[Album Review] Will Of The People by Muse

After 4 long years, Muse is back with a new album. Here’s my take on it.

When Will Of The People was first announced in March of this year, I was feeling two emotions at once: excitement and worry. As a fan of the band (since 2013!), I was of course glad that they are finally releasing new materials. On the other hand, I was also worried because Drones (2015) and Simulation Theory (2018) are a hit-or-miss for me (though I absolutely love some of the tracks on those albums). I was afraid that I would hate this album, because the two singles they put out up until that point were not my favorites. I refrained from listening to any more songs until the full album is released. Now that it is out, I think it’s… okay? Definitely not as bad as I expected, but not as good as I hoped it would be either.

There are some good parts in this album. First off, this album offers a variety of sounds and features more guitar, which I appreciate. It’s an improvement from Simulation Theory for sure, which mainly featured 80s inspired sounds. Some of the tracks are heavy and I think old Muse fans will enjoy. I also found that a lot of the tracks in this album remind me of their older songs. Apparently Muse were approached by their label to release a “Greatest Hits” album, and Matt said they’re going to make a greatest hits album but with new songs. So that may explain why the tracks sound similar to their previous works.

However, this album is not perfect. Now, I gotta admit I don’t listen to Muse for the lyrics, so I don’t really pay much attention to it whenever I listen to their songs. But some of the lyrics in this album made me do a double take and say “seriously, Matt?”. There are some goofy moments throughout this album that you have to listen for yourself. As for the concept, the theme of this album is more or less similar to their previous 4 albums (starting from The Resistance, released in 2009). It’s about political revolution and overthrowing the government, you know the drill. I don’t have an issue with the concept itself, but I wish they would’ve gone for something different this time around, you know? It gets tiring after a while. But what I found the most disappointing was how quiet the bass was. I could barely hear the bass in some of the tracks. I wish it was louder because one of the thing I look forward to the most with every Muse releases is Chris’s bass line.

Here are my thoughts on each tracks:

1. Will Of The People
   The album starts off with Psycho’s little brother. Yup. That’s immediately where my mind went when I first listened to this track. It features the line “Will of the People” chanted by a crowd throughout the song, which I quite like, surprisingly. It’s a fun song, a bit corny, and for some reason it reminds me of a cover they did a few years ago for Halloween (this one https://youtu.be/GO81TnRw1Mc) and now I can’t stop visualizing Matt singing this song while wearing the outfit in that video.
2. Compliance
   This song was released on the same day WOTP was announced. I wasn’t a fan of their first single Won’t Stand Down, so I was hoping this song would be better. I was wrong. Now I don’t mind synths, but boy is the synth on this song annoying as hell. I didn’t listen to it again until the album is released, and I was hoping my opinion on it would change. Again, I was wrong. The song is only four minutes long but it just drags on and on and I can’t stand it. There’s only one good part of this song and it’s Chris Wolstenholme’s bass line.
3. Liberation
   After listening to the garbage that is Compliance, I really thought the album was going to be even worse. I wasn’t expecting much from this track, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much I like it. This song has Queen vibes all over it, which I’ve seen some people complain about. As a fan of both bands, I don’t see a problem with it. It’s quite similar to United States of Eurasia which was also influenced by Queen. Dom’s drum work is great, and this track features Matt on the piano which is always a treat. I’ve had it on repeat for a while, and it’s my #1 favorite out of all.
4. Won’t Stand Down
   This track was released as a single all the way back in January, and I never really have strong opinions about it. I don’t think it’s bad, not at all. It’s one of Muse’s heaviest songs and I think the chorus is pretty good, although the verses could be better. A lot of people like it, but I just can’t get into it and I don’t know why.
5. Ghosts (How Can I Move On)
   Muse’s first ballad in this song, and Matt is once again on the piano. If I recall correctly, I think this is the first song in Muse’s discography that features the piano as the only instrument. According to an interview, Ghosts was made for those who lost loved ones due to covid. It’s beautiful and haunting, and I really like Matt’s vocals in this track. It’s a nice shift after such a heavy song like WSD.
6. You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween
   I’m not sure where I stand on this track. First of all it gives me Somebody’s Watching Me/Thriller vibes, and I like those songs quite a bit. It’s catchy. I also like Dom’s drumming, especially at the end. The song is goofy as hell though, and clearly Muse don’t take themselves too seriously with this track. I‘m just baffled that this song is included in this album. The music video is epic though, so there’s that. I think this song is okay, and it will probably grow on me after a couple more listens.
7. Kill Or Be Killed
   Now THIS is a BANGER. It reminds me of several tracks from the old Muse albums, with a little bit of Reapers in the mix. Matt’s guitar solo is awesome. Muse commented on the music video for this song that it is their heaviest song to date, which I have to agree. I feel like old Muse fans will appreciate this song the most. One thing though, I can barely hear the bass in this song.
8. Verona
   Another one of their ballads. When I went on twitter on its release day, I saw a lot of people saying this track is easily one of Muse’s best songs (ever!), so I had a high expectation for this track. However it ended up being an okay song for me. I like that the song feels space-y like Exogenesis: Symphony, so it might grow on me after a few more listens, but for now I think it’s average.
9. Euphoria
   This track sounds like a mix of Blockades and Time is Running Out to me. A blend of old Muse and new Muse. Uplifting and energetic. Some people say it’s similar to Revolt, but I don’t see any similarities (Revolt is one of my least favorite songs of theirs). It also kind of sound like an anime soundtrack, and I’m not mad at it. It gives me, ehm, euphoria, and it’s one of my favorites.
10. We Are F*cking F*cked
    First of all, I had a good laugh at the title. It’s just so goofy and silly, which I think Muse is trying to embrace. Compared with the closing tracks in the previous two albums, I feel like WAFF is the best closing track among the three. I actually think the instrumental is pretty neat. It’s unhinged, raw, messy, and a reminiscence of Knights of Cydonia (especially the last minute of the song). But I just can’t really take this song seriously with a title and lyrics like that.

Overall, I think this album is fine. Not their worst, but also not their best. But knowing Muse, I know it’s going to grow on me sooner or later.

Favorite tracks: Liberation, Kill Or Be Killed, Euphoria

Least favorite tracks: Compliance, Compliance, Compliance

Rating: 3/5 ★