Muse - Drones review

9/10

Muse: Drones album artwork

After what has seemed like the longest three months of my life, Muse have finally released their long awaited seventh studio album, Drones.

The follow up to 2012’s The 2^nd Law, Drones takes the English trio back to an older style, which many fans have been expecting since the release of Black Holes and Revelations in 2006.

Drones is the first proper concept album the band have made. The closest they have come to it before being the three part Exogenesis Symphony at the end of their fifth album The Resistance.

As you may have guessed from the title of the album, it explores the concept of drone warfare and the use of technology in war. However, it also explores the concept of a human being as a drone – someone who can be manipulated and controlled by a higher power.

'Drill Sergeant' and 'Psycho' really hammer these points home. A drill sergeant can be heard shouting “Are you a human drone?” and “Are you a killing machine?” during Psycho, which has a strong riff which the band have been using live for over 15 years.

Songs such as ‘Psycho’, ‘The Handler’ and ‘Reapers’ take Muse back to a heavier and older sound that was described by Matt Bellamy before they started making them album. These three songs have strong riffs and really show the bands ability to strip everything back and create a three-piece sound, with Reapers containing one of the most intricate and impressive guitar parts Bellamy has ever written.

The second half of the album sounds different from the first, with songs such as 'Revolt' being a little more pop like than previous songs. The second half also takes a less stripped back approach to the first, with songs such as ‘The Globalist’ and ‘Aftermath’ using extra parts such as orchestras.

Influences from fellow British band Queen can be heard strongly in songs like ‘Defector’, which has a strong riff and features Matt Bellamy’s falsetto voice frequently.

Despite the second half of the album not being what I expected, I still really like it. It shows how the band are still willing to experiment and change despite some peoples dislike of their previous two albums.

Muse: Drones Deluxe Edition, including: Double Vinyl, CD, DVD and two exclusive artwork prints

I think it’s only fair to give the last word to ten minute long epic ‘The Globalist’. Billed by the band as the sequel to Origin of Symmetry classic ‘Citizen Erased’, the song is a ten-minute epic about the protagonist from the story destroying the world with a nuclear weapon.

The song takes inspiration from so many different such as classical music and this creates a really well rounded song, which showcases the many talents of the band. With one of the heaviest riffs Matt Bellamy has ever played, the song really picks up pace for a frantic middle section, and then slows down again for a calm and strong ending to one of the most impressive the three piece have written to date.   

Some will see Drones as a return of form for Muse after they’re experimentation on The Resistance and The 2^nd Law. However for me, Drones is a continuation of a staggering form that they have continued across all of their albums.

Muse: Psycho review

Teignmouth trio Muse have finally put their fans out of their misery and have released the first single of their upcoming album 'Drones'.

The British rockers have been releasing teasers of the new album on social media over the past couple of months, giving fans a taste of what to expect from their seventh studio album.

At the base of the new song 'Psycho' is a riff that the band have been playing live for over 15 years, and has actually been given it's own name by the fans themselves!

The song really shows the back to basics nature that Matt Bellamy has used to described the style of the forthcoming album. The riff is an incredibly strong one, taking fans back to their earlier albums in a powerful blast of guitar. With some interesting lyrics over the top, 'Psycho' never slows up and keeps fan on their toes throughout!

The lyrics show the fact that Matt Bellamy is still into his conspiracy theories, with lines such as "I'll make you into a super drone, and you will kill on my command" showing the concept album nature of 'Drones'.

It seems fitting that the band should bring out such a strong song in the year of their 20th anniversary, as it really showcases their intention to keep pushing the boundaries of what they can do.
   

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted review

So our favourite group of four animals are back for their third adventure, still attempting to get back to their beloved Central Park Zoo home in New York. However they have a problem. The penguins have run off to Monte Carlo with the plane they have built - the only way that Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria would be able to leave Africa and return home!

So Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria then embark on a journey to Monte Carlo, to chase after the penguins and get a ride hone on their plane. While in Monte Carlo they run into a few difficulties while finding the penguins but they finally find a solution to their goal of getting home to New York, or so they think.....

I would give Madagascar 3/5 and worth seeing for any lover of Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria and also any fan of animated comedy.
Let me know your views in the comments below.

I have been strudders and I hope you have found this review useful and I hope to update you on more media news and reviews soon.

(Picture taken from http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/35347856)

MUSE: The 2nd Law review

So on October 1^st MUSE’s 6^th studio album The 2nd Law came out and as a big MUSE fan I was very excited to hear what they had to offer. During the summer they released 3 singles from The 2^nd Law – Madness, The 2nd Law: Unsustainable and the official London 2012 song Survival.

Now these three songs are all very different from each other which made me and a lot of other people question what genre the album would be and to be honest it’s a mix of genres.

Songs like Madness, The 2nd Law Unsustainable and Follow Me are dubstep and others are rock which I think is good as it shows that MUSE are changing but are still appealing to many audiences and personally I like this change and hope they carry on with it and carry on with the mix of genres.

As they did in their 5^th studio album The Resistance with the Exogenesis Symphonies, MUSE have put two mainly instrumental songs at the end of The 2^nd law with The 2^nd Law: Unsustainable and The 2^nd Law: Isolated System. These two songs are quite different from each other as Unsustainable is dubstep and Isolated System is electronic. These songs also give us why the album is called The 2^nd Law – it is to do with the 2^nd law of thermodynamics which can be heard being described by the the voiceover in Unsustainable and Isolated System. Also the object on the album cover is a scan of bran activity and is very colourful and similar to the cover of their 5^th studio album The Resistance.

Again MUSE have bought out an album which has redefined themselves again and and they now encompass many genres and as a massive MUSE fan I like this new direction that they are going in.  

Let me know what you think, what your favourite songs are and your views below.

I have been strudders and I hope you have found this review useful and I hope to update you with media news and reviews soon.

The Dark Knight Rises Review

The Dark Knight Rises is one of the most eagerly anticipated films of this summer and it finally landed in cinemas yesterday.
I went to see it yesterday evening and I was not disappointed.

The Dark Knight Rises starts by introducing a new villain, Bane played by Tom Hardy. Bruce Wayne has become a recluse, staying in his mansion and Batman has not been seen in the city for years. As the film progresses Bane slowly breaks through Gotham City's defences and tries to start a revolution that could bring Gotham to it's knees. It transpires that Bane and Batman have a common past and Bane's actions are a real test to see if Batman can rise and if he does still exist. The introduction of Catwoman played by Anne Hathaway into the mix adds more twists and turns into the plot which are unexpected and interesting.  

After a few dastardly acts by Bane, Wayne finds it harder than ever  to resurrect Batman and rise again as he has to save himself and above all save Gotham City. The films follows Bruce's and the community of Gotham's  struggle against a new evil.  


I would give The Dark Knight  Rises 5 out of 5 and a must see for any superhero movie fan or any action fan.

The shootings in Colorado have shocked the world and reignites the debate about whether violence on screen  engenders violence in society.  

Let me know your views below.
I have been strudders and I hope you have found this review useful a and I hope to update you with media news and reviews soon.
       

The Dictator review

Having heard so much about Bruno and Borat from my friends I knew that I had to go and see The Dictator to get a taste of Sacha Baren Cohen's types of films.


The Dictator is about Admiral General Hafez Aladeen who is the dictator of the Republic of Wadiya which is set in North Africa. The film tells the story of Aladeen's reign and the mischief that he gets up to during his reign over Wadiya. One of these problems then becomes is that Aladeen is building nuclear weapons in Wadiya and because of this he has to travel to America to address the United Natoins security council.

As events unfold in America Aladeen finds himself having to do many things that he would not normally do which makes for some hilarious moments throughout the film which you will remember long after seeing the film.

With many hilarious moments in the film I would give this a 5/5 and a must see for comedy fans.

I have been strudders and I hope you have found this review useful and I hope to update you with media news and reviews soon.

Dark Shadows review

With Dark Shadows having a very strong cast of Johhny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green and Helena Bonham Carter it gives you high expectations and i'm glad to say it doesn't disappoint.


The film tells the story of a vampire called Barnabas Collins played by Johnny Depp who has been freed from being trapped in a coffin for two hundred years and of his return to his ancestral home to find his relatives living in the 1970's. However Collins doesn't realise how much time has gone by since he has been trapped in the coffin which therefore leads to a few problems with his judgement of situations. 
With a few twists and turns in the plot along the way Collinns suddenly finds himself having to do whatever he can to protect his secret of being a vampire and to protect his ancestors business from an arch enemy of his.    


Dark Shadow's is a parody if all of the famous and popular horror and vampire films and this adds to the comedy of the already quite funny situations and comments made. 


I would give Dark Shadows 4/5 and a must see for any horror or vampire fans. 


I have been strudders and I hope you have found this review useful and I hope to update you with media news and reviews soon.