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Muse

Will Of The People

Written by: PP on 11/12/2022 13:49:08

The Matthew Bellamy show continues on "Will Of The People", and why shouldn't it when you own the pipes of a generation? At least I can't name a better vocalist than him in the past two decades when Muse has been active. Their ninth album has been criticized for its experimentation and curveballs like the opening track so aptly demonstrates, straying away from their alternative rock magic to genreless territory much like they did on the wobbly dubstep influenced piece "The 2nd Law". But when you set these tracks aside, cuts like "Compliance" are classic Muse with Bellamy's expansive, high-pitched vocals worthy of the largest stages in the world.

The record was a response to their label Warner requesting a greatest hits album. Instead of doing that, Muse decided to go through their back catalogue and write a set of tunes highlighting their different eras as new songs instead. That's why you'll find material like "Kill Or Be Killed", one of their heaviest songs in recent memory, which features lots of "Absolution" vibes in the form of crescendoing keyboards and a massively sized soundscape. Likewise, "Euphoria" takes you back to this era. It has a danceable rhythm and a fast pace but with an amazing, back-chilling chorus melody. If the song was delivered at half the pace, it would easily be one of the best Muse tracks to date.

On the flip side, "Liberation" and its Queen-esque choral melodies are just not Muse's strong suit. Sure, the aggressive piano smashing gives the song its own flavour, but I'm missing the alternative rock vibe here. Same with "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween", here taking a stab at Michael Jackson type of glam pop. The "We Are Fucking Fucked" is also a little bit too explicit for my taste. You even have almost R'n'B-esque weirdo verses on "Won't Stand Down" with plenty of electronic effects, however, this song is rescued by its great chorus that once again references their classic old material.

If it's Bellamy's vocal performances you are after, then look no further than "Ghosts (How Can I Move On)". If there ever was a show-off track, this is it, because Matt's vocals here are given so much room to expand and fantastically traverse the soundscape.

Overall, "Will Of The People" is a solid Muse album. It's not as consistently great as "Drones" was seven years ago, but it's better than "Simulation Theory" or "The 2nd Law", for example. At the very least, it's worth it for Bellamy's revisit back to their old alternative rock sound on several songs.

Download: Euphoria, Compliance, Won't Stand Down, Kill Or Be Killed, Ghosts (How Can I Move On)
For the fans of: Placebo, 30 Seconds To Mars, Queen, Coldplay
Listen: Facebook

Release date 26.08.2022
Warner