Muse have always been renowned for their technical prowess and the ability to blitz the absolute shit out of a song with some amazing guitars and sounds you’ve never heard before. Drones is their best effort to date and a serious contender for rock album of the year.
I read somewhere that Muse wanted to turn ‘Drones’ into a musical or some sort of theatrical broadway production. It would work and it would be badass so I say let’s kickstart that idea into high gear. From start to finish, the album is a conceptual journey about the mechanization of warfare. For their seventh studio album, ‘Drones’ is more standard rock than some of their more recent experimental efforts but that doesn’t mean it’s simplified in the process. I happen to think it’s their most complex and daring record to date.
Frontman Matthew Bellamy is a genius and one of the most talented people in the business. To be able to sing as well as he does while playing the guitar with such ferocity and simultaneous grace is unbelievable. I’ve heard that some people are criticizing the lyrics but I think they’re brilliant. I can understand the heat on the leading single ‘Psycho’ but it’s probably because nobody expected Muse to have a chorus where the most repeated words are ‘Fucking Psycho’ accompanied by the heaviest lick the guys have ever produced.
I’ve always considered myself a casual Muse fan, appreciating their work but never falling in love with it. ‘Drones’ has turned me from a casual listener into a true fan. From beginning to end, this album is stellar and with only two interludes, there are 10 great songs here that deserve to be heard in order front to back. When a concept album is done right it’s a true work of art and ‘Drones’ has most definitely accomplished that feat.
Rating: [star rating=”5″]