Drones

#50

[THE WILDERNESS - ALBUM 18]

Now it's time for an extremely hot take. 'Drones' is probably my second favourite MUSE album.

It used to be my favourite; but time passes, and tastes mature. However, nostalgia is the sugar that makes all art taste sweet. Beyond that, this is by far the bands most ambitious album - it's the closest thing we've ever got to a real concept album from them (and I LOVE concept albums). I think this is where the dystopian motif that the band has become so well-known for (and so attached to) is at its best. Would it have been more effective if this was the first (and last) time venturing into this motif? Of course. If they had come out of 'Black Holes' with this, things would have been very different. It feels like this is the album they spent the last two albums trying to create. And then for some reason they tried to keep making this album???

Anyway, I appreciate the scale of the project, even if it doesn't quite reach the level it could have been at. And yeah, it's lowkey cringe and highkey "I'm fourteen years old and this is deep"; but hey, we're all allowed at least one piece of media like that that we unironically like.

Track list breakdown:

Dead Inside - Honestly, the opener is one of the few songs I'm not that crazy about. (6/10)

[Drill Sergeant] - Doesn't really count as a song, so I won't rate it. But I don't dislike it - for as cringe as it is. (N/A)

Psycho - This is just the epitome of MUSE for me. A fat guitar riff that carries an entire song on its back. A track I always look forward to. (9/10)

Mercy - I like the switching from the fast moving verse to the wide open chorus. (7/10)

Reapers - This is MUSE firing on all cylinders. From the very opening this song is just electric. It just keeps moving and dropping absolutely mega new sections. One of their best songs imo. (10/10)

The Handler - Solid MUSE song. (7/10)

[JFK] - Also not a song. Also don't really know what the point they're trying to make here is. (N/A)

Defector - Cringe as hell but I love the way this song undulates bro. (8/10)

Revolt - Even cringey-er, but I can't lie, it works on me. Makes me feel young tbh. (7/10)

Aftermath - I like the stuff with the guitars, but the vocal melody is a bit basic for me. (6/10)

The Globalist - When I first heard this track, I was completely set back at the scale of it. Now, having listened to a Swans record, I scoff at the idea of a ten minute track being seen as 'really long'. However, this the most narrative-based MUSE song I know, so I do appreciate it for that. I like a song with a story. And I like the placement of this song a lot. More albums ought to have a finale - even in their mid-era, MUSE knew this. Not all the sections are made equal though (the countdown segment is easily the best). (8/10)

Drones - This is a really impressive and subversive way to end an album (at least sonically). It's also an incredible showcase of vocal talent that shouldn't be dismissed. (8/10)

Ranked:
1. Reapers
2. Psycho
3. The Globalist
4. Drones
5. Defector
6. The Handler
7. Revolt
8. Mercy
9. Dead Inside
10. Aftermath

Seeing as this is the last MUSE album I'll be reviewing in a while, I think it's a good time to reflect on my feelings on the band as a whole (especially on their less-loved era). As I have mentioned before (specifically in my 'Car Wheels on a Gravel Road' review) I am not a big lyrics guy; in fact, more oft than not, they go straight over my head - unless they are being directly spoken (or in very rare cases - examples coming eventually). And I think this disposition may perhaps make me immune from what is supposed to be MUSE's worst aspect. This explains a lot. So, I'm sorry that most of you can't enjoy these albums at the same level as I do; but hey, you'll probably get a lot more out of most other music.

As for me, I'll keep listening to this record - holding onto some sense of what it was like to be a fourteen year old getting into music properly for the first time. (8/10)