Music / Origin of Symmetry

"Everything about you is how I'd wanna be
Your freedom comes naturally."

For one moment
I wish you'd hold your stage
With no feelings at all
Open-minded
I'm sure I used to be so free

— "Citizen Erased"

Origin of Symmetry is the second studio album by the English Alternative Rock band Muse, released on 18 June 2001. It also became the band's Breakthrough Hit in the United Kingdom, with song such as "Bliss", "Plug In Baby" and "Feeling Good" being huge radio staples at the time.

The album introduces classical and progressive rock influences to the band's sound, while adopting a heavier sound and over the top eccentricities that were previously absent in their previous album Showbiz. These elements would define the band in the long run.

This album, along with Showbiz, were remastered in 2019 and released together in the Origin of Muse boxset, along with demos, B-sides and outtakes from both eras. It also received a remix and remaster in 2021 entitled Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX in celebration of the album's 20th anniversary.

Tracklist: ^note Japanese releases, the remaster included in the Origin of Muse box set, as well as "Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX" contain "Futurism" as track 11, preceeding "Megalomania". Streaming and digital releases include "Futurism" as track 12.

1. "New Born" (6:03)
2. "Bliss" (4:11)
3. "Space Dementia" (6:20)
4. "Hyper Music" (3:21)
5. "Plug In Baby" (3:38)
6. "Citizen Erased" (7:21)
7. "Micro Cuts" (3:38)
8. "Screenager" (4:20)
9. "Darkshines" (4:46)
10. "Feeling Good" (3:18)
11. "Megalomania" (4:39)

My trope in baby!

• Breather Episode: "Screenager", which is placed between the album's two most terrifying tracks, "Micro Cuts" and "Darkshines".
• BSoD Song: "Micro Cuts," the lyrics of which were inspired by a series of nightmares and hallucinations that plagued Matt at the time.
• Cover Version: "Feeling Good", a showtune written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, later notably covered by Nina Simone.
• Cluster F-Bomb: This infamous performance of "Feeling Good".
• Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: The opening shot of the "Bliss" music video.
• Darker and Edgier: In comparison to Showbiz, Origin of Symmetry features darker themes and a heavier and theatrical sound. This would extend to the next album as well.
• Double X: The 20th anniversary remix — or, rather, the XX anniversary remixx — of Origin of Symmetry.
• Driven to Suicide: In the "Bliss" music video, Matt jumps down a Bottomless Pit with implied intent to kill himself given the haunted look in his eyes. It doesn't seem to succeed despite him ending up in outer space.
• Epic Rocking: "Citizen Erased", which is already 7:21 on its own, seamlessly runs into "Micro Cuts"; the combined song is both awesome and around 11 minutes.
• Fading into the Next Song: "Citizen Erased" into "Micro Cuts", which is the most notable example, although prior to that, "Space Dementia" into "Hyper Music" into "Plug in Baby".
• Franchise Codifier: This album was the point Muse started becoming an entity of its own, introducing the classical and progressive elements, along with operatic vocals and a more pronounced energy, in which they would later expand in later albums, along with Genre-Busting.
• Goo-Goo-Godlike: The little girl in the "New Born" music video.
• Gratuitous Panning:
  • "Micro Cuts" during its solo.
  • The outro of "Futurism" on the 20th anniversary remix of Origin of Symmetry.
• Hell Is That Noise: The strange vocals in "Micro Cuts".
• I Fell for Hours: In the "Bliss" music video, Matt falls into a seemingly Bottomless Pit... until it spits him out into the endless vacuum of space near the end.
• Incredibly Long Note: The chorus of "Screenager".
• Indecipherable Lyrics: "Micro Cuts". This song is sung so insanely high (even by Matt Bellamy's standards!), that it's near impossible to tell what he's saying the first time through. On top of that, it's very melismatic and consonants are very mumbly.
  • However, the 20th anniversary remix averts this, making said issues stated above possibly all the fault of bad compression.
  • Also, the outro to "Plug In Baby" is so shrill and poorly pronounced that Matt doesn't even bother to sing it when playing this song live, making strange screeching noises or even just ignoring it at all (and maybe throwing himself on Dom's drums or whatever).
• In the Style of: "Feeling Good", a fairly standard show tune, now a new-prog song.
• Large Ham: Matt starts truly evolving into one with this album. Some say it's his hammiest affair.
• Last Note Nightmare:
  • That creepy, synth-y "Ohhhhhhh" at the end of "New Born," which abruptly cuts off at the very end.
  • The Scare Chord towards the end of "Space Dementia."
• Mind Control: What "Micro Cuts" is supposedly about, having microwave transmissions forced into your brain and references to what could be a lobotomy.
• Mind Screw: Many of these album's lyrics.
  • "Plug-In Baby" is reputedly about either a sex doll or genetically engineered puppies which never grow old. Matt was on 'shrooms when he recorded it, so even he doesn't remember. Others say it's about his guitar(s).
• Naughty Tentacles: The girls in the music video for "Plug-In Baby" sport these ... kind of.
• Non-Appearing Title: "Bliss", "Hyper Music", "Citizen Erased", "Micro Cuts", "Screenager" and "Megalomania".
• The Not-Remix: Origin of Symmetry got one to mark its 20th anniversary, complete with an updated CGI render of the original album cover. Fan reception of the remixed songs has been mixed, with the most drastic changes including the restoration of string section tracks originally recorded for "Space Dementia" and "Citizen Erased".
• Obsession Song: "Bliss", being a passive example for this album. There's also "Space Dementia", which is pretty much the opposite:

  You'll make us wanna die

  I'd cut your name in my heart

  We'll destroy this world for you

  I know you want me to

  Feel your pain

• Ominous Pipe Organ: Really ramps up the creepiness of "Megalomania".
• One-Word Title: "Bliss", "Screenager" and "Megalomania".
• Rearrange the Song: "Hyper Chondriac Music", a slower and darker rearrangement of "Hyper Music". It was released as a B-Side on the "Bliss" single, as well as on the Hullabaloo Soundtrack.
• Shout-Out: Origin of Symmetry was titled after a concept put forward by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku in his book Hyperspace.
• Space Madness: The implied topic of the aptly named "Space Dementia".
• Subdued Section: The closing stretch of "Citizen Erased".
• Surprisingly Gentle Song: "Screenager".
• The Walls Are Closing In: In the "Hyper Music" video. But sometimes they move out.

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Wash me away
Clean your body of me
Erase all the memories
They'll only bring us pain
And I've seen all I'll ever need