Ah destiny. It was only a matter of time before the universe spoke and Muse found themselves in the same studio as Robert John 'Mutt' Lange, the producer who famously recorded one note at a time on Def Leppard's Hysteria, the record that still sounds like it has come from the future, 28 years after its release.
Lange's bloody mindedness seemed like the perfect bedfellow for the Devon outfit's bombast, but sadly when the trio (prog) rocked up to The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, they didn't have their best material with them. Put simply, there's nothing on concept caper Drones that 2009's The Resistance and 2012's The 2nd Law didn't do better. It's no ordeal to listen to but it doesn't advance the Muse story to any great extent, especially when the hiring of Lange suggested some career milestone.
While there was talk that Drones would see Muse ease off on the sonic shenanigans and get back to more meat and potatoes riffage (Lange did AC/DC's Highway to Hell and Back in Black), it's as prone to pomp as its predecessors, just not as good.
Perhaps Steve Albini should be the next person at the controls. In the meantime, if you're Wall-ed and Tommy-ed out and looking for a concept album with it all try Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime.
Harry Guerin
