Black Holes and Revelations

I think Mel Gibson's new movie, 'Apocalypto' stole it's title from Muse. For if ever there was a title for a Muse record, that was it.
The closing track on Muse's new record, 'Black Holes and Revelations' is entitled 'Knights of Cydonia'. It opens up, before the intro, with the sounds of galloping horses and laser fire. Seriously. This is Muse, 2006-style. Flying in the face of the current in vogue notion of 'keeping it real', Muse defiantly look to the stratosphere and beyond. Black Holes (Supermassive ones at that), other universes, futuristic knights, it's all here. And it's here HUGE. Like everything Muse have ever done, they embrace their overblown pretenses with a vigour that is as admirable as it is impressive.
Opener, 'Take a Bow' is all fire-and-brimstone anti-incumbent-government diatribe, with intergalactic overtones. Following straight after is 'Starlight', which may be Muse's first ever straight-out love song, with intergalactic overtones. 'Supermassive Black Hole', is three minutes of Muse giving the finger to Rogue Traders, TV Rock and BodyRockers. All sexy rhythms, falsetto vocals and pumping, thrust your hips guitar. With intergalactic overtones. 'Invincible' is a big, triumphant, marching-band produciton, all uplifting lyrics and high, soaring guitar noise. Suddenly, in it's place is the best 80's cock-rockin' finger-tapping guitar solo this side of Def Leppard. Muse sure know how to close out a song. However, no intergalactic-ness here. But the highlight has to be "Assassin", where Muse decide that, just for one song, they'll do thrash metal. And how. Blistering drum work and painfully fast fretting leaves you exhausted after nearly 4 minutes. I don't know what they're singing about, but I assume there's some intergalactic overtones to it.
Muse, with this, their fourth LP, have fully established themselves as one of the most exciting, interesting and imaginative bands in the world. It's a shame Mel forced them to change the title of the record (the current one's still pretty good), but never has Armageddon and insanity seemed this exhilirating, or fun.