The Resistance

Currently Listening To: Muse - The Resistance

It's been a while since I've reviewed any music, so here's a review of Muse's fifth and latest album, The Resistance.

This is also the first time I've downloaded a Muse album in full, usually I only go for a few selected songs per album.



Hmmmm interesting cover, can't say I like it though.

I'm actually listening to the album as I'm typing this, so this review would my very first impression of it - so far every single song is super duper dramatic. It's like a very long symphony, and has a classical yet operatic feel to the whole thing.

One thing's for sure - it's very varied. No one can ever fault The Resistance for sounding too samey.

I can safely conclude that lead single Uprising is the one and only more commercial sounding track, cos everything else is just over-the-top, and you can tell that Matt Bellamy, the lead singer, was seriously influence by Queen. Like seriously.

In fact I think the main flaw of this album is that it takes itself too seriously. Or rather, Matt Bellamy takes it too seriously I guess. Didn't really pay any attention to the lyrics yet, but from what I've read it's all very anti-government. Not that I'm complaining, but that is one very heavy subject.

It's nearly the end of the album now, and my head's feeling reeeeeally heavy.
Looking through other reviews for it.
Rolling Stones - not really liking the album, I see.
The reviewer from The Star wasn't very into it either. Both gave it a 3 out of 5 stars.
Pitchfork Media and NME gave it an average rating of about 5.95 out of 10. Which translates to 3 out of 5 lol.
Q magazine and Allmusic loved it - then again Q gives almost everyone 4 out 5 anyway so yeah.

Tracklist:
1. Uprising
2. Resistance
3. Undisclosed Desires
4. United States of Eurasia/Collateral Damage
5. Guiding Light
6. Unnatural Selection
7. MK Ultra
8. I Belong to You/Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix
9. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)
10. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination)
11. Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)

My final verdict? Well, it's too much. I mean, I do like some of the songs but overall it is way too fancy, way too dramatic, Adam Lambert would be absolutely excited about this album but not me!

The Exogenesis Symphony is like, listening to a rock version of Maksim. Individually, each song is only about 4 minutes long but as a whole it feels like a 30-minute overture.

Would I listen to this album from start to finish again? Yes I would, but only once in a while. It's better than say, Keane's Perfect Symmetry or Coldplay's Viva La Vida in terms of variation, but seriously the other two are a lot more accesible.

Final Rating: 6.8/10
Recommended:
Resistance, Undisclosed Desires, United States of Eurasia, Unnatural Selection.

(Come to think of it, even the song titles are super fancy O.o)

BTW I'm really liking Keane's new song Sovereign Light Cafe. It has an old-school feel to it and I like that. No fancy, trying-too-hard stuff. In other words, no Perfect Symmetry, Viva La Vida or the The Resistance (the whole freaking album, not just the song)!

Kris Allen

Currently Listening To: Taylor Swift - You Belong To Me

Kris Allen must be the first American Idol to release a cover for his first single outside of the whole American Idol thing.

I mean seriously. Do you know what this means? It means that he's still being thrown under the bus even after WINNING the freaking title.

How sad can it get??

Oh yeah. Kris fans not realizing the significance of that. And insisting that it's all right.

No it is not all right. He's the American Idol for heaven's sake! He deserves his own song, not some stupid cover. Whether the song was released by the original artist or not, it's still a freaking cover. Argument null and void!

All I can say is...poor Kris.

If anyone's wondering about the song, it's a cover of The Script's 'Live Like We're Dying'.

You know what, I think No Boundaries as the winning song is already bad enough. Now this? Just sad. Real sad.

On the bright side, the song's not too bad. The not so bright side - he sounds exactly like the lead singer of The Script. That, is not a good start for his career. You're suppose to sound like yourself, singing your own songs. Not like someone else!

Hopefully the rest of the album won't be covers, or else you are the next Westlife my dear Mr. Allen!

So Kris, once you're done with this album? Leave this record label and find someone else more willing to invest in you.

(If Adam Lambert releases a cover as his first single too I'm so gonna scream!)

Le Sighs

Currently Listening To: Kalafina - Storia

It's semi-official.
The blogdom is semi-dead.
Meaning nobody's really updating anything anymore.
And that includes me.
In fact, I'm only blogging now because there isn't anything else for me to do.

Aargh I'm damn bored.
It's the holiday season again.
The Raya break's only two days, but looks like all the lecturers are on MC...
So I'm officially free tomorrow until...God knows when.
To sum it up I'm free for two weeks.

I love holidays and all, but I don't really know what to do for the next two weeks.
It's gonna be boring like hell!
On the bright side I just got wireless today.
No longer confined to my messy desk.

Also, for once I'll be attending the Inti prom.
Just got a dress for it today. Might be a little fancy I think, but who cares.
It's a prom! For some odd reason Taylor Swift's dress in the Love Story vid comes to mind. Love that dress.
The next thing to do is to shop for new heels.
A lovely way to waste mummy's money.

Anyway, zoning off for now.
Till next time.

(It's a dry spell for bloggers now I guess)

A Boring Weekend

Currently Listening To: Akiko Shikata - Katayoku no Tori

Alright, it has been more than ten days since I last updated my blog.

Whatever happened to updating my blog at least once a week eh?

Well at least it's not once a month haha.

Not that anyone's updating their blog often lately anyway.

Now rushing to finish off the case study for HR Management.

Thought it's suppose to be due on the 18th, but it's due on Monday instead.

Just started working on it yesterday afternoon.

Thank God this time I made amazing progress! Only 200+ words to go and I'll be free!

Guess I really do work better under pressure.

Unfortunately when I'm done with this I'll have to start working on a 10 page long case study for Managing Change.

What can I say? Screw assignments!

6

Currently Listening To:Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

Oh my g--!
It's week six already.
That's like...halfway through the semester.
I really hate it when time flies.
It just leaves you feeling...displeased and discouraged.
Well it makes me feel displeased and discouraged anyway.

I finally found the softcover version of The Last Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko in Borders!



I've been waiting for that book for...almost a year already. Unbelievable. Feels like I've just read The Night Watch yesterday.

I have other books in mind too...waiting for my MPH voucher so I can get the softcover version of Inkdeath. Saw this book called Ink Exchange. Looks interesting but it's a series...again.

(Ok this is gonna sound crazy but I intend to do this...stock check on the books I own, and see how much I've spent on them. Thanks Becky for this wonderful idea @_@)

What else?
Handed in three assignments today.
Yep, three in one day. Lovely.
One more due next week.

I guess there's nothing else...

Oh yeah one more thing...

CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S SEPTEMBER ALREADY!

Also, I've finished downloading the first season of The Tudors.
Will watch it during my next main break I suppose.