Muse - Simulation Theory

Nitefly · 9 Oct 2018 at 13:27

A new album and a new thread by me. Five of the new songs have been released so you can listen to those as a mini-album already.

My initial thoughts were that the album art was annoying and pretentious but the songs released so far are fairly decent tunes, raising my expectations.

Also looking forward to the Bristol gig - nice of them to play where I live!

Nitefly · 10 Oct 2018 at 08:10

Scam said:
Haven't listened to the tunes but apparently they're playing the Royal Albert Hall and tickets go on sale this Friday. Zero chance of getting any I'm sure, but I will try...

There are actually some going in pre-sale today if you have a code.

JediFragger said:
Not the best review in the world then...

Shame, they had such potential at one point

I said that in a ‘stroking my chin / nodding head’ way. I’m far more enthused than my initial listens of the 2nd Law. That album sounds like Muse didn’t know where they were going. I can listen through what’s available now without contemplating a rolling of eyes, which is saying something by Muse’s bombastic standards

Nitefly · 10 Oct 2018 at 09:11

Standing tickets acquired \o/

Nitefly · 10 Oct 2018 at 09:22

Tute said:
Had a presale code so considered it but am I getting old or are the prices just getting a little out of hand now?

It was £105 plus a fee. I guess it’s a charity concert so eh.

I expect tickets for their stadium tour to be £80.

Nitefly · 10 Oct 2018 at 12:36

Scam said:
Did you guys get a code just from buying the album? Or is there another way?

And £105 per ticket? Or for two?

There is a way on the muse website to get the code without purchasing the album. Go on the website, find the presale links and look for ‘no purchase necessary’ and go from there. The London presale for the December show is now over - there will be another stadium show in London at a later date.

It was £105 each.

Nitefly · 10 Oct 2018 at 12:48

One More Solo said:
The more I've paid to watch Muse the less I've enjoyed it. I think the last gig I actually enjoyed was Wembley in 2007 and since then it's been downhill. I've no doubt they'd still be great in a smaller venue but the arena/stadium shows these days are "meh".

I think the whole ‘in the round’ set up they were doing is great for seating but dreadful for standing atmosphere. I imagine watching at reading with a rowdy crowd would be great fun. There days people standing with smart phones ruin everything :/

It also doesn’t help they’ve been playing some fairly uninspiring songs upon each new release. I don’t know who hears ‘Mercy’ live and says “oooo my favourite!” yet they have closed their main set with it recently!

Nitefly · 11 Oct 2018 at 11:13

McGray said:
Just checking you got tickets for the London show rather than the Bristol one?

I just bought tickets for the London show at the Royal Albert Hall. There will be later dates in London and Bristol but these have not been released yet.

On Friday (i.e. tomorrow) more tickets are on sale for the Royal Albert Hall show.

Nitefly · 12 Oct 2018 at 15:53

Scam said:
Well I don't know why I bother with gigs of this size. Just ends up ****ing me off when I miss out. Had RAH Friends and Patrons membership, saw they had a batch of tickets, great I thought.

But their website didn't have a buy button until 9.05, when it then kept sending me round a loop thinking I wasn't logged in (couldn't click button for members to proceed). By the time I got through there were only terrible seats left, I thought **** it I'll buy them anyway - by the time j did that and clicked buy they were gone. By the time all this happened obviously the main gigs and tours site was sold out.

**** it all to hell. Honestly. Going to call the RAH and complain later.

Oh no

The gigs and tours . com website is, I think, the easiest website to ensure you get tickets. It doesn’t place you in a queue so you can mash F5 on multiple browsers until you get in. Managed today to bag a second set of standing tickets for RAH on behalf of my brother - I concede that is probably quite lucky. Didn’t mean to rub it in, just an FYI for next time.

Nitefly · 12 Oct 2018 at 17:55

Scam said:
Yeah. I mean it's all luck really. I might have managed if I didn't have the fiasco of their website.

But that said - I sent them a stern complaint note this morning before p) I had calmed down properly, and they rewarded me by holding two seated tickets in the stalls! I just phoned to pay-up, so I'm going! Woop!

Ah excellent!!

Nitefly · 24 Oct 2018 at 10:09

@Scam John Williams is cancelled... well, he won’t be conducting. Nooooooo.

Nitefly · 9 Nov 2018 at 10:01

So this album came out in full today. Initial impressions are that the songs that were released early were the better ones (as you’d predict). Haven’t completely made my mind up on the others...: although really not sure on Properganda!

Nitefly · 12 Nov 2018 at 12:12

After a few listens, my view has largely unchanged: songs released pre-album are good, songs released with the album are ok to meh. Can’t see those ones growing on me but fingers crossed.

Algorithm - cliched 80s sounds about 2 years to late.
Dark Side - best cut on the album by far
Pressure - fun toe tapper, catchy
Properganda - the voice saying properganda is horrible and jarring. Otherwise sounds like ‘Prince’. Doesn’t really work.
Break it to Me - curious funky riff but uninspired lyrics and boring Middle Eastern scale singing
Something Human - Great chorus and unusual lyrics
Thought Contagion - Imagine Dragons. Quite a pleasant listen.
Get Up and Fight - DJ Sammy
Blockades - Just rather forgettable
Dig Down - Fun lyrics and toe tapper
The Void - more cliched 80s sounds and really bland lyrics

I definitely like that Matt has droppped those silly overdone vocals most prominent on ‘Supremacy’.