Turn on your lava lamps kids, 'Black Holes and Revelations' is psychedelic, 1970's inspired, art-rock, and it is arguably the best album Muse have released to date. 'Black Holes and Revelations' could possibly be described as 2003's 'Absolution' ramped up a notch or two. However, unlike it's predecessor, I have found 'Black Holes and Revelations' an instantly accessible album.

Tracks are punctuated by layered vocals, warbling synths and splashes of four on the floor disco rhythms. 'Soldier's Poem' is the exception, and gets a tad melodramatic, but this also gives the listener a chance to regroup for the remainder of the album.

Warning: minor gripe time. Vocalist, Matthew Bellamy's, habit of taking an audible/sharp intake of breath just prior to delivering a majority of vocal lines bugs me. Maybe it's only me, but I'd the best example is to listen to the vocals on the live DVD 'Hullabaloo'. Again, it bugs me, and surely it's something that could be quickly and easily fixed by improved mic technique or a noise gate or something? Thankfully, though I think I am slowly getting used to it, and it is not as evident on this album as it is on previous Muse releases. Maybe it's just me though... I could have some kind of disorder or syndrome? Anyway, getting on with it...

As a whole, the album switches backward and forward between the grandiose, the funkadelic, the sinister, as well as that feeling you get when your in a swimming pool floating on your back with your eyes closed. The album closer 'Knights Of Cydonia' is pure horse riding music. The introduction conjures up imagery of 21st century knights listening to their iPods riding into battle. But maybe that's just me? Or possibly the combination of the incense and lava lamp have started to do funny things to my brain?

Like I said, this album is probably the best that Muse has released to date. If you haven't heard anything from Muse before, then I'd suggest that 'Black Holes and Revelations' is a good place to start. Enjoy!