Let’s be honest, ‘The 2nd Law’ wasn’t very good was it? I’ve been a Muse fan for as long as I can remember, but their 2012 effort just didn’t quite cut it. Repeated riffs and an exploration into the world of dubstep felt like a band running out of ideas rather than leading the way, something Muse have always done so well in the past. Three years on and the Devonshire outfit are back, this time with ‘Drones’, a concept album that, in frontman Matt Bellamy’s words, sees the band revert “back to basics”.
Of course, when Bellamy uses the term “back to basics”, one must remember this is Muse, a band who thrive on eccentricity and produce 10 minute long symphonies that Mozart would be proud of , just for the fun of it. Bellamy’s political beliefs have often been a focal point of Muse’s records but in recent years they’ve often felt misguided and fallen flat. Luckily on ‘Drones’, they fit right into place. The record tells the story of “the journey of a human, from their abandonment and loss of hope to their indoctrination by the system to be a human drone.”
Album opener ‘Dead Inside’ is about the twisted end of a relationship. Bellamy says “This is where the story of the album begins, where the protagonist loses hope and becomes ‘Dead Inside’, therefore vulnerable to the dark forces introduced in ‘Psycho’ and which ensue over the next few songs on the album, before eventually defecting, revolting and overcoming these dark forces later in the story”. Minus its unnecessary drill sergeant interlude, ‘Psycho’ and its accompanying 16 year-old riff is a firm album highlight along with ‘Reapers’, which is easily the best thing the band have done in years. Most recent single ‘Mercy’ is a Muse anthem for the ages with its singalong chorus, whilst ‘Defector’ sees the group channel their inner Queen.
Whilst the band’s experimenting days are not strictly behind them, they appear to be more reined in on ‘Drones’. ‘The Handler’ tells the tale of transformation and becoming brainwashed and eventually controlled by a higher power. 10 minute epic ‘The Globalist’ is introduced by eery whistling that sounds like it’s come straight out of a Kill Bill movie, before being followed by some classic Matt Bellamy piano and crooning. While ‘The Globalist’ may not be the ‘Citizen Erased’ follow-up to which it was billed, its descent into a “prog nightmare” as the song reaches its closing stages is proof that Muse are still one of the most exciting and daring bands in the game.
Often uninspiring and repetitive, Drones’ only real downfall is in its lyrics. Gone is the needless experimentation that polluted ‘The 2nd Law’ and in its place is a return to the basic, guitar-driven anthems that have helped propel Muse to selling out stadiums across the globe. You only have to take a look at the band’s recent setlist from Download to see that Muse are a band rejuvenated and re-energised. Poppier moments from the band’s decorated discography such as ‘Starlight’ are omitted in favour of heavier material such as ‘Micro Cuts’ and ‘Dead Star’. Muse’s decision to strip back the added instruments from ‘The Resistance’ & ‘The 2nd Law’ has resulted in their best album in over a decade. It may not be ‘Origin of Symmetry’ or my beloved ‘Absolution’, but it is, at least, a return to form for the most exciting rock band of our generation.
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