Long known as the prog-rock virtuosos of the new generation; the Genesis and Iron Butterfly of their time; Muse have risen to prominence from the little band from Teignmouth to stadium rock artistes in their own right. It only serves to follow that, on the cusp of the decades end, they should release an album that harks back to their younger days.
The Resistance has been compared by many as being akin to Absolution, which was the defining Muse album; the one which won over a lot of people, of all ages and backgrounds. I am no different; I will cow-tow to the pressure and say that this album is Absolution, but it is also its own album.
There are elements of stadium rock virtuoso playing, and there are elements of the quirkiness found on B-sides and other Muse songs that don't make the 'main' albums. It's not quite rock; it's not quite prog. It's not quite anything I can put my thumb on. I've got images of Queen, of Genesis, of the glamour and glitz of the big 80s stadium rockers, and all of that is only heightened when I think "It's Muse..."
Long have I been a Muse fan, so it's probably my own innate prejudices coming through when I say that I like this album. But, I don't love it. I should love it, but, it isn't what I'm after. I'm after grand, pomp and circumstance; what I get is sensationalist propaganda-rock. I suppose it's to be expected; rock of this magnitude can't be filtered down through the layers of copper into a disc form, and still be expected to blow me away.
And then, when I wrote all of that, I remembered the brilliance that was Unnatural Selection, which had me bobbing my head and actually enjoying the pop-rock in it. In fact, the latter half of the album just thronged with stadium-sized pop-rock; it was a brilliant finish. And that's all I want - a hard hitter, that can throw its punches.
Overall: 9/10 - there are some songs I suppose I didn't like personally, but, it could honestly be a grower; and every Muse...or just rock...fan should own this album. It should have pride of place in their dusty record collection.
Top Track Unnatural Selection
