Album #17 : Muse - Origin of Symmetry

Muse

Origin of Symmetry (2001)

Muse. Currently one of the contenders for Biggest Band In The World. Frequently cited by many in the music business as the worthy successors to Queen. Experimental, bombastic, freakishly talented musicians; progressive rock is just not supposed to be as cool as Muse currently are.

Part of this rise to power has come at a price, however. The unfortunate set of circumstances that saw them forever linked to a poorly written set of pulp romance novels now means that they gain fans as much because they're "hip" rather than because of their music. It also means that many people swanning around screaming OMG MUSE aren't familiar with anything pre-Black Holes (witness the many blank looks that accompanied the tracks from their first few albums at their live show a couple of years ago). This is a real pity, because their first few albums (and you'll forgive my hipster moment here) are far more cohesive works than their more recent releases (I'm looking at you, The 2nd Law, with all your crap filler and your dubstep).

Origin of Symmetry was the band's second album. It saw them adopting a much harder rock sound while incorporating more synthesisers and electronic sounds into their work. It contains some songs that are live staples of the band and amongst their finest compositions. 

In my opinion, it is their best album by some distance. Allow me to walk you through the album and explain why.

The Album

We start with the sensational New Born, a song based around a scuzzy guitar riff and a hypnotic bass line, courtesy of the sensational Chris Wolstenholme. Matt Bellamy's vocals cover everything from a breathy whisper to some frankly worshippable falsetto work. However, everything comes back to the guitar riff and that bass line. It's one of the best album openers you'll ever hear. Bliss features synthesiser arpeggios and yet another thumping bass line. Bellamy's vocals in the choruses again alternate between an aggressive manliness and that angelic falsetto. It's a song that would be a standout on many other albums but is overshadowed on this one, because it's sandwiched between New Born and the frankly underrated Space Dementia. Despite the naff CHEER UP EMO KID lyrics (a fairly common complaint of this album), it features the multi-talented Bellamy playing a wonderfully complex piano melody throughout. It also flips the standard quiet verse/loud chorus concept on its head - the verses are in your face, while the choruses more laid back with synthesiser lines providing the base track, and Bellamy's dreamy phased vocals floating around....in space.

(I'm sorry, it had to be done).

Hyper Music is next, and it's nothing special, just another driving bass line and some fairly crap lyrics. It's followed by Plug In Baby, a really high energy rocker featuring a sweet guitar motif, booming choruses and some more of that falsetto magic. It's a great tune with very few weaknesses.

After that comes the album's highlight, and arguably the band's best song, Citizen Erased. The screaming guitar introduction indicates what you're about to hear, as it's followed by five minutes of pulsating, furious synth and guitar driven progressive hard rock. It just sounds so BIG - there is no minimalism here, just balls-out bombast and it's glorious. However, it's broken up by the second verse, which is serene; the eye of the hurricane, as it were. Bellamy's vocal becomes sweeter, less urgent than the first verse, while underneath his guitar noodles away providing texture. After that though it's back to BIG SYNTH ROCK.....except for the last two minutes which are again slower; the synths are turned down, Bellamy plays a calm lead break, the piano kicks in and we are treated to some absolutely beautiful music. 

Micro Cuts is okay as a song; there's more tremendous bass lines from Wolstenholme that drive the song, but the most interesting thing is Bellamy's vocal - the entire song is delivered in an over-the-top operatic style. What's truly amazing is that he hits every note magnificently. It truly is testament to just how good Matt Bellamy is as a singer. Late on the operatic vocal disappears and the song finishes with a pumping slice of hard rock - just guitar, bass and drums working together in harmony to sound monstrous. The fairly forgettable Screenager comes next, and other than the Spanish-influenced guitar it's not an interesting song at all.

The last three songs though cap the album off nicely. Darkshines has enough about it to be interesting - some nice guitar licks from Bellamy, yet more pumping bass and an intriguing guitar melody that sounds like it was lifted from a mariachi song about a man walking to his death. Feeling Good is indeed a cover of the famous croony song that people like Michael Buble (!) have recorded. Trust me when I say that this may be the definitive cover; it retains enough of its original character and charm that it still sounds like the original, yet it is unmistakably Muse - synth heavy with those booming drums. The final track of the album, Megalomania, is dominated by a church organ (yes, a real church organ, recorded in a REAL CHURCH!) It's a truly amazing sounding instrument, especially on this song, as it adds a sense of grandeur to proceedings. It's pure stadium rock in both scope and sound.

The Verdict

Origin of Symmetry is an absolute belter. There's barely a weak spot on the album, the musicianship is first class and the songs are amongst Muse's best. The lyrics are a bit average, though this is something that, it transpired, wouldn't get much better. Hindsight tells us that the album's title was somewhat prophetic (apart from the symmetry bit) as it's this album that is the origin of what is considered the Muse 'sound' - that blend of synthesiser and guitar, thumping, dominant bass lines and booming cannon-like drums. There are also hints of other things that were to come - increasing use of electronic instrumentation and writing songs with several different 'movements - that the band started to build on in later years.

Anyone new to Muse should, in my opinion, start with this album, then work through the rest, because this album is the band at their best. Undisclosed Desires and Supremacy might have gotten truckloads of airplay in the last few years, but they are pale imitations of what Muse truly is (was?) capable of.

My rating: ****

Standout Tracks

Citizen Erased

New Born

Space Dementia

Tomorrow, Arcade Fire, or How I Learned To Stop Wondering Why Everybody Keeps Crapping On About Arcade Fire And Telling Me "Oh, You Like David Bowie, Right? Well He Likes Arcade Fire So You Should Too".