Supergroup Muse went back to basics—or at least their version of it—for Drones, the British band’s seventh full-length studio recording and first to top both the U.K. album chart and Billboard Top 200. They’ve been on a steady climb in the U.S. since October 2009 when The Resistance hit No. 3, followed by 2012’s The 2nd Law hitting No. 2. This fall finds them on the North American leg of a worldwide tour that ends in June of next year when Muse plays a handful of Scandinavian dates.
England’s favorite prog-rock sons sought to strip their sound down for Drones, after stretching stylistic boundaries with The 2nd Law, while continuing to explore dystopian themes. Drones has a more cohesive concept than its predecessor, depicting a protagonist who seeks redemption after becoming dehumanized by warlike authoritarian forces. Bombast bursts from opening track “Dead Inside,” with singer/guitarist Matthew Bellamy’s falsetto making its familiar presence known before the riff-romp of “Psycho” clarifies which track from the album will ascend highest in Muse’s canon.
Bellamy, bassist Christopher Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard went for an “in-the-round” stage design for The Drones World Tour with runways and a circular stage in the center of the venues. Reportedly there may be actual drones flying above the crowds during shows, but their potential for world domination was unknown at press time.
Mandalay Bay, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9, $39.95-$74.95 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
