Origin of Symmetry - Muse

Muse is a great band. I don't know too many people that will disagree with that statement. However, ask Muse fans what their favorite album is, and you'll most likely have a fight on your hands. I won't try to make any inter-album comparisons, but I will tell you, fair reader, that Origin of Symmetry is a great piece to add to anyone's collection.

I don't exactly know why, but I've always been obsessed with the way that bands choose to open their albums. I personally feel like the opening to that first song is a huge part of the way I view the album as a whole. Not that an album that starts poorly can't be good, but it makes a difference to me. From the haunting three-note guitar part of Black Sabbath to the pulsing heartbeat of Dark Side of the Moon, to the crushingly awesome metal riff in Octavarium (I'll get to all of these eventually, I'm sure), it really does make an impact. Well, Muse does not disappoint in this aspect. "New Born" starts out with a brisk little electric piano line that follows into a smooth vocal intro (complete with the signature over-exaggerated breathing of Matthew Bellamy)... then the ROCK BEGINS!!! When that distorted bass kicks in, you know you're in for a great time. This first song is a real gem. What else can I say? Oh, and doesn't the chord progression sound similar to "Knights of Cydonia?"
The intro is great, but the album doesn't have a single song I would consider skipping. I feel like this album really shows Muse at their most distinguished. Musically, I absolutely love their sense of layering and focus. Bellamy's long, drawn-out vocal lines stretch over the faster, more complicated instrumentals in a way that makes you have to just say "ooh, that's good."
I also find it to be a really diverse album by them. On one hand, you have "Plug in Baby," which is very alternative, but then Muse shows off a little metal in "Micro Cuts," and continues on to prove that they can carry that focus even when the music gets softer in "Screenager." Overall, this leads to an album that keeps your attention the whole way through.
There's plenty more I could say about Origin of Symmetry, but I'd rather you just take a listen. Enjoy!

Free link to the album streaming from Napster:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=12063014

P.S.:
I've realized that between this and Point of Know Return that I tend to greatly disagree with what the review on Napster says, so don't believe them.... or don't believe me... I don't care. Just listen to the album!