Albums of the 2000s – Origin Of Symmetry
Muse first arrived on the scene in 1999 when they released their debut album, Showbiz. Between 1999-2000 the band were touring themselves to death, playing every country and booking slots at almost every festival imaginable in order to spread the word. Whilst they were touring, the band were starting to get experimental in their songwriting and their live shows were influencing their new material. Their riffs were heavier, the rhythms were faster and the operatics were increasing tenfold. All of this was then honed as they recorded what would the Teignmouth trio’s second album, Origin Of Symmetry.
This is still, eight years on from its release, the band’s best album. It’s essentially the musical representation of a vicious rollercoaster, especially the first seven tracks – from the opening carnival piano of New Born through to the operatic piano rock of Space Dementia to breakout single Plug In Baby to the scary and riff-tastic Micro Cuts. It’s an album that see-saws with emotion and dynamics and ends with Megalomania, a song that is powered by a big church organ. All the songs showed a band willing to experiment but with no care for restraint.
In the years that followed Origin Of Symmetry, Muse would record three more albums – the slightly more mature but great-sounding Absolution in 2003, the underwhelming Black Holes & Revelations in 2006, and the satisfactory The Resistance in 2009. None of those three records, despite holding some classic Muse songs between them, would top the sheer insanity that was Origin Of Symmetry. It’s understandable that for some people it’s just far beyond OTT, but that’s why I love it so. It’s a bold, bizzare and often brilliant listen.
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Posted on September 29th, 2009 by Max
Filed under: Albums, Albums Of The 2000s
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