Review: Muse- Simulation Theory

In a failed attempt to create an album filled with 80's nostalgia, Muse pump out another disappointing release.

Contrary to the music, this could be the best album cover of 2018.

While many shat on 2012's The 2nd Law, I found that record to be a fairly enjoyable arena rock album. In 2015, they followed that up with the painfully uninspired and bland album Drones. At this point, I lost almost all hope for finding enjoyment out of a band that was the soundtrack to a large percentage of my youth.

The first single they dropped leading up to this album's release was "Dig Down" and it is arguably the worst song this trio has ever recorded. It was so bad, I told myself I wasn't going to listen to the completed album. But here we are and let me preface this by saying this is not as bad as I was imagining. While Simulation Theory is pretty awful, it did surpass my rock-bottom expectations.

This project starts out with an enthralling and epic track "Algorithm." This song is backed by these heavy and dirty sounding synthesizers that might as well be directly ripped from a Kraftwerk project. Next up is "Dark Side" which isn't half bad as well. It has this irresistibly catchy hook with Bellamy laying down a great vocal performance. Up next is the track "Pressure" which is another great 80's soaked arena ballad that contains the kind of solid riffs that remind me of what makes old Muse so appealing. At this point, I am thinking to myself, "what the hell, there is no way they are going to pull this one off and make a good album."

Well, to no one's surprise after the first three tracks this thing takes a steep nose dive. All the 80's drenched aesthetic that made the first few tracks engaging gets replaced with a lot of modern day electronic and pop clichés. The song "Something Human" sounds like the Muse and Kygo collaboration that absolutely no one wanted. And good lord, "Get Up and Fight" was the equivalent of auditory cancer.

I hope Muse can one day come back and create a project worthy of their early discography. But until then, I am going to transport myself back to 2008, hop on the bus to middle school, throw on Origin Of Symmetry, and pretend this album was never created.

Rating: 3/10

Essential Tracks: Algorithm, the Dark Side, Pressure.