Black Holes and Revelations

Muse have been hijacked by emo.

Which is a shame because they had a good shot at making ti really big.

They're ok. I'll probably get the album, but only when it's on sale. It's not like they're Soundgarden.

I think music lovers who identify with a band want progression. Master of Puppets built nicely on Ride the Lightning as did Down on the Upside with Superunknown (even though Superunknown is my favourite).

As consumers we have expectaions of a product and with music it is no different.

Using Metallica as a really good example, let's look at the leap from the Black album to Load. Now Load was a great album in it's own right, but it didn't build on the sounds of Enter Sandman and Through the Never. because of that the customers struck out at what Metallica were trying to do and failed to accept Load for the innovation it was.

It was accepted over time by the majority but because it wasn't a gentle shift it didn't stay within the market and customers bought a product that wasn't what they expected or wanted.

In music today there has been a shift of a different nature. Instead of nurturing a band to greatness the companies are chugging out band after band and the kids are biting. So in three months no one will be playing Mudvayne but Atreyu instead because that's what's being played on the radios and MTV right now. In six months Atreyu will be forgotten and someone else will take their place.

Companies aren't concerned with product loyalty because they believe music is supposed to be in continual evolution and if you fall behind and don't put out something new and exciting then you're going to get dropped and forgotten within a year with only one or two songs to your credit and left with the tag one album wonders.

It's not the lack of ability in the band, it's the impatience of the customer in the company's eyes. Look at how fresh and interesting Mudvayne were with LD 50 and look at them now, it's like they formed an orderly queue and did exactly what the suits told them to.

and just look at the travesty of Avenged Sevenfold, They're really not that good, the solos are badly composed and sound contrived yet they succeed because they get the airtime. Let's see where they are in six months, a year or two years.

The song "Assassin" off the new album is a massive slice of stadium rock! This band do grand like no one else, though I find them to be rather shallow after repeated listens, I am hopefully going to see them live on the 24th In Edinburgh. Matt Belamy is an insanely skilled guitarist.

And everything Bret said about the industry, I concur.

I think that Muse's strength is the bass. Not many bands utilise the bass nearly as much as they should do. It's like most bands consider the bass to be a necessity just because it's always been there.

Muse on the other hand use the bass as an extention to the music, another platform on which to build.

(if I was gay I'd kidnap Beck and put him in a cupboard. He rocks that much)