As a longtime Muse fan, I have high expectations for each new release.

The thing that stands out about this band is their originality in sound and unique subject matter. While some of their songs can be the typical cliché love songs, most of them delve deeply into heavy cosmological, mathematical, cataclysmic, or societal themes. Simulation Theory follows along with previous albums in this way, and is even reminiscent of some of their earliest work.

This particular album has a 1980s synthesizer-inspired sound without sounding cheesy or dated or relying on nostalgia as a substitution for quality.

Each song has its own melodic theme that ties in with the rest, without it all sounding like the same song. Muse still manages to stay true to their own innovative music without borrowing from previous successes.