BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS

Ironically, his least prog album to date is his best album to date.

After the Herculean effort that was enjoying Absolution I feel surprised to have enjoyed Black Holes and Revelations as easily. Almost at my first audition I have ever enjoyed this album. If I listened several times, was simply for the pleasure of hearing him. Many will sizzle because many of the bombastic and progressive elements of its predecessor are gone, with the band going in a direction more accessible and commercial, incorporating new elements (especially electronic, alternative and film), but to hell with that! So I warn you: if you are a purist progressive or step foot here.

The album begins with Take a Bow. It is known that Muse has a tendency to ambitious and bold letters, and this is no different, dealing with corruption - a theme that pervades the album. The song opens with electronic effects, and I thought: "electronics? Seriously?", But then I was surprising. The truth is that this song is more like a kind of overture, an astonishing crescendo filled with plaintive vocals. The song ends explosively, and binds to hit Starlight. About this song, some may turn up their noses, but I confess I have a weakness for songs accessible. Not to mention that riff it is familiar to me. It is a song that reminds me a lot Coldplay, and if you look at the piano line reminds me the song Viva la Vida (which would only be released two years later).

Now, Supermassive Black Hole is one of the strangest songs that Muse has ever done. With a pulsing electronic beat and addictive, was the band's first song I ever heard (in the movie Twilight - and no, I'm not proud of it). But recently I discovered that music was theirs. Map of Problematique is an energetic song, with an interesting drum set completed by the piano absolutely fantastic. Soldier's Poem is a simple song and acústcia with Howard using "broom sticks" and some vocal harmonies that remind me of Queen. Invincible is a mix of alternative rock with guitars Gilmour-esque, starting as if it were a kind of gear and headed towards a sound heavier on his end. Muse Assassin is flirting with progressive metal, and who knows not fall well on an album like Octavarium? Exo-Politics is a strange song about aliens, but with a very cool rhythmic marking. I really like the guitar work here.

The last three bring the album to a new direction, totally unlike anything they've ever done. City of Delusion combines Mediterranean and Mexican music with the typical style of the band (if they have a typical style). Hoodoo (that title makes me think of Hodor, the character of the book series A Song of Ice and Fire) merges western guitars with a seventies rock and classical piano, a delicious mix - and I think I have a problem, but when Bellamy begins to sing, the combination of her voice with the guitar reminds me Maudlin of the Well on his album Part the Second.

But the highlight of the album is up to the last track, Knights of Cydonia. Imagine a mixture of psychedelic rock / space rock with hard rock and western music. Now conceive a clip that mixes westerns with science fiction and martial arts. There, you will have the video of this song. It is one of the best songs they've done, for sure!

PS: there is one last song in some versions, titled Glorious. It's a good song, but there's not required. Knights of Cydonia would be a thousand times better closure.

5 stars. Not a prog masterpiece, but a masterpiece of rock.

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