Allen J. Schaben
This past summer, I decided to listen to bands and music that I was unfamiliar with.
My friends recommended that one of the bands I listened to should be Muse, since I only knew a song or two from them. I started with their 2001 album Origin of Symmetry and immediately fell in love. From Matt Bellamy’s fantastic vocal range to their lavish instrumentation, Muse quickly became the band of my summer.
However, since 2012, Muse fans have been conflicted with their recent change in sound and direction. I skipped their last two releases, Drones and The 2nd Law, since I didn’t hear great things about them. But, I decided to give their latest release, Simulation Theory, a listen.
With each single they dropped leading up to the album’s release date, it was clear they were going to deviate even more from their usual sound. Songs like “Dig Down,” “Something Human,” and “Thought Contagion,” were catchy, but they did not feel like traditional Muse and were nothing special.
In fact, they highlight the worst parts of Muse’s songwriting: Repetitive choruses and lyrics that leave a lot to be desired. Speaking of things that are left to be desired, the overall theme of Simulation Theory is a great concept, but it is underdeveloped and poorly executed.
From the opening track, “Algorithm,” the listener is told that the story of the album is about a man who realizes he is trapped in a simulation and his mission to escape the false reality. It is an interesting concept that is reminiscent of The Matrix film, however, Muse’s take on this concept is lackluster and superficial.
That being said, I believe the album has a strong start. Both “Algorithm” and “The Dark Side” assert the album’s theme and the synths make for a great instrumental.
Another highlight on the album was “Blockades” near the end of the tracklisting. This is a song that feels like it could easily fit into Absolution.
Bellamy’s vocal work on this song has that classic Muse energy that I adore. While this was one of my favorites on the album, I have to say the instrumentals on this song weren’t that memorable. Unfortunately, this is where my praise of the album stops. Simulation Theory is a mess of an album that has a lot of half-baked and ridiculous ideas.
Muse’s sudden switch to synthpop and an 80s aesthetic seems more like they are late to a trend rather than a genuine artistic venture.
Most of the 80s inspired synths throughout the album feel uninspired and annoying. I can’t help but roll my eyes now whenever I see someone trying to recreate that aesthetic.
One of the biggest problems Simulation Theory faces is how lazy and unimaginative some of the songs can be.
For example, “Propaganda,” which I think is the lowest point of the album, has a bizarre intro that repeats the word, “propaganda” for a painful amount of times; it becomes annoying.
Bellamy also shoehorned in a Harry Potter reference in this song that feels so out of place, I think it was to appeal to millenials and let them know Muse is “cool.”
“Get Up and Fight” is another low point in the album that incorporates a “millennial whoop” right at the beginning of the song.
To add on to that, the lyrics are very simplistic and lazy. I could find the same ability of songwriting from anybody on the Top 100 charts.
I have no problem with artists venturing out and expanding their artistic horizons, but when it is this lazy and unoriginal, then I have to ask myself: What even was the point?
Simulation Theory could have been an interesting concept for Muse to tackle, but unfortunately, it continues their trend of flat and forgettable material.
Caesar Torres
Editor in Chief