Muse: Origin Of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX) (2LP)

"Origin of Symmetry" is the album that changed everything for Muse. In a way both more spontaneous and experimental than their debut album "Showbiz", it was worlds away in all its ambition, sprawling influences and grandiosity from the garage rock revivalists and chest-thumping nu-metal that were calling the shots at the time. Driven by the band's first two mainstream European hits, "Plug In Baby" and "New Born," the album gave them their first Top 10 success in the UK, where it debuted at #3. Since then, it has earned a reputation as a fan favorite while achieving great commercial success. "Origin Of Symmetry" turns 20 - an anniversary Muse is celebrating with the release of "Origin Of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX" on Warner Records. The reissue features remixed and remastered audio as well as redesigned artwork. As the album's anniversary approached, Muse asked Grammy Award-winning producer Rich Costey, who has produced or mixed material on nearly every subsequent album, to take a fresh look at the original recordings. While most remix albums aim to radically rework the material or shift into a different genre altogether, the band and Costey wanted to create new clarity with a more open, dynamic, and less jammed sound. This was to highlight parts and ideas that had been obscured or muted on the original mixes, such as a harpsichord on "Micro Cuts" and strings recorded at Abbey Road on "Citizen Erased", "Megalomania" and "Space Dementia". And that's exactly what was achieved. From the unbridled opening riff in 'New Born' to the breathtaking expansiveness of fan favourite 'Citizen Erased' and the cinematic melancholy of closing track 'Megalomania', the new mix exposes every facet of the album's complex production and enriches it with a newfound warmth. The songs also benefit from mastering by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios. Matt Bellamy comments, "On revisiting the album, we realised that the original mixes of singles like 'Plug In Baby' and 'Bliss' were pretty good, so it was hardest to improve on those. It was the deeper album tracks like 'Micro Cuts' where we were able to make massive breakthroughs." The track listing of the "XX Anniversary RemiXX" also holds an additional song, "Futurism". Originally a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album and later added to the end of the album on streaming services, "Futurism" now provides a burst of energy that bridges the gap between "Feeling Good" and "Megalomania." The song had also been included in the 2019 box set "Origin of Muse" Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary" is rounded off by a modernized reinterpretation of the album cover by Sujin Kim. The visual artist has created a hyper-realistic 3D rendering of the original cover motifs by William Eager.