BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS - MUSE
Like supersizing fries when the portion is already too big, “Black Holes and Revelations” further bloats Muse’s raucous crescendos and space-rock anthems with heavier synths and weird, Queen-like harmonies. Don’t be mistaken: The pomp and circumstance helps make Muse a great band to begin with. But bigness does not an anthem make, or at least not at the expense of the Big Chorus. Though the album grows stronger as it lurches on, the trio’s pursuit of bombast leaves the killer melodies lost in outer space. The falsetto psychedelia that is first single “Supermassive Black Hole” feels shaky, and the otherworldly prettiness of “Soldier’s Poem” feels like filler. Matthew Bellamy’s vocal performance is fantastic (as usual), particularly on “Invincible” and “Take a Bow,” but the album ultimately is dragged down by its own heavy hand. Billboard
