SHOWBIZ

'Showbiz' is the 1999 debut album by British alternative rockers Muse. Arguably one of the biggest bands of the 21st century, Muse's sound can best be described as keyboard-driven melodic rock. Although they would go on to worldwide acclaim, this first outing from the trio is pretty lacklustre and forgettable.

While there are early signs of what the group are capable of, sadly, it's only demonstrated in a small number of songs here. Most of the album tends to drag, with tracks being quite dreary and boring. There are however, some energetic bursts where Muse display fantastic interplay between guitar and keyboard, as well as a pounding bass and frontman Matt Bellamy's impressively high vocals, and there is no doubt this is where the key element of their style lies.

Those highlights? 'Cave', 'Muscle Museum' and 'Sober' are probably the only songs worth listening to. They sound like the Muse the world would come to love, but overall, are still not overly memorable, if I'm to be honest here.

Other than that, there's not really much here to entice me back. Muse will go on to release some absolutely fantastic albums and some downright classic rock tracks, but you'd never have guessed it listening to this back in 1999. Avoid 'Showbiz' and just move on to its follow-up, 'Origin of Symmetry'. THAT is where things get interesting.