SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

When I first heard Supermassive Black Hole on the radio, I was shocked, more than anything. I've been listening to Muse since mid-2003 and am a huge fan of both Absolution and Origin of Symmetry, and this was definitely not what I'd come to expect from the band. The vocals in the verse were all wrong, and the drums sounded like they'd been taken straight out of Bill Bailey's cover of the hokey cokey. I wasn't very impressed.

Being a radio single, however, I had it thrown at me repeatedly. And actually, I really started to enjoy it. There is definitely some Muse in there (if you look hard enough!), the instrumental work is actually really interesting, and the backing vocals in the chorus are incredibly catchy. And I've even got used to (and actually quite enjoy) the verses, which I previously hated to death. Though it's easy to debunk it very quickly, it's an addictive song. It grows on you immensely, and has become one of my favourite Muse songs.

The second track, Crying Shame, sounds a lot more like what you would expect from Muse. The guitarwork is the most striking thing about this song, though the drumming is also superb. My only complaint is that it does feel as though it's been cut short a little bit.

As a single, it's very good. However, as a single, it's also non-essential, so I can't give it more than a three star rating. The songs independently are worth a lot more than that, and I was tempted to give it a five before reason caught up with me, but in the end the CD is more of a teaser for the new album than it is a stand-alone record. Only two weeks left, now!

Muse do a Radiohead - Official!!!

At least, that's the way it seems with this apparent re-invention.

This single can be summed up in a single word: Different.

It's not Prog Rock or anything like it - it's quite obviously a hit single. A hit single, moreover, that is inspired by no less than Prince, or Artist formerly known as, or squiggle, or whatever he calls himself these days... not to mention Britney Spears.

Oh.

I did mention Britney Spears.

Well, it's all there - but fortunately this is still a Muse song, even if by a moderately re- invented Muse. There are no subtleties here - there is simply nothing coy about the title "Super Massive Black Hole" - and it's not even about a Super Massive Black Hole - it appears to be about relationships that suck you in, turn you inside out and spit you out the other side a tangled mass of spaghetti.

Never had one of those?

You haven't missed much - and you won't miss much by not purchasing this single, which is a good song, but of little interest to proggers; I'd suggest you wait for the album instead. From the tracks that are legally available, ie those that Muse have performed live, it sounds like the album will be another cracker - "Knights Of Cydonia" is what you lucky people in the good ol' US of A are getting instead of this, and my advice to you, especially if you're not familiar with the proggier side of Muse is to buy it, and buy it again for your friends - it's quite brilliiant and could be the gateway song you need to get your friends into Prog!

Gah! Why won't Muse release "Knights..." over here instead?

I don't review singles very often.

Here's why.

Buy the album instead :o)

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

What always aMUSEd me about Muse was the beautiful videos.. odd enough, I never thought about purchasing any of their albums.. up to today. I saw the video for Muse's most recent single Supermassive Black Hole on television and I thought it was a rather 'danceable' song weird enough. The rhythmic section is really bouncy and gives the song a rather un-muse feeling. It wasn't as catchy as for instance their Sing for Absolution single (at least for me, because Supermassive is really more mainstream than SfA), but after repeated listens I could really enjoy the song. In fact, I was humming the tune almost all day long yesterday!

Want to hear something awkward?? I was clubbin' last weekend and all of a sudden I hear this song coming out of the speakers in the youth café of my hometown.. now that was strange.. this was the same café that said "Jamie Foxx is no party music" but they play Muse instead.. quite a contradiction, but I don't mind hehe.

As an addition to this single, the b-side Crying Shame is added. This hardly two and a half minute long song is more in the typical Muse style than Supermassive Black Hole itself. The drums are overactive and the guitars are omnipresent, but none of it is an annoyance.. not at all. It is a crying shame that they left this one of the new album, I guess it would have been a great single on its own! The melodies are very catchy, while still maintaining the typical Muse freakiness that made them so popular.

I don't wanna waste my time, so I'll be short. I don't understand this rating here, because that single couldn't be the reason of including Muse on the site. This has to be the the worst song/single off Black Holes and Revelations. 1. Supermassive Black Hole: The main track is not just not prog, not even rock. Although being quite experimental, it is rather strange than interesting, the orchestration is disturbing.

2. Crying Shame: The B-side song cannot save it from being a one-star release. It's more acceptable for a prog fan, but as it is a two and a half minute long hard rocking song it's nothing special.

And it doesn't mean that such a short song can't be good