Muse - The Resistance
by Dan MacIntosh
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There is much to respect about Muse. If you've ever seen the band in concert, you already know what a great live act they are, as their musicianship is unparalleled among modern day alternative acts. Vocalist Matthew Bellamy is equally adept at shredding on guitar, as he is at playing classical-good piano. My experience with Muse live is perhaps unique because I saw the band on a bill with a bunch of annoying hard rock bands, such as Papa Roach, which gave them a kind of messianic appeal in that context. Nevertheless, they were still extremely good, despite the poor competition.
However, there is much that is frustrating about Muse as well, and the new The Resistance helps illustrate these frustrations. The first single, for example, is vague to the point of utter annoyance. When Bellamy exclaims, "They will stop degrading us/They can not control us," just exactly who is this 'they' he is complaining about? Is it a government? Is it organized religion? Is it big business? How can anyone rise up against an enemy, if they do not even know that enemy's name? He later adds, "We will be victorious," which begs a similar question; who is this 'we' he's referring to? If I'm one of the 'we' involved in this dispute, I'd sure like to know it. Wouldn't you?It's ironic how Muse gets lumped in with alternative music. Many of these songs feature Bellamy shamelessly ripping off Queen's Brian May for his grandiose guitar solos. Not that there's anything wrong with that, by the way; Queen is just not the best model for alternative rock bands. With its dynamic, orchestral swells, there are moments during "United States of Eurasia", for instance, when I half expect the band to go right into "We Are the Champions", in fact. This CD closes with a three-part symphony titled "Exogenesis." Now, the last time bands tried to integrate classical music with rock & roll, it was labeled progressive. And truthfully, Muse is little more than a progressive band, dressed in alternative clothing. Once again, that's not really a bad thing. But alternative music is supposed to be an alternative to mainstream rock, correct? Therefore, Muse is carrying on the progressive rock tradition, and should be noted as such. It stands to reason that if they're not offering an alternative, they're not an alternative band.
The Resistance is a well played and memorably melodic recording. It's enjoyable to listen to, from start to finish. However, it's only after closer inspection that this recording's flaws begin to show through. Ultimately, it's a lot of sound and fury, not signifying a whole heck of a lot. Listening to it is akin to having a government spokes hole pontificate about vague solutions to our current recession. But we don't want generalities; we need solutions! If five suspects were lined up in front of a witness, and the witness said, 'Ah he looked a little like all five of those guys,' wouldn't you be upset? Well, that's what Muse has done with The Resistance. They've pointed their fingers at an endless array of modern day bad guys, without really telling us who's to blame. And such reluctance to name names makes The Resistance far too easy to resist.
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