Drones
by Muse
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 373 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 261 out of 373
  2. Mixed: 72 out of 373
  3. Negative: 40 out of 373
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. DonldTrump_45Th
    Jan 26, 2023
    10
    Hello, this is a default review because i'm forced to use 75 characters. I'll edit this review in the future talking about the game, don't worry ;)

    My final rate is: 10
  2. Gabrielb24
    Aug 31, 2022
    8
    Personally I like this album. The critic wise it feels like misses it mark especially if you tried to listen each song as a single like revolt or defector. I think as a concept album Muse was going in the right direction even though I think would have been better as a rock opera like Pink Floyd’s The Wall or The Who’s Tommy.
  3. Pheenic
    Jan 21, 2021
    5
    While this album does have really good rock vibes, it doesn't really have their usual sound. Its missing what makes Muse Muse. There are still some really fantastic tracks on here, but the worst of the album brings down the whole thing.
  4. Javidus
    Aug 28, 2020
    10
    Es mi álbum favorito, me encanta que sea mas rock, tiene unas excelentes canciones, dead inside es hermosa y the globalist wow!
  5. DuqueneJustin
    Aug 3, 2020
    10
    One of muse's best album if not the best! This three piece band shines in the dark tone that carries that album by telling the story of a dystopian world that our our is turning too. From the beginning of the album by the powerful Dead Inside, to the mind-blowing Reapers that à and up until the last sonh, that album is a true masterpiece.
  6. Gamesearcher1
    Aug 29, 2019
    5
    The most guitar-tinged album they’ve put out this decade, Drones is certainly Muse’s best since Black Holes. But that doesn’t make it any better. The quality of the album drops substantially after halfway through, and it begins its extremely bland slow section, and Muse doesn’t have a knack for slower tunes the same way they do with the louder ones.
    Favourites: Reapers, The Handler, Dead    The most guitar-tinged album they’ve put out this decade, Drones is certainly Muse’s best since Black Holes. But that doesn’t make it any better. The quality of the album drops substantially after halfway through, and it begins its extremely bland slow section, and Muse doesn’t have a knack for slower tunes the same way they do with the louder ones.
    Favourites: Reapers, The Handler, Dead Inside
    Least Favourites: The Globalist, [Drill Sergeant]    … Expand
  7. antonio7
    Nov 10, 2018
    10
    Es una álbum muy completo de los mejores de muse empezamos con dead inside una canción excitante a la vez pesada psycho muy pesada estilo Muse mercy hay algo quizás el intro del piano reapers también estilo que los caracteriza junto con the handler y detector aftermath muy relajante con un solo de dioses para terminar de las mejores del disco the globalist es simplemente una obra conEs una álbum muy completo de los mejores de muse empezamos con dead inside una canción excitante a la vez pesada psycho muy pesada estilo Muse mercy hay algo quizás el intro del piano reapers también estilo que los caracteriza junto con the handler y detector aftermath muy relajante con un solo de dioses para terminar de las mejores del disco the globalist es simplemente una obra con drones pareciendo que Matt canta opera muy buen disco … Expand
  8. johnfisherman
    May 18, 2018
    10
    the only song I can't stand from this album is mercy, it's kind like starlight but with a bad and unispiring chorus. but this problem is overshadowed by the rest of the album. songs like reapers, aftermath and the handler simply and all the others are near perfetc like 9.510. it's a shame that's its graded that low.
  9. YT_Guyyy
    Apr 6, 2017
    9
    When I heard Psycho I thought: "Alright, it's weird. Bad lyrics but good overall". None of that changed with the rest of the album, except some of the the songs got worse. There's the annoying whine in Dead Inside, the overall just being kinda bad in Mercy, the too long, lyrically and musically EH song that is Reapers, and the a large bit of the rest of the album is pretty **** except forWhen I heard Psycho I thought: "Alright, it's weird. Bad lyrics but good overall". None of that changed with the rest of the album, except some of the the songs got worse. There's the annoying whine in Dead Inside, the overall just being kinda bad in Mercy, the too long, lyrically and musically EH song that is Reapers, and the a large bit of the rest of the album is pretty **** except for Drones, which is decent. All of these problems bother me, but I can kinda look past them, and see it as a semi-decent Muse album.… Expand
  10. Scratch
    Jan 23, 2017
    6
    It's hard to explain what kind of album Drones is. It is half Origin of Symmetry, half The Resistance. For every great headbanging moment that reminds you of why Muse is great, there is another moment that makes you question their intentions. Yes, it is a concept album, probably their most structured one since Absolution (and perhaps more-so), but the story-telling tropes of love and lossIt's hard to explain what kind of album Drones is. It is half Origin of Symmetry, half The Resistance. For every great headbanging moment that reminds you of why Muse is great, there is another moment that makes you question their intentions. Yes, it is a concept album, probably their most structured one since Absolution (and perhaps more-so), but the story-telling tropes of love and loss just don't fit in here. Musically, it is mostly a good album, but there are moments that are just so wacky, I have to move on.… Expand
  11. owenrw89
    Dec 5, 2016
    7
    Muse learned from their mistakes with 'The Resistance' and 'The 2nd Law'. They returned to their rock roots. They hired the legend - Mr Mutt Lange to help return to this raw sound. Did it work? For the most part yes. Still one too many Queen-esque stadium basics, but overall it's a proper rock record. It'll never quite reach the heights of Origin of Symmetry or Black Holes and RevelationsMuse learned from their mistakes with 'The Resistance' and 'The 2nd Law'. They returned to their rock roots. They hired the legend - Mr Mutt Lange to help return to this raw sound. Did it work? For the most part yes. Still one too many Queen-esque stadium basics, but overall it's a proper rock record. It'll never quite reach the heights of Origin of Symmetry or Black Holes and Revelations in terms of grandeur, but it's good to know they can still deliver a cracking riff instead of a synth.… Expand
  12. CoreIsNotMetal
    Dec 4, 2016
    7
    Dead Inside: 4.1 / 5
    Psycho + (Drill Sergeant): 3.5 / 5
    Mercy: 4.1 / 5 Reapers: 4.6 / 5 The Handler: 4.0 / 5 The Defector + (JFK): 3.7 / 5 Revolt: 3.0 / 5 Aftermath: 4.1 / 5 The Globalist: 4.0 / 5 I was so hyped for this album even though Muse released most of the songs on Youtube. I love everything in this album from the tone to the face-melting solo of Reapers apart from one    Dead Inside: 4.1 / 5
    Psycho + (Drill Sergeant): 3.5 / 5
    Mercy: 4.1 / 5
    Reapers: 4.6 / 5
    The Handler: 4.0 / 5
    The Defector + (JFK): 3.7 / 5
    Revolt: 3.0 / 5
    Aftermath: 4.1 / 5
    The Globalist: 4.0 / 5

    I was so hyped for this album even though Muse released most of the songs on Youtube. I love everything in this album from the tone to the face-melting solo of Reapers apart from one thing... the lyrics... my god are the lyrics terrible in this album. Would've been a perfect score had Bellamy not decided to sing about "Yellow Bellies".    … Expand
  13. sambuu
    Sep 29, 2016
    10
    Muse really improved on this album. More guitar riffs, more meaningful lyrics, more rock album. Matt said in interview : "we back to traditional rock from electronic rock". He's right
  14. Ricko
    Jul 27, 2016
    7
    "Drones" has Muse looking to recover from a low point of their career which saw the albums 2009's "The Resistance" and 2012's "The Second Law" released during a period where the band embraced self indulgence and channelled their inner Queen to the extreme. For me, "Drones" is a return to form and is a successful attempt at the concept album idea. "Drones" is arguably the bands most"Drones" has Muse looking to recover from a low point of their career which saw the albums 2009's "The Resistance" and 2012's "The Second Law" released during a period where the band embraced self indulgence and channelled their inner Queen to the extreme. For me, "Drones" is a return to form and is a successful attempt at the concept album idea. "Drones" is arguably the bands most consistent effort, if not necessarily their best, since their debut. Musically, Muse are rocking out in all their glory for the most part and when they stick to this everything swims along nicely. "Psycho", "The Handler", "Defector" and my own favourite "Revolt" see Bellamy and co raid the riff cupboard, take everything mix it all together. Muse haven't sounded so comfortable playing rock music in nearly a decade. This makes the style of the closing and title track "Drones" a real let down. Thematically, the military ideas, paranoid concepts and overall conspiracy theories on which the album is based is becoming less and less wacky in this era of Snowden and the like. A return to form and the bands best work since "Black Holes and Revelations".… Expand
  15. eagleeyeviking
    Jul 16, 2016
    7
    Despite occasionally preachy lyrics, Drones narrates a compelling and thought provoking idea while sporadically unleashing deadly anthems and strong tunes.
  16. SocialKebab
    Jun 5, 2016
    6
    At first... This album was a bit of a disappointment but when I started to listen the album even more I started to like it even more and now I just love it somehow! This album contains pure hard rock and brings some stuff from old days from Muse. Every good stuff from every rock album is mashed up to this one album and taste of Muse to it! Nothing can match the perfection of "Origin OfAt first... This album was a bit of a disappointment but when I started to listen the album even more I started to like it even more and now I just love it somehow! This album contains pure hard rock and brings some stuff from old days from Muse. Every good stuff from every rock album is mashed up to this one album and taste of Muse to it! Nothing can match the perfection of "Origin Of Symmetry" but this album got VERY CLOSE to it and I love it!… Expand
  17. Bert08
    May 14, 2016
    1
    One of the most useless album in history. Especially if coming from a incredible band like Muse. I think they should stop making records and tour with old songs. It's the second failure in a row.
  18. ellytheverypro
    Apr 24, 2016
    7
    A few songs stand out (Psycho, Mercy, Dead Inside, Mercy, Reapers), but the others were not that special. They have blown a 'Coldplay' and went pop with 'Aftermath' and 'Revolt', and 'The Globalist' was a failed-sequel to 'Citizen Erased'
  19. iagolucas
    Feb 28, 2016
    6
    It's 2016 and still can't fully love this album the way I did with the rest of Muse's discography. They do not sound any different here, and maybe that's exactly the problem. While most artists seek to evolve with their songs by exploring new worlds in their music, Muse decided to 'go back to its roots' and that obsviously didn't work well. The songs aren't bad, they just lack some inovation.
  20. rydenmederos
    Jan 31, 2016
    9
    To really appreciate this album and Muse as a band, you HAVE to see them live. I just saw the Drones tour in Newark, and I was so blown away. It was so amazingly performed, and you can truly hear the resonance of their sound. The message of this album is also so timeless and especially so perfect for the current state of the world. With a rich and heavy rock sound, and a clear meaning,To really appreciate this album and Muse as a band, you HAVE to see them live. I just saw the Drones tour in Newark, and I was so blown away. It was so amazingly performed, and you can truly hear the resonance of their sound. The message of this album is also so timeless and especially so perfect for the current state of the world. With a rich and heavy rock sound, and a clear meaning, this album honestly topped so many other albums for me. Love.… Expand
  21. Argeon
    Nov 13, 2015
    7
    A very respectable album. It's a mixed bag, but when you get something good, you dig out gems that are sure to be new classics. The Handler, The Globalist, Reapers - there are plenty of good songs intertwined with some mediocre songs (Revolt, especially - to a lesser extent, Mercy and Defector).

    However, I do enjoy this album for what it is. It's certainly better than The 2nd Law, and    A very respectable album. It's a mixed bag, but when you get something good, you dig out gems that are sure to be new classics. The Handler, The Globalist, Reapers - there are plenty of good songs intertwined with some mediocre songs (Revolt, especially - to a lesser extent, Mercy and Defector).

    However, I do enjoy this album for what it is. It's certainly better than The 2nd Law, and it is more serious in tone compared to previous works. If I had to describe it compared to other albums, I think it mixes the angst of their earlier works with the sophistication of The Resistance.

    A step in the right direction, and definitely worth a purchase for a Muse fan.    … Expand
  22. WXYZ
    Oct 31, 2015
    10
    Brilliant. .
  23. Pink_Zeppelin
    Sep 25, 2015
    8
    Their fourth best album. I love concept albums in general, but this doesn't quite feel like a real concept album, more like the songs have the same ideas and themes
  24. Wishmast3r
    Sep 22, 2015
    1
    The album couldn't be worse. The melodies are bad and the chosen theme is also the worse they could have choose..... Drones? Seriously? I can't believe that Muse made such a sh+tty album.
  25. kerofaes
    Aug 10, 2015
    6
    Drones conceptually deals with the theme of the album control and authoritarianism. Muse leaves much to be desired musically on this album and the lyrics are repeated in every song, most of the songs are about the same.
  26. wl8291
    Aug 7, 2015
    5
    Damn it, Muse! With the exception of "Mercy" and "Revolt," I found this album to be derivative and depicting a theme that has been done again and again... Plus, I think "The Globalist" actually offends me, as the wannabe "Paranoid Android" it seems to try to go for...
  27. LeFelixBrown
    Jul 26, 2015
    6
    I won't let the fact that I'm a Muse fan cloud my judgement here. Drones is, and it will come as no surprise to anyone when I say this, not one of Muse's best efforts - I would probably call it Muse's worst album to date. That being said, I do think that the song-writing in terms of the music on this album is some of the best the band have produced in a while - especially tracks likeI won't let the fact that I'm a Muse fan cloud my judgement here. Drones is, and it will come as no surprise to anyone when I say this, not one of Muse's best efforts - I would probably call it Muse's worst album to date. That being said, I do think that the song-writing in terms of the music on this album is some of the best the band have produced in a while - especially tracks like Defector, Reapers, Psycho, and Drones - with the occasional misfire in songs like Mercy, Revolt and Aftermath. The albums major problem here is Matt Bellamy's lyrics - the lyrical quality of Muse's songs have been dwindling ever since Resistance, but even so, the lyrics here are pretty diabolical. This is what brings some of Muse's best songs on this album to a grinding halt. Tracks like these make you want to fist-bump and scream, but you soon find yourself dragged down by the relentlessly cheesy and ill-placed chants of "drones" which don't so much as echo throughout the album as plague it. We get it, Matt - drones are bad, and society is corrupt - but there is such a thing as subtlety. In truth, it sounds like Muse were so focused on making an interesting concept for their album, that they failed to give their songs the requisite lyricism to successfully plant songs like Psycho in the canon of Muse's most celebrated works. That being said, I cannot deny that I had actual fun listening to this album. For what it's worth, it sounded like an album done by a band who just wanted to have fun - and as such, we are having fun too. If you don't pay attention to the lyrics and just want to be reckless, then Drones is a success. However, if you're looking for Muse's signature bombastic storytelling, may I suggest sticking with their pre-Resistance discography.… Expand
  28. Noiseblock
    Jul 10, 2015
    4
    To cut a long story short: is this album bad? No, it isn´t. Is it good? No, it isn´t. Does it deliver on the musical front? Yes, it does. Does it deliver on lyrical front? Oh no, it doesn´t. So is this album a mixed bag over-all with compelling (top-notch even) guitar-play but studded with cringeworthy lyrics bordering unintentional ridiculousness more than once? It surely is.
  29. Fedelca
    Jun 28, 2015
    5
    Después de salir de un estilo particular grunge en "Showbiz", de space rock en "Origin of Symmetry", con tendencias progresistas en "Absolution" y "Black Holes and Revelations", sinfónicos en "The Resistance" y electrónicos en "The 2nd Law"; Muse presenta un sinfín de tendencias en su música, algo bastante particular estos días, pero nunca fue de ocultar sutilmente sus influencias. En esteDespués de salir de un estilo particular grunge en "Showbiz", de space rock en "Origin of Symmetry", con tendencias progresistas en "Absolution" y "Black Holes and Revelations", sinfónicos en "The Resistance" y electrónicos en "The 2nd Law"; Muse presenta un sinfín de tendencias en su música, algo bastante particular estos días, pero nunca fue de ocultar sutilmente sus influencias. En este nuevo álbum "Drones", Muse vuelve al estilo básico con menos experimentación y más guitarras, bajos pesados y una percusión notable. Si bien musicalmente puede ser bastante sorprendente, lírica-mente puede sonar no tan bien y en algunos casos bastante patético como en la canción "Psycho" que si bien tiene un trabajo de bajos muy bien realizados puede resultar bastante molesto e incómodo. 3 de los mejores trabajos del álbum son las canciones "Dead Inside", "Reapers" y "The Handler" siendo este último mi favorito ya que en mi opinión es cuando las ideas del cantante Matthew Bellamy están más claras porque se acompañan con el antiguo Muse ese que tanto nos gustaba: los gritos de octavos de Bellamy, un bajo bien resaltado y un trabajo de guitarra fuera de este mundo. La canción "Reapers" tiene lo que en mi opinión sería el solo de guitarra más alocado y perfecto que Matthew halla realizado jamás seguido de un final casi perfecto que nos hacen recordar a sus primeros álbumes. Pero lamentablemente el álbum tiene muchos errores para mi gusto. La canción "Aftermath" y "The Globalist" me sintieron como 17 minutos de rock progresista sin sentido que básicamente suenan como canciones de Coldplay (y no, no es un cumplido), y el cierre del álbum me dejó un tanto confundido con el estilo a cappela que aunque lo más respetable durante el último trayecto del álbum es la impresionante voz de Bellamy simplemente se vuelve bastante tedioso e in-confortante empezando por la canción "Revolt" hasta el final (que son como 27 minutos).
    Dentro de todo algunas canciones me encantaron y me dieron una dosis de lo que Muse puede hacer mejor: exagerar las cosas para hacer que su música suena más grande y épica. Pero a veces ese mismo concepto puede resultar en clichés o un desastre de música progresista. El concepto del álbum también pierde valor después de la canción "Mercy" pero lo hace para bien, excepto por los últimos 20 minutos del álbum que literalmente eran inaguantables.
    Igualmente mucho mejor que "The 2nd Law".    … Expand
  30. vikesh2206
    Jun 27, 2015
    7
    Despite occasionally preachy lyrics, Drones narrates a compelling and thought provoking idea while sporadically unleashing deadly anthems and strong tunes.
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Most Discussed Album of 2015
44
#44 Most Shared Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. Under The Radar
    Jul 21, 2015
    20
    Muse have always been ridiculous and overblown, but at least they used to be a ton of fun.
    Read full review
  2. Mojo
    Jul 6, 2015
    40
    This feels like production line Muse: big riffs, bass squelches, conspiratorial dialogue, but few new ideas. [Aug 2015, p.88]
  3. No Ripcord
    Jun 30, 2015
    20
    Aside from a few crunching riffs and a smattering of neat melodies, there’s very little to recommend within Drones.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »