Almost every song from this album is mediocre, forgettable, and overall, not really worth any repeated listens. Exogenesis Symphony has its moments, but it really drags on too long. I can enjoy MK Ultra and the title track from time to time, and, while it seems to be one of the least popular Muse tracks, I kind of like Guiding Light. I know it makes me sound basic as hell, but Uprising is by far this album's best track in my opinion. And I know that its about the same length as some of the other, better albums, like Origin, but The Resistance is not nearly as engaging. One of my major issues with this album is that it seems to just drag on for so damn long, way overstaying its welcome. Unfortunately, they followed up BHaR with The Resistance, which is a real mess. I can't think of a lot of bands that have ever released such a strong trio of albums consecutively. Origin Of Symmetry, Absolution, Black Holes and Revelations. Simulation Theory is not necessarily a bad album, but if you were going to listen to a Muse record, why would you pick this one? As for the two tracks I haven't mentioned, Propaganda and Break It To Me, I could honestly take 'em or leave 'em. Thought Contagion, Get Up And Fight, and Dig Down are all songs that I do not care for at all, and I often forget that Something Human and The Void even exist. But pretty much everything else from this album just blends together almost nothing is memorable, and some of it is downright unenjoyable. Algorithm is good too, and I guess Pressure and Blockades have some merit to them. Really the only song from this record that I listen to on a semi-regular basis is the second track, The Dark Side, I think that's definitely Simulation Theory's best. Even the high points and best tracks from Simulation Theory don't come anywhere close to the middle-class tracks from, say, Black Holes and Revelations. Everything on this album is just very mediocre and average, or pretty bad. But that being said, I'm not wild about the group's latest effort. Each one is enjoyable and appealing in its own right. On an album packed with such catalog standouts, the highlight here is "Blockades," which propels along a pounding gallop that recalls "City of Delusion" and "Knights of Cydonia." While Simulation Theory might appear to be overly polished mainstream trickery - all part of the simulation! - it's purely Muse at heart, successfully merging electronic-pop songcraft with their typically urgent, stadium rock foundation.Does the WORST Muse album really exist? I don't think so. The uplifting "Something Human" is the "Invincible"/"Guiding Light" of Simulation Theory, leading into singalong anthems such as "Thought Contagion" and the politically charged "Madness" redux "Dig Down." Swedish singer Tove Lo even makes an appearance on the unexpectedly gorgeous "Get Up and Fight," a huge rallying cry produced by Shellback. His Prince love returns on the slinky, Timbaland-assisted "Propaganda" - the type of camp that Muse have been perfecting for years - while an homage to Tom Morello's guitar stylings - wonky, down-tuned riffs and hip-hop scratching - collide with Bellamy's pseudo-rapping on "Break It to Me." On the second half of the album, the mood is lifted as the simulation begins to crack. From here, the simulation gets weirder as some of frontman Matt Bellamy's big influences rear their heads. After the dramatic opener, "Algorithm," introduces this new Muse era, they launch into "The Dark Side," one of their strongest singles to date, which blends the urgency of "Bliss" with the groove of "Map of the Problematique." Meanwhile, "Pressure" is a rollicking, horn-backed blast that wouldn't sound out of place blaring from the stadium speakers at a football game. Fully embracing their sci-fi tendencies, the trio dip into the nostalgic '80s, tapping the aesthetics of Tron, Blade Runner, and composer John Carpenter. Unlike these same predecessors, there's also no filler or wasted time, making it the most compulsively listenable and immediate Muse album since 2006's Black Holes & Revelations. The least complicated or overly conceptual offering (for Muse) in over a decade, the 11-song set is focused and cohesive, blaring down a neon-washed highway of pulsing synths and driving beats while swerving to avoid the orchestral and dubstep meandering of their preceding 2010s output. On their eighth effort, Simulation Theory, they attempt to break through the virtual matrix in search of that human connection and freedom from the machine. Whether they're fighting alien invaders, shadowy government conspiracies, or the Apocalypse, Muse always do it for love.
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