IN REVIEW: Muse - "Simulation Theory"

Muse have never been shy about their shtick; whereas most bands are content to go about their business and evolve their sound from album to album, Muse often goes for the hard turns. Since rising to prominence worldwide with their third album Absolution fifteen years ago, they've constantly tinkered with their sound, infusing their subsequent albums with Europop (Black Holes and Revelations), symphonic suites (The Resistance), dubstep (The 2nd Law) and full-fledged wartime paranoia (Drones).

Throughout all of it, as ridiculous as the whole thing was getting, Muse presented each of these projects with a seriousness that begged uncertainty about their creative decision making. Was Matt Bellamy really so concerned about drones? Is this the time or place for a 12-minute symphony? Does the world need so much wub-wub accompanying this thinkpiece on thermodynamics?

With their eighth album, it appears as though Muse finally admits just how campy they've become and decided to run with it. Simulation Theory finds the band in full '80s mode and smirking about it, from that absolutely ludicrous album cover to the synths dripping from every nook and cranny. Having said that, there aren't really too many hard turns within the track list, depending on how jarring you find the chopped-up stuttering voice that dominates Propaganda, or the wobbly and exotic melodies on Break it to Me.

Underneath the gloss and the neon, Muse's most beloved touchstones are here; the operatic rock they became known for is present and accounted for on The Dark Side, and if you scale back the synths on this one and Blockades you can hear pretty clear echoes of Absolution. Even the most pop-leaning moments (like Something Human) aren't so far removed from some of their lighter singles like, say, Starlight. When they really go for the big pop moment, the arena-ready Get Up and Fight, it takes off rather than shocks with schmaltz.

The album's biggest letdown is Dig Down, which was released as a single eighteen months ahead of the album and feels dated and comes off as the outsider on Simulation Theory, the older sibling who isn't in on the joke. I get wanting to include the single for the completists, but the album would have been better off with it tacked on as a bonus track; in the penultimate slot, it sort of kills the momentum.

Still, I must admit just how fun Simulation Theory was to listen to. With the fog of pretension lifted somewhat, you can hear Muse enjoying themselves rather than meticulously slogging away at The Most Important Record in the History of Ever. Just listen to a song like Pressure, all high spirits, hand claps and fun riffs; there's no underlying message warning of the dangers of chemtrails, no pointed fingers or wringing hands, just a band banging out a top tune. Likewise, Simulation Theory isn't bogged down by an overwrought concept and doesn't suffer from a wild stylistic detour that nobody asked for. It plays to Muse's strengths and, while it's far from their peak, it is easily my favourite Muse record since Black Holes and Revelations.

November 9, 2018 • Warner Bros.
Highlights Pressure • Thought Contagion • Get Up and Fight

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

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