Drones

by Muse

Overview

Muse, and Matt Bellamy in particular, make no bones about Drones: their seventh album is political through and through, a bold statement concerning the dehumanization of modern warfare. As Muse is not a subtle band -- any suspicion they were is erased by the artwork depicting a hand controlling the joystick of an office drone controlling a joystick directing drones -- it's hard to avoid their conclusion that war is bad, but this inclination to write everything in bold, italicized capital letters is an asset when it comes to music, particularly here where they've teamed with legendary hard rock producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Always a sucker for oversized guitar riffs and bigger drums, Lange also allows the trio to indulge in a bit of Floydian fantasies -- the made-to-order dialogue of "Drill Sergeant" is straight out of The Wall -- but he spends much of Drone sharpening Muse's synthesis of every arena rock idea ever essayed. Echoes of other bands can certainly be heard -- an early Radiohead influence still lingers, due largely to Bellamy's vocal phrasing, but that can soften into a glimmer reminiscent of Coldplay, while elsewhere they aim for the majesty of U2 and the showboating velocity of Van Halen ("Reapers" opens with an erupting hurricane of finger-tapping pyrotechnics), but this absurdly overstuffed synthesis is unmistakably Muse's own, so thunderous it drowns out any good intentions the band may have had. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/08/2015
Label:	Warner Bros.
UPC:	0825646121250

Tracks

1. Dead Inside
2. [Drill Sergeant]
3. Psycho
4. Mercy
5. Reapers
6. The Handler
7. [JFK]
8. Defector
9. Revolt
10. Aftermath
11. The Globalist
12. Drones

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Muse   Primary Artist
Chris Wolstenholme   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Dominic Howard   Primary Artist,Drums
Matthew Bellamy   Primary Artist,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Strings,Harmonium,Keyboards,Mellotron,Percussion,Synthesizer,Synthesizer Bass,Vocals (Background)
Marco Corsini   Violin
Andrea Scacchi   Cello
Sarah Cross   Cello
Edodea Ensemble   Orchestra
Eliana Gintoli   Cello
Martina Rudic   Cello
Gianmaria Bellisario   Violin
Michael Shildah   Voices
Anna Minella   Violin
Eduardo De Angeles   Violin
Francesco Sacco   Cello
Freimerr Von Dellingshausen   Cello,Violin
Gian Guerra   Violin
Gian Lodigiani   Violin
Linati Omar   Bass,Contrabass
Maria Lucchi   Viola
Massimo Clavenna   Bass,Contrabass
Michael Shiloah   Vocals,Spoken Word
Michelle Torresetti   Violin
Serena Palozzi   Viola
Tommaso Belli   Violin
Valentina Emilio Eria   Viola
Valerio D'Ercole   Violin
Will Leon Thompson   Vocals,Voices,Spoken Word
Valentina   Viola
Audrey Riley   Strings,Conductor
John F. Kennedy   Spoken Word
Robert John "Mutt" Lange   Vocals (Background)
Edoardo de Angelis   Violin
Emilio Eria   Viola
Elia Mariani   Violin

Technical Credits

Matt Mahurin   Illustrations,Package Design,Art Direction
Martin Cooke   Mixing
Adam Greenholtz   Engineer
Jacopo Dorici   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Giuseppe Salvadori   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Tom Bailey   Assistant Engineer,Engineer
Mario Borgatta   Mixing
Durand Trench   Engineer,Recording,Dialogue Engineering
Eduardo De Angeles   Contractor,String Contractor
Robert John "Mutt" Lange   Producer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Audrey Riley   Arranger,String Arrangements
Edward Elgar   Composer
Matthew Bellamy   Arranger,Composer,Dialogue,Lyricist,Producer,String Arrangements
Olle Romo   Engineer,Programming
Muse   Producer,Package Design
Rich Costey   Mixing,Producer,Mixing Engineer,Additional Production
Dominic Howard   Producer
Chris Wolstenholme   Producer
Alessandro Cortini   Engineer,Synthesizer Engineer
Nicolas Fournier   Mixing
Eric Mosher   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina   Composer
Tommaso Colliva   Engineer,Producer,Additional Production
Giovanni Versari   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
John Prestage   Engineer,Assistant Engineer