“Either kill or be killed.”
In many ways, Muse occupies a similar space in the modern rock landscape to a band like Weezer. Both bands remain undeniably massive, reliably turning out alternative radio hits and selling out huge tours. However, both also have groups of diehard fans who strongly advocate for the bands’ early albums as their best. In the case of Muse, this is often argued to be their first four albums, ending with Black Holes and Revelations.
While Muse have had some of their biggest hits from subsequent releases such as The Resistance and The 2nd Law, they have had a hard time escaping the shadow of acclaimed early albums Origin of Symmetry and Absolution… as well as the sense that the band has sacrificed some of their progressive ambition for commercial sustainability. Previous album Simulation Theory felt like a full-fledged identity crisis, as the band’s embrace of straightforward pop rock confounded many longtime followers.
While Will Of The People doesn’t rectify all of these problems — and still contains many of the later-era Muse touchstones that turned off early diehards — it does a surprisingly excellent job at bridging the band’s past and present. Vocalist Matt Bellamy described the album as an attempt to make “a greatest hits album — of new songs”, inspired by global unrest and the growing instability of the Western world. While this is certainly a tall order, Muse are up for the challenge. At the album’s best moments, it has the potential to win back some early fans who had long since moved on from the band’s spell.
The absolutely massive “Kill Or Be Killed” delivers a metallic crunch courtesy of a fiery Bellamy lead riff, and is a fists-in-the-air anthem worthy of the band’s early releases. It is hard to overstate this track’s potential to put a huge grin on the faces of any Origin of Symmetry diehard. Album closer “We Are Fucking Fucked” was described by Bellamy as a dark B-side dating back to the band’s early years, and, against all odds, it largely delivers on that promise. The ominous alt rock buildup of its verses quickly gives way to a thunderous singalong, and an outro that can best be described as “Knights of Cydonia” on crack. It’s cheesy to be sure, but as with much of Muse’s best work, the bombast is delivered with a knowing wink that keeps it endearing.
Even much of the pop rock theatrics on Will Of The People are more effective here than on Muse’s past few releases. Part of this is due to the album’s lean 10-track runtime, clocking in at an easily digestible 38 minutes. But it’s also because of the band’s improved quality control. Going back to self-producing seems to have given Muse renewed focus, cutting down on excess (as much as can be expected for a band like this, anyway) and delivering a surprisingly successful blend of the band’s disparate sonic eras.
“Ghosts (How Can I Move On)” is a tender breakup ballad carried by refreshingly personal lyrics, while “Verona” brings some of the synth-pop stylings of Simulation Theory back into play with much greater success. Even the cheesy ‘80s glam rock of “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween” is carried by a solid instrumental and a shit-eating grin that can be practically felt through the speakers (especially in the guitar solo).
Will Of The People is certainly not without its flaws. The title track opens the album with a heavy-handed dose of Marilyn Manson worship (of all artists to draw influence from in 2022) that falls squarely on the wrong side of Muse’s late-era bombast. And listeners’ mileage for the album as a whole will likely depend on their tolerance for the arena rock theatrics that the band has made their signature.
But it is hard to deny that this album remains a huge step in the right direction. For the first time in many years, Muse seem to have bridged the gap between their bombastic live show and the reality of the actual music they’ve been releasing. Will Of The People feels like a band rediscovering its identity, coming back with renewed purpose and something to say. That in itself is worth celebrating.
8/10
Will Of The People is available now via Warner Records.