....they're watching you...from above (Origin Of Symmetry - Muse)

Member Name: dreamerz

Product:	Origin Of Symmetry - Muse
Date:	18/06/01 (246 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A couple of excellent tracks

Disadvantages: Too long, too epic, too much!

'I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other.'

Muse should pay attention to the words of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, ambition on the scale displayed by this their second album can only lead to disaster. Well perhaps disaster is going a little far, and I’m not about to suggest that Matt Bellamy is in danger of having his head cut off by a mad Scotsman but one does get the feeling that Muse are trying a little bit too hard. This album is overlong, overambitious (sorry that word again), overblown and probably lots of other words that begin with ‘over’. This not to say ‘Origin of Symmetry’ is without merit, however, too many songs lurch into unintelligible histrionics, outstay their welcome by a good couple of minutes or generally reek of pomposity.

Well that was a negative way to begin a review so I shall attempt to stay my criticism for a moment. Muses’ debut album ‘Showbiz’ was an excellent fusion of the gothic pretensions of say Placebo with the choirboy vocals of Jeff Buckely. Oh and a healthy side order of Radiohead. Well to be fair the Radiohead comparison has been emphasised far too much. Yes there is more then a hint of Thom Yorke in Bellamy’s voice and yes the ghost of ‘No Surprises’ lurks around ‘Unintended’ a little too blatantly but Muse owe just as much to many other post grunge ‘angst rockers’. However, with Radiohead abdicating their responsibilities as a guitar band par excellence, on the evidence of their debut Muse looked well placed to fill some of the yawning gap they have left behind. Muse, however, seem to have other ideas.

Bellamy has said that his key musical influences were not only ‘Nevermind’ era Nirvana but also epic classical music, in particular the work of composer Hector Berlozi. One gets the feel
ing therefore that ‘Origin of Symmetry’ with its epic stylings is an attempt to create a fusion of the two. Sadly the occasionally cod operatic style creates the impression less of Kurt Cobain fronting an orchestra and more of some surreal entanglement between Queen and Black Sabbath.

Not that this is always a bad thing. It has already been noted that first track and second single ‘New Born’ has a sense of rewriting ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ for the 21st century. Beginning with haunted sub classical pianos and supplemented by the same Mediterranean bass line that graced ‘Muscle Museum’ Bellamy’s voice is at first subdued, quietly slipping into a falsetto as the tension slowly builds. And then explodes with the furious entrance of several fuzzed up guitars; the bass is turned up, the drums kick in and all hell breaks loose. Underneath the elaborate instrumentation, tempo changes, six-minute length and endless guitar solos is actually quite a simple melody, which confirms to the standard verse-chorus formula. Thankfully it stands up quite well to the battering that the band choose to put it through and although confusing on a first listen ‘New Born’ emerges as one of the better songs on the album albeit one which walks the tightrope between the sublime and the ridiculous.

If ‘New Born’ successfully negotiates this tightrope with the majority of its pride intact ‘Micro Cuts’ tumbles over all too soon. Erie church organs and a prominent bass line open the track atmospherically, although the overall effect is a little too akin to the soundtrack of a cheap horror film. The whole thing stumbles dangerous however when Bellamy’s vocals enter, singing rather like a choir boy undergoing painful torture the lyrics are rendered almost completely unintelligible. The track however, transforms to farce with the chorus as Bellamy’s voice manages to rise comicall
y higher so his warble becomes almost a scream. Muse may have been aiming to send a chill down the listeners spine at this point but the majority of us will probably be rolling around with laughter by this point, so comic is the effect. Thankfully the track clocks in at just under 4 minutes, the last minute being an extended guitar solo anyway, mercifully quick compared to the majority of the LP.

Second track ‘Bliss’ in contrast is excellent and far closer to the standard that Muse set out on their debut. Unlike many of the album tracks it is a clipped, punchy four-minute rock song with a tremendous central hook. Riding in on a shimmering keyboard line the guitars come crashing into the mix early on and Bellamy’s voice is a punky sneer as he spits the ironic lyric “Everything about you is how I’d want to be.” No crazy key and tempo changes, no hysterical screaming pretending to be singing just a catchy guitar line and a song which sticks in your subconscious. Wonderful stuff that sadly makes the majority of the album look far worse then it actually is in comparison.

First single ‘Plug in Baby’ is cut from a similar cloth but a little more ragged around the edges. The opening squeal of feedback blends into a wind up guitar line before another army of apocalyptic guitars charge into the centre of the mix. This is a track that is simply begging to be played at full blast and screamed along with. There is an exquisite release of tension between the end of the verse and the explosion which is the chorus. The track even manages to get away with some passionate screaming as it closes without seeming ridiculous, in your minds eye you can see Bellamy smashing his guitar on stage.

The epic pretensions too can create some memorable music. Beginning with a naked riff of distorted guitar before a farting Jar Wobble bass enters and synth strings stir bleakly in the background ‘Citizen Eras
ed’ makes quite an entrance. The melody is strong enough to survive a vocordered falsetto in the chorus and the melodic diversions sit together far more comfortably then elsewhere. The tempo changes here actually add to the atmosphere and the closing section which is dominated by a warm and restrained fuzzy guitar is quite beautiful. Tellingly despite being the longest track on the album you don’t notice the length whilst listening. This is the closest Muse get to rewriting ‘Paranoid Android’ yet the sound created is unmistakably their own.

Sadly the rest of the epics are more worthy of scorn then praise. ‘Space Dementia’ starts off promising with a decidedly spooky piano being tinkled, unfortunately Bellamy enters quickly, apparently attempting to play the Phantom of the Opera so hammy is his vocal. The distorted squeak of a chorus is particularly risible. Closing track ‘Megalomania’ meanwhile goes the whole hog, at first threatening to break into the theme from Zorba the Greek but building up to a stratospheric explosion of Hammer Horror organs, and a Bellamy wail of epic proportions. Although the track is far shorter the ‘New Born’ or ‘Citizen Erased’ it still manages to outstay its welcome my a good few minutes. Its pomposity is almost admirable in a devil might care fashion but hardly an enjoyable listen.

The preceding two tracks are thankfully more worthy. ‘Darkshines’ despite the idiotic title is an enjoyable blend of the epic panache with more brevity then shown elsewhere and rests on a memorable hook. The dark gothic tinged cover of the Nina Simone classic ‘Feeling Good’ is also enjoyable and shows a flair for interpretation.

‘Origin of Symmetry’ is overall something of a mess. In places it’s a very entertaining mess and it features a couple of the finest songs I’ve heard to date this year. However,
too much of the album chokes on its own pretensions and it’s a little too epic to listen comfortably to in a single sitting. Marks for trying then but still could do better.

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