MUSE - Black Holes & Revelations (Leak) (5/5)

'Our Hopes And Expectations...Black Holes And Revelations'

Yes it leaked, amazingly early for an album as awaited as this one has been but hey, who are we to complain? MUSE come back fighting after the stunning Absolution, Black Holes And Revelations twists them in a whole new direction. Matt Bellamy said he was influenced partly by bands such as Franz Ferdinand, refering (from listening to this) to the catchy beats and get-in-your-head lyrics. Anyway enough gibbering on with the review...

Read The Full Review.Take A Bow is just a beautifully twisted song that, from the begininng, has lyrics that melt like butter out of Matt's mouth. 'You'll burn in hell for your sins' doesn't take much decyphering really but speaks volumes. Still holding to the classic MUSE feeling for the intro, this song leads you nicely into the 'new' MUSE. More electric effects seem to have been bombarded into this song but the eerily evil voice remains throughout with an almost robotic backing vocal at some points. Overall quite a shocking song lyrically and one that definitley makes you sit back and think a bit. (5/5)

Starlight is personally my favourite song off the album. From the playfully cheery piano beat that pops in and out of the song, to the soft touch lyrics of 'hold you in my arms, i just wanted to hold you in my arms'. Matts lullaby voice is really shown to its true potential in this song, showing a short break between albums will not dull his voice. From the beating bass to the soft piano melodies this song screams out single potential. If released this should do increibley well, just enough lulling harmonies to balance with the at times gravelly vocals. (5/5)

Supermassive Black Hole (first released single) sounds at first nothing like the MUSE we knew and loved, which may be why it was released first, to show they've changed and that they can adapt to fit with what the mainstream desires. Matt in this sounds like he has been kicked very hard in the nether regions. An almost constant harmony style voice and floaty lyrics gives it a strange feeling to say the least. It took me exactly 3 listens to get used to it but now i love it, it's one that will get people swaying nicely but with set lyrics that will get into your head. (5/5)

i'm really not exaggerating with this review, i just can't flaw the album so far...

Map Of The Problematique with its dramatic and punchy beat sounds like a Nightwish intro, almost gothic in its at first, another different side to MUSE we see in this song. Be warned this songs gets your bass kicking on a new level. A punchy beat throughout this song, though some maybe slightly too whiney vocals at times is the only fault in this song. I am knit picking a bit as i still love it but it needs to be a fair review. (4.5/5)

Solider's Poem is a soft song that is short yet to the point, acoustic sounding, Matts soft voice is once again shown off nicely, remeniscent of some Showbiz soft songs, this once again shows Muse don't need a ton of guitars and fast beats to produce a good song. said to be about the Iraq war (if my memory serves correct) this does have some touching lyrics 'there's no justic in the world...and there never was'. A beautiful song and very touching in many ways (4/5)

Invincible has a beautiful well....i guess i would call it twangy intro. Sounding like a marching type song with a rolling drum beat this songs lyrics are really at the core of its beauty. 'tonight we can truly say, together we're invincible'. Soft yet with enough core to it to keep the head bopping. A nice electric guitar riff towards the end keeps the electric feeling throughout this album truly in your mind with the pace picking up as Matts voice gets more emotional and dramatic, really blasting out the lyrics. (5/5)

Assassin has a nice fast paced grungy intro that kicks straight into Matts whiney yet addictive voice. Though an electric feel to it, the head still begins to sway as he almost cries the lyrics to you. A very grungy feel continues with what i can only be described as a dirty metal guitar beat part way through that moves then into a haunting vocal backing that compliments Matts voice nicely. (4/5)

Exo-Politics has an almost spacey feel to it with an almost whirring electric fan in the background in parts. the black holes and space feel seems to be nicely placed into nearly every song at some point. Punching beats that really get the head and foot tapping along with nice extending vocals that draw you in. (4/5)

City Of Dellusion could quite easily be part of a Spanish flamenco set, the guitar thrashing out acoustic type beats, moving into a swaying beat that could easily get the hips moving and has a latino feel to it. Breaking down into Matts vocals reaching new levels as he passionatley screams out the chorus with the guitar underlying them nicely. It's so nice to see Muse using classic styles with electric beats and keeping the vocals clear and precise. This gets 5 purely for being so different and the whole latino feel worknig so beautifully (5/5)

Hoodoo once again starts like some Spanish flamenco riff, breaking down into beatifully eerie vocals that sing to your very soul. Only speeding up slightly this song i could play perfectly to gets to sleep by. The guitar seems to gently weep as Matt pours out his heart. A sudden and dramatic pick up rises the vocals and the backing into a dramatic full on Muse epic. Softening once again to leave the song as we begun it, with Matt and his guitar singing beautifully as one. (5/5)

Knights of Cydonia begins with a seemingly intergalactic stampede of horses running past, into what sounds like an almost jazz inspired break down. This song focuses alot on its beat and not on the vocals which finally kick in around 2 minutes and have that good old eerie feel to them. Many sudden speed changes keep the song interesting, slowing down with an almost Queen style vocals saying 'no one's gonna take me alive, time has come to make things right' and breaking down into a fast paced guitar based riff that will get people reaching for their air guitars. A stunning 6 minutes of song this really does have all the hallmarks of a classic from the sudden speed changes, to the guitar laden riffs and vocals changes its truly a work of art. (5/5)

Overall definitley 5/5!

Pre-order it...now! - here

Listen to Starlight (song of the album!) here