Muse's fourth album is one of the year's most overblown records, mixing together huge, doomy soundscapes, snarling guitars and space-age sound effects with Matthew Bellamy's operatic wail and lyrics about stuff like death, injustice and "superstars sucked into the supermassive." This isn't so surprising coming from these sub-Radiohead gloomsters; what's surprising is that most of the time, Black Holes and Revelations actually works. There's room for melody on seductive songs like "Invincible," an epic with military drums and laser-beam guitar. Sleek, falsetto-laden lead single "Supermassive Black Hole" bangs like prime Depeche Mode, and "Starlight" sets sparkling patter and Coldplay-style swoons over an almost power-pop groove. A couple of sci-fi anthems "Knights of Cydonia" and "City of Delusion" are as ridiculous as their track names. But if you manage to suspend your disbelief a little, Black Holes and Revelations will push your pleasure buttons.

“Youth Knows No Pain”

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”