I  cannot believe it! I actually like a Muse studio album! They have finally captured some of that explosive energy from their live shows in the studio. Something that has always been missing. Muse are fucking brilliant live, but their records always seem flat. This one finally has a live feel.

My ears pricked up from the intro of ‘The Dark Forest ’; you can feel that energy.  ‘Cryogen’, ‘Hexagons’, and ‘The Sickness in You & I’ have that dramatic Muse sound with huge riffs.

‘Nightshift Superstar’ and ‘Unravelling’ bring something new to the table, with their groovy feel, but it’s still unmistakably Muse.

The album ends on a sci-fi vibe with ‘Space Debris’ and an emotional note.

What I fucking loved about the record was that the songs had that live energy.  They are not suffocated by heavy production. They just let that raw, urgent energy that we experience live take the lead. Fucking at long last. The choruses are as usual stadium-ready, every riff has to be heard with an ever-increasing volume to hear them in all their glory. Those songs mentioned will be embraced by the fans on the tour.

This is one of their best records ever. They have finally realised they can capture a fair bit of their live magic in the studio. Whatever songs are picked for the tour will be absolutely amazing.

Song recommendations: ‘The Dark Forest’, ‘Nightshift Superstar’, ‘Hexagons’

9/10