Album Review: Muse - 'Live at Rome Olympic Stadium'

When Muse played the Rome Olympic Stadium in mid-2013, they decided to record the concert with over one hundred lines of multi-track audio, meaning that sound-wise, you'd be hard pressed to find better quality than this. The fact that the trio, (foursome for the live performance), is one of the tightest bands on the planet means that in some cases, this release features versions of songs that rival the studio cuts of the tracks, thanks to the energetic and passionate performances given by the group.

The playlist is the only aspect of this release that may disappoint, in particular those fans who are fond of the band's older material as the set focuses heavily on the latest releases. The show begins with the monstrous guitar tones of 'Supremacy', these backed by the string section make for an epic opening, showing off Matt Bellamy's impressive vocal chords which are a true stand-out and flawless for the duration of the concert.

Another highlight is the fuzz bass driven 'Hysteria', now classed as an older track, reminds us all of the core Muse sound while earning a huge sing-a-long from the audience during its chorus lines.

Bellamy is not one for chatting and keeps his between song crowd interactions brief, this is a disappointment because this is really the only distinction between a live album and a recorded album when you are dealing with a group who offer flawless performances such as these.

'Knights of Cydonia' is extended to include some guitar solos and noise moments while tracks like 'Madness' and 'Supermassive Black Hole', which are quite electronic based, almost better their original recordings. The show closes on the thumping 'Starlight', which, if you are watching the DVD version of this release (recommended just for the stage settings), is beautifully illuminated by the new age lighter (mobile phones) and given an extra level of energy from the band to close out a basically perfect performance.

Muse have been doing this for a while now and it shows in the flawless execution of their live shows. It would be good if some older tracks were included in the setlist but as far as rock concerts go, this is pretty much the benchmark for greatness.

1. Supremacy

2. Panic Station

3. Resistance

4. Hysteria

5. Animals

6. Knights of Cydonia

7. Explorers

8. Follow Me

9. Madness

10. Guiding Light

11. Supermassive Black Hole

12. Uprising

13. Starlight