Muse – ‘Drones’ [Review]
Muse have done it all. They’ve stuck together for over two decades, released seven albums, toured the world, dominated festivals and stadiums, sold some 17m long-playing units – you name it, they’ve done it. Now, their latest effort is out there exploring now-familiar themes (global conspiracies, alienation, disconnection, etc) from the perspective of an individual who becomes indoctrinated into (and eventually rebels against) the modern Western military system.
Undeniably proggy (a good thing here at TMMP), expansive, and entertaining, Drones mainly wins during crushed-love song Dead Inside, the stripped-back Psycho, and balls to the wall riff-and-solo monster Reapers – but there are plenty of cool moments amongst the B-sides too. Mercy emerges from Muse’s now-trademark poppy side; The Handler digs into an appropriately oppressive mood; Defector hits hard with crest-of-a-wave moments aplenty; and The Globalist gear-shifts through Ennio Morricone vibes, a circle-pit-sparking whirlwind riff section, and a stately piano-driven climax before masterfully-arranged title track and closer Drones sees Matt Bellamy become a multitracked one-man choir, and it all ends with a cheesy but surprisingly moving “Amen”. This level of consistent quality comes as a relief, given the album’s conceptually long-winded nature; on the downside, both Revolt and Aftermath feel like contrived filler pieces, functional for plot purposes but otherwise good rather than great.
Although Drones doesn’t feel like a groundbreaker, it is nonetheless a wicked release from a band who’ve managed to carve out a niche on a global scale, and authoritatively own it. Muse remain in a class of their own – but with so many albums under their belt and such an all-encompassing sound, it’s hard to see how much further they can take the same ideas. Still, that’s a problem for another day – and Drones will last Muse fans old and new alike at least until then.
TMMP RATING: 93%
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