-like operatics.
Between the lo-fi garage vibe of ‘Exo-Politics’ and the Spaghetti Western anthem that is ‘Hoodoo’, it seems that Bellamy wears an array of varying influences on his sleeve. Yet somehow this bizarre patchwork always seems to make perfect sense, the experimentation forever coming off to wondrous effect.
On the whole, Black Holes & Revelations is an album that delights, beguiles and satiates. At once familiar and new, this is Muse at their most crystallised, focused and ambitious. It’s a finely-realised opus that sounds unmistakeably like the future. Muse’s bottom line? If we ever get there, what a future it will be…