Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

  


When Muse made their first LP debut Showbiz, they had no real identity other than being Radiohead's shadow. Ever since Muse hit mainstream success with Absolution they have broken away from the previous Radiohead comparisons. With Black Holes and Revelations they strive to top Absolution and for the most part they have. With fewer tracks than Absolution this album is more about quality then quantity. Released one year after the UK general elections in 2005 it is safe to assume that Black Holes and Revelations is definitely politically charged. The album starts of with Take a Bow which is about as political as Karl Rove. With lyrics such as "Bring corruption to all that you touch" and "You will risk all the lives and their souls" you can see that Take A Bow was inspired by the U.S's campaign against terror and the UK's involvement. In typical Muse fashion with any fast paced song a drastically slower paced song is not too far behind. None of which are of the same caliber of their faster songs. Which is a downfall for Muse as well as this album. For Black Holes and Revelations those songs are Starlight, Soldier's Poem, Invincible, and Hoodoo which is the best out of the four. The remaining seven tracks is where this album shines. With Map of the Problematique and Knights of Cydonia being the best two tracks on the album that is where your attention should be. 

6.8