Thom Yorke sound alike----did you even listen to the album? That (dead horse beaten )accusation might have held substance on some previous albums, but this album is drastically different vocally. Its deeper and more gutteral....not the high pitched 'nasal' sounds of the past.

And next rung of pretentiousness? MUSE has infused classical music, opera style symphonies before....jsut to name a few off the top of my head....Micro Cuts....Butterflies and Hurricanes....Apocalypse Please...CItizen Erased....etc.

I dont see how their brave path of composing a rock symphony would be considered snobbish. They are putting in on their album for all to hear and enjoy.

You complain that they are sell outs who "yearn and churn" hits yet you chastise them for trying out radically different sounds of music from anything else thats out there.

Its a great feat in my opinion if you try something radically different and it becomes popular.

↑ Fan-boy alert!

This album is better than the last. Muse are pretty good.

This guy has no idea what he is talking about. He's talking about only 2 songs plus the symphony. What about The Title Track, Unatural Selection, MK Ultra, etc... Great album. Thom Yorke???? I think this dude is reading the review from Entertainment Weekly or People magazine (They know a bunch about music).

Sean Fennessey... This is the same idiot that gave Rain Machine 4 Stars. Go back to your day job.

I am a fan of both Muse and Radiohead, but comparing Matt Bellamy to Thom Yorke is like comparing Brokencyde to Nine Inch Nails. An insult.

Does this guy get paid good money for writing this stuff? Has he even listened to the album? Why do people always mention Thom Yorke/Radiohead when talking about Muse? They do NOT sound alike!

If you've watched any interviews with Muse, you'd see that they are definitely not pretentious or snobby. They are three very down-to-earth guys who enjoy making kickass music. Their fan base is extremely loyal and supportive.

I think all of their albums are brilliant! Each has its own unique sound and energy. They definitely do not get stuck in a musical rut when making a new album. To truly appreciate Muse, you need to listen to all of their albums. And, don't forget to check out their excellent B-sides.

The Resistance is no exception! It is an amazing album from start to finish! They experiment with some new sounds, and as usual, do a fabulous job!

This CD is ok, but does not come close to the genius of Depeche Mode's "Sounds of the Universe". DM have album of the year!

I think this is muse's greatest album. The symphony was a courageous move. And in my opinion, it is amazing. And Matt Bellamy is way better then Thom Yorke. Matt is just more dramatic.

Just close your eyes and listen to the whole entire Exogenesis saga.

If thats not good music, God knows what is.

Muse Rocks... period.

Muse is just the best band for taking you on a musical journey through human emotions! All of their albums have the ability to do this! They are simply amazing! The more you listen to their music, the more you'll appreciate them!

This is a disappointing review. Matt Bellamy is not only talented he's culturally relevant. Like very few contemporary artists, he knows how to fuse various cultural and musical influences in a way that makes it look almost effortless. The Resistance is a beautiful example of artistic achievement and musical skill.

I don't think it's fair to refer to skill as 'pretension.' As the other commentator pointed out earlier, what about the other tracks on the album? A 'close reading' of a piece of art needs to be done more, well, closely. One owes that much to the artists, after all.

i love muse. i love their music and ive grown up listening to them.

this album to me stands out so much from the rest and i look at the album as an entirety as a pose to a collection of great songs.

@Dan Thom Depeche Mode's Sounds of the Universe as album of the year? Seriously? That has got to be one of the most disappointing albums of the year. My thoughts on it: http://www.twgeek.com/tw-geek/2009/08/sound.html

But The Resistance is absolutely brilliant. Upon subsequent listens I am discovering more depth musically and lyrically and am just enjoying the hell out of it. Can't wait to see them open for U2 in Dallas!

I love Muses music but have sometimes found it hard to listen to Bellamys vocals because of the strange noise he always makes when he breathes in when singing anything high tempo. I may be wrong but it seems to have disappeared on this record. Only taken the lad 10 years to sort the problem out! Anyway, think this album is musically taking some risks, especially the three part end opera, and its good they're not just sticking out the same thing over and over, although 'Unnatural Selection' sounds abit 'New Born'y. Ill have to listen to it a few more times to decide if it works for me. Lyrically and conceptually its a bit predictable following on from there last two albums. It'd be nice to see them take a slightly different direction than a third album of impending apocalypse and fighting 'them' against all odds. Saying that it does suit their overblown epic musical soundscapes and maybe it wouldn't work with a ligher subject matter.

BHAR is a much more entertaining album, hands down. The Resistance might even be their worst so far, IMO.

For Muse, this album is lyrically and creatively weak. It brings nothing new or interesting to the listener, only more of the same "Resist The Man!" Muse sermon.
The best part is when they begin the album with the Dr. Who theme.

Flame on.

Everyday Wisdom says: The principles of abundance, synchronicity, detachment, and oneness are operative in this universe. We do have the choice to either want to tune in more and work with an alliance/base-beat or tune out almost completely and go for the jungle street heat.

Plight

Mr. Fennessey, you are a miscreant for jibing Matt Bellamy's beautiful falsetto vocals as "nasal." Don't hate just because your vocal range isn't 3 octaves and 2 notes. In fact, your voice registers no importance to anyone.

Resistance might be Muse's most artistic album yet! Not to mention that all of their albums are vastly complex and deep in both lyrics and sound!
While "United States of Eurasia (+ Collateral Damage)" could be perceived as reminiscent of Queen during the chant, the rest of the song is brilliantly original.

And Matt Bellamy’s symphony "epiphany" was not snobbish or a "ridiculous bit of self-serious posturing" -- it was pure genius. Get an IQ test Fennessey, I am certain yours would be defective.

Muse, your talent is making history while fueling my obsession!

Music is a big priority in my life, I listen to Cat Stevens, Megadeth, George Strait, Coll. Soul, Jethro Tull, Eddie Vedder, Jim Croce, Hair bands, Classical music. I find something from every genre I can love. I like most Radiohead, found it sloppy, like a jam session, (just some of it). They sound similiar sometimes, but not enough. People here or there can tell the difference. Yes Muse sounds some like Queen, David Bowie, Radiohead, but these bands have been very influential to rock even 30 years ago. How many great bands out now sound some Nirvana some? (Seether, Puddle of Mudd) Or Tool? (Chevelle, too many more to name.) Maybe if everyone was too unique, it would be hard for people to decide what type of music they like. I like music that doesn't cry about drugs, abandonment, anxiety, bad parents, broken hearts all the time. Muse has vision, in a sense like Rush did, but deeper to the unknown. Laced with the melodies, it creates wonder. If anyone could ever attempt to create a masterpiece as dimensional as "The Wall", it would be Muse, the best band I have ever heard in my life. At first I don't like how they evolve, but I buy it anyways, because I know it will affect my curiousities and satisfy me.
I evolve with it in 2 days. They stun me.

Again, another lame and pointless review form Spin....This is getting dumber and unbeareable everytime a 'critic' writes about new records!!! i would really want to listen to something from these pathetic reviewers have ever made... of course they haven't even make music. Comparing Yorke to Bellamy?? Are you kidding us???? What did you listen to? shame on you!! getting paid for writing wrong and cuestionable reviews!!! maybe you have issues at home, and you want to get attention!! Nobody who has listened to this album could be agreed with these poor paragraphs!! This album is great, and shows how geniuses are these musicians, and how brilliant is Bellamy, and not a snub...but, your envy is self explanatory and evident!!! Next time, please, at least listen to the whole album, and at least 3 times...and of course be smart, yes, just a little bit, because nobody is falling for your lousy and untrustful review.

Really? Another Thom Yorke/Matt Bellamy comparison? I do like some of Radiohead's music but Muse and Radiohead DO NOT sound alike!! Maybe if you have a major hearing disability or just copying what someone else said from People or EW (sorry, had to use it) then maybe yes.... but Muse have such a unique sound that I haven't heard from any other band, and The Resistance proves it! They use styles and techniques that most other bands are SCARED to even think about!! They are simply brilliant! I do believe they are on their way to making into rock history. And these three guys are totally down to Earth. Just watch any of their interviews and in no at all are they snobish!

I remember first hearing Muse on the alternative rock satellite channel my coworkers and I used to listen to back in 1999/2000. Muscle Museum and Uno would come on every so often and I eventually had to purchase Showbiz. Immediately I recognized a similarity to Radiohead and was compelled to share it with my friends, many of whom were huge Radiohead/Thom Yorke fans. For some reason it didn't take with them. For me, this would set the stage for Muse to unseat Weezer as my favorite band with this album (this may be because I don't feel Weezer has made a better album than their "blue" album).

Though the influence of previous bands can be recognized in their songs, Muse has always had a unique sound. The tango rhythm of the two songs I first mentioned really drew me to them and from there I was hooked. I think it is unfair to criticize this album (The Resistance) for its symphonic tracks when that has been a mainstay of most of Muse's albums. If one finds the symphonic tracks pretentious then I'd say they don't know much about Muse's "sound".

I think it is fair to say that the influence of Radiohead and Queen (in BHaR and this album) are self-evident but this should not imply a negative comparison. All musicians today draw inspiration from something they've heard before. It wasn't until 2 years ago that I began to listen to Led Zepplin. I recognized intricacies in their music that I am certain influenced many of the insanely popular bands I regarded as pioneers over the past two decades. But I do not suggest that this deminishes or disregards their musical prowess or creativity.

The question is: is the end result something unique? I say the Muse has set themselves appart from other contemporary artists without falling into parody of those bands that have influenced them.

I LOVE your comment and I completely agree with you!!