Customer Reviews

Origin of Symmetry

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Loved it! Been a fan since ages ago and I absolutely love Muse. This is my favourite album by them~~~

While British rock band Muse are big in the UK, the US is only just starting to get acquainted with these original, entrancing musicians. And their second album, "Origin of Symmetry," they accomplish the almost impossible -- every song is epic and thrilling.

The first two songs open with delicate rippling piano intros that suddenly blossom into rock riffs. Feedback kicks off into sizzling basslines and riffs in "Plug In Baby" and "Citizen Erased," while wind chimes and an acoustic melody are at the heart of "Screenager." "Hyper Music" is the only dud. It's a discordant clatter that becomes a discordant rock song -- nuff zed.

But as good as most of the album is, Muse save the best for absolute last. The penultimate song "Feeling Good" is perhaps the best -- fuzzy chopsticks start the song, followed by a stretch of epic rock and soaring vocals. The finale is no less entrancing, a slowly stately wave of sound that slowly transitions into an equally rich rock song.

Americans really got to know Muse through their latest album, "Absolution." But it's not the only album they have done, nor is it the best. "Origin of Symmetry" may well take that honor, or at least tie with their debut "Showbiz." Relatively few people know about these earlier albums, or about the rich apocalyptic quality of Muse at their best.

Muse is definitely a band for Radiohead fans -- it has the same rich spaciness and art-rock quality, but it's more grounded and gritty. The most entrancing instrumentation is done on piano -- it can be delicate, dark, fuzzy, or outright epic. The piano is accompanied by smashing percussion, sinuous riffs and basslines, and sweeps of spellbinding electronics.

Matt Bellamy puts his good vocals to use in every song, and he's as versatile as his piano. Much of the time he opts for the smooth, low sound. But he also gets to howl, and occasionally sounds like he's been huffing helium. And the songwriting is also pretty solid, often focusing on betrayal and a lover who "was so beautiful."

Though it was a financial flop, Muse deftly dodged the ARTISTIC sophomore slump in "Origin of Symmetry," a soaring rock epic that won't be fast forgotten. An outstanding piece of work.

This is a masterpiece. The musicianship is second to none, the composition engaging, and the range of emotion breathtaking. Arguably Muse's best album. Other than Bellamy's voice they are utterly different from Radiohead.

I only wish I could see them live one day before they fade away, which unfortunately I believe they will as it's impossible to put out so much raw energy and emotion without burning out one day.

If you only get one Muse album, this is it. A supernova of an album!

On this album, Muse unleash an impressive amount of raw energy, emergency and emotion, without going in the excesses of Origin of Symmetry's follow-up, Absolution.

This is a must-own, if only for the two-track suite of Citizen Erased and Micro Cuts, Muse's best work to date.

i just saw muse live a few days back, so i decided to review the cd after just to encourage you disbelievers to buy the thing. the voice of muse is like a mixture of rock, opera and symphony. its a pure blend of energy. it makes me wanna live. its not radiohead, its muse. they are so original!!!

Just buy the damn album.
You may be hearing alot about 'Absolution', seeing as it is the first North American release of this power-driven band, but this is the album purest of energy.
The feeling of this album is hard to display in words, you can only experience it -- so do so.

A solid album with many outstanding tracks - A must have for any Muse fans.

While British rock band Muse are big in the UK, the US is only just starting to get acquainted with these original, entrancing musicians. And their second album, "Origin of Symmetry," they accomplish the almost impossible -- every song is epic and thrilling.

The first two songs open with delicate rippling piano intros that suddenly blossom into rock riffs. Feedback kicks off into sizzling basslines and riffs in "Plug In Baby" and "Citizen Erased," while wind chimes and an acoustic melody are at the heart of "Screenager." "Hyper Music" is the only dud. It's a discordant clatter that becomes a discordant rock song -- nuff zed.

But as good as most of the album is, Muse save the best for absolute last. The penultimate song "Feeling Good" is perhaps the best -- fuzzy chopsticks start the song, followed by a stretch of epic rock and soaring vocals. The finale is no less entrancing, a slowly stately wave of sound that slowly transitions into an equally rich rock song.

Americans really got to know Muse through their latest album, "Absolution." But it's not the only album they have done, nor is it the best. "Origin of Symmetry" may well take that honor, or at least tie with their debut "Showbiz." Relatively few people know about these earlier albums, or about the rich apocalyptic quality of Muse at their best.

Muse is definitely a band for Radiohead fans -- it has the same rich spaciness and art-rock quality, but it's more grounded and gritty. The most entrancing instrumentation is done on piano -- it can be delicate, dark, fuzzy, or outright epic. The piano is accompanied by smashing percussion, sinuous riffs and basslines, and sweeps of spellbinding electronics.

Matt Bellamy puts his good vocals to use in every song, and he's as versatile as his piano. Much of the time he opts for the smooth, low sound. But he also gets to howl, and occasionally sounds like he's been huffing helium. And the songwriting is also pretty solid, often focusing on betrayal and a lover who "was so beautiful."

Though it was a financial flop, Muse deftly dodged the ARTISTIC sophomore slump in "Origin of Symmetry," a soaring rock epic that won't be fast forgotten. An outstanding piece of work.

This is, in my opinion, Muse's best album. It has a very unique sound to it. Some people criticize them for sounding like radiohead but I just dont see it. Lets break it down track by track:

New born: 8.5/10
Good song very nice use of piano, high energy and very nice vocals to go with it.

Bliss:7/10
many people LOVE this song i think its an average song...not much to say it works well with the surrounding songs.

Space Dementia:9.5/10
EASILY one of the best songs on the album. very good lyrics and just listen to the vocal range. very awe-inspiring

Hyper Music: 6/10
This album just cant work with this song in my opinion, the song itself is ok at best.

Plug in Baby: 7.5/10
Good catchy song. it has more "rock" than the other songs on this album.

Citizen Earsed: 6.5/10
it jus doesn't impress me like other songs on the album do.

Micro cuts 10/10!!!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this song. The operatic lyrics the vivd vocals.....to die for.

Screenager:7/10
Decent but something is missing, and it doesnt flow well after microcuts.

Darkshines:8.75/10
Very good, catchy and delivers a good sound.

Feeling good:6/10
The songs good but i dont see why they bothered to cover it. It doesnt suit their album or style.

Megalomania:7.5/10
Good it would have gotten higher but this songs leave you hanging for more until u realize its the end...

I started listening to Muse about 8 months ago when my friend sent me the single "Time is Running Out." I absolutely loved it, and soon picked up this album.
I will tell you that I think "Absolution" as a whole is a much better work, and one of my favorite albums ever. This album doesn't quite live up, but it still is spectacular.

The work is best viewed as a whole in my opinion, kind of like a symphony where each track is its own movement. While it does have a few spots where its a bit disjointed each track is great.
From the quiet beginning in New Born to the grandiose finish, this piece moves from lyrical masterpiece to masterpiece. One of their great aspects is that the songs go from style to style not stopping and never letting down for a minute.
New Born takes you on a ride that never stops, from soft and lyrical to harder sections. Plug In Baby is probably the one unforgettable single. Feeling Good takes an 8 beat blues and makes it spectacular. While I think each song is excellent, my own complaint is that the album as a whole tends to be incredibly forgettable. That to me is a downside, and while I love listening to the album, each time I come back its only vaguely familiar.

Nonetheless this is a great work, and I highly recommend it, but I'd suggest getting "Absolution" which is in my opinion their best album to date by far.