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MUSE
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After the release of their first album Showbiz in 1999, it was quite clear to many that Muse were in a league of their own. Hailed with comparisons to Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Matt's voice on Showbiz seemed to emit a kind of dismay that reflected deep, yet subtle emotions. Their first album touched many people with its well written, emotion driven songs, and its mood invoking flavour, and has since spawned many singles including Muscle Museum, Sunburn and Unintended. In anticipation of a second album, many fans expected more or less the same thing, or at least a similar format and sound. Instead, in 2001, (and to the dissapointment of many), they were greeted with the fresher, complex sound that is Origin of Symmetry; a sound that captures both the energy of live performance, and the originality of fantastic songwriters.
Instead or returning to their well-known style, Muse seemed to embrace a tangeant of their music and push its boundries. The term "opera rock" has often been used to describe their sound, as it mixes classical composition and arrangement with Matt's guitar stylings. Both Chris and Dom contribute as wonderfully and amazingly as Matt in terms of filling the songs out, and creating an original and broad sounding set of songs. The songs on Origin of Symmetry are shaped around touring, and as a result the recordings, while sounding extremely complex at times, are very energetic, certainly more so than previous efforts.
Highlights of the album include the track Feeling Good, a previous B-side for Muse which was revamped and placed on the album. Other singles such as Bliss and Newborn capture opposite sides of Muse's sound; while one is keyboard driven and softly sung, the other is largely riff driven by pounding guitars and unrelenting vocals. Sounding like a mix of both of these singles, Plug in Baby gave a good idea of Muse's new direction, and ultimately the type of sounds we can expect to hear from them in the future.
Tracks
*New Born
*Bliss
Space Dementia
Hyper Music
*Plug-In Baby
Citizen Erased
Micro-Cuts
Screenager
*Dark Shines
*Feeling Good
Megalomania
*singles