ThatQuiz Test Library Take this test now
Black Holes and Revelations - Quiz
Contributed by: Blake
  • 1. Which track is described as an attack on an all but unnamed political leader?
A) Starlight
B) Take a Bow
C) Exo-Politics
D) Assassin
  • 2. What lyrical phrase from 'Take a Bow' is mentioned in the text?
A) you corrupt / and bring corruption to all that you touch
B) black holes and revelations
C) Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
D) orchestrated alien invasion
  • 3. Which tracks carry the themes of political attack along with 'Take a Bow'?
A) Starlight and Invincible
B) Exo-Politics and Assassin
C) Soldier's Poem and Starlight
D) Map of the Problematique and Supermassive Black Hole
  • 4. According to Bellamy, what does 'Exo-Politics' describe?
A) A populist revolt against the New World Order
B) An orchestrated alien invasion for increasing military budgets and building space weapons
C) A personal revelation of an everyday nature
D) A soldier realizing they are being used
  • 5. From whose perspective is 'Soldier's Poem' sung?
A) A knight galloping in Cydonia
B) Someone realising they are being used
C) An alien invading Earth
D) A political leader being attacked
  • 6. Which of the following is NOT listed among the album's political or thematic elements?
A) Economic inflation and taxation
B) New World Order conspiracy
C) Abusive power
D) Unjustifiable war
  • 7. What area does Bellamy find stimulating for the imagination?
A) Classical literature
B) The unknown in general
C) Modern technology
D) Historical biographies
  • 8. Which song particularly features rebellious paranoia?
A) Assassin
B) Invincible
C) Starlight
D) Soldier's Poem
  • 9. Which emotional themes are included on the album?
A) Hope, despair, and pride
B) Joy, apathy, and fear
C) Regret, ambition, and love
D) Sadness, greed, and jealousy
  • 10. Where is the title of the album taken from?
A) Exo-Politics lyrics
B) Starlight lyrics
C) Knights of Cydonia lyrics
D) Take a Bow lyrics
  • 11. What do the 'revelations' represent in Bellamy's songwriting for the album?
A) Conspiracy theories about alien invasions
B) Songs from unknown regions of the imagination
C) Something personal, genuine, and everyday that people can relate to
D) The galloping of the Four Horsemen
  • 12. What do the 'black holes' represent in Bellamy's songwriting?
A) Attacks on political leaders
B) Rebellious paranoia tracks
C) Songs from the more unknown regions of the imagination
D) Personal revelations of an everyday nature
  • 13. Where was the album artwork photographed?
A) London, UK
B) Cydonia, Mars
C) Bardenas, Spain
D) Dundee, Scotland
  • 14. Who designed the album artwork?
A) The Four Horsemen
B) Matthew Bellamy
C) BBC Radio 1
D) Storm Thorgerson
  • 15. What inspired the album artwork motif?
A) An orchestrated alien invasion
B) The galloping of 'Knights of Cydonia' and 'Invincible'
C) The UK singles chart success
D) A soldier's poem perspective
  • 16. The motif in the artwork is an allusion to what?
A) The New World Order conspiracy
B) A populist revolt
C) The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
D) Black holes and revelations
  • 17. On what date did Muse perform at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Dundee?
A) May 13
B) August 18
C) July 3
D) June 19
  • 18. Which city hosted BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend where Muse performed on May 13?
A) London, England
B) Bardenas, Spain
C) Dundee, Scotland
D) Tokyo, Japan
  • 19. Which songs did Muse perform at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend?
A) Supermassive Black Hole, Starlight and Knights of Cydonia
B) Take a Bow, Starlight and Invincible
C) Invincible, Map of the Problematique and Soldier's Poem
D) Take a Bow, Exo-Politics and Assassin
  • 20. When was 'Supermassive Black Hole' released as the lead single?
A) August 18, 2009
B) July 3, 2006
C) May 13, 2006
D) June 19, 2006
  • 21. What chart position did 'Supermassive Black Hole' reach on the UK singles chart?
A) Number nine
B) Number two
C) Number ten
D) Number four
  • 22. Which singles followed the release of 'Supermassive Black Hole' in the UK?
A) Only Starlight and Knights of Cydonia
B) Assassin, Starlight and Invincible
C) Starlight, Knights of Cydonia, Invincible and Map of the Problematique
D) Take a Bow, Exo-Politics, Assassin and Soldier's Poem
  • 23. How many weeks did the album stay at number one on the UK Albums Chart?
A) Four weeks
B) Ten weeks
C) Two weeks
D) One week
  • 24. When was the first US single, 'Knights of Cydonia', released?
A) 13 June 2006
B) 19 June 2006
C) 18 August 2009
D) 3 July 2006
  • 25. What chart position did 'Knights of Cydonia' reach on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart?
A) Number nine
B) Number two
C) Number four
D) Number 10
  • 26. Which singles followed 'Knights of Cydonia' in the US?
A) Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole
B) Invincible and Map of the Problematique
C) Take a Bow and Exo-Politics
D) Assassin and Soldier's Poem
  • 27. What was Muse's most popular single in the US at that point?
A) Knights of Cydonia
B) Invincible
C) Starlight
D) Supermassive Black Hole
  • 28. What chart position did 'Starlight' reach on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart?
A) Number nine
B) Number four
C) Number 10
D) Number two
  • 29. At what position did the album debut on the Billboard 200?
A) Number 10
B) Number two
C) Number nine
D) Number four
  • 30. When was 'Black Holes and Revelations' released in the UK?
A) 13 June 2006
B) 3 July 2006
C) 18 August 2009
D) 19 June 2006
  • 31. In which countries was the album released following its UK release?
A) US, Australia, Taiwan and Japan
B) China, India, South Korea and Singapore
C) Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina
D) Spain, France, Germany and Italy
  • 32. What content was featured on the limited edition CD/DVD combination?
A) Studio outtakes of Take a Bow and Exo-Politics
B) Documentaries about Bardenas, Spain and Storm Thorgerson
C) Live performances from BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in its entirety
D) Videos and live renditions of Supermassive Black Hole, Knights of Cydonia and Starlight
  • 33. When was the album re-released in the US on vinyl LP?
A) 22 March 2024
B) 13 June 2006
C) 18 August 2009
D) 3 July 2006
  • 34. When was the album certified quadruple platinum in the UK?
A) 18 August 2009
B) 22 March 2024
C) June 19, 2006
D) 3 July 2006
  • 35. How many copies did the album sell in its first week in the UK?
A) 1,000,000 copies
B) 250,000 copies
C) 115,144 copies
D) 50,000 copies
  • 36. By what organization was the album certified quadruple platinum?
A) Billboard
B) Q Magazine
C) BPI
D) BBC
  • 37. How many copies had the album sold in the UK as of 2018?
A) More than one million copies
B) 115,144 copies
C) 500,000 copies
D) Ten million copies
  • 38. What effect did 'Black Holes and Revelations' have in the US?
A) It caused a populist revolt
B) It popularised Muse in the US
C) It banned vinyl LPs
D) It started an alien invasion
  • 39. Which publication did Bellamy tell about the album's title derivation?
A) BPI
B) Billboard
C) BBC Radio 1
D) Q
  • 40. Which song titles are explicitly mentioned as alluding to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse through their galloping motif?
A) Take a Bow and Exo-Politics
B) Knights of Cydonia and Invincible
C) Assassin and Soldier's Poem
D) Supermassive Black Hole and Starlight
  • 41. What number studio album is Black Holes and Revelations for Muse?
A) Third
B) Fourth
C) Second
D) First
  • 42. Who produced Black Holes and Revelations?
A) Rich Costey
B) Matt Bellamy
C) Tom Tom
D) Chris Wolstenholme
  • 43. Which musical artist influenced the style of the album?
A) Led Zeppelin
B) Radiohead
C) Depeche Mode
D) The Beatles
  • 44. Which band was listed as an influence alongside Depeche Mode?
A) Metallica
B) Lightning Bolt
C) Nirvana
D) U2
  • 45. Which conspiracy type is mentioned in the album's lyrics?
A) Ancient alien architect theories
B) New World Order conspiracies
C) Moon landing hoaxes
D) Secret society financial conspiracies
  • 46. In how many countries did the album enter the charts at number one?
A) Three
B) One
C) Ten
D) Five
  • 47. What certification did the album receive in the UK?
A) Quadruple platinum
B) Platinum
C) Double platinum
D) Gold
  • 48. What certification did the album receive in the US?
A) Platinum
B) Triple platinum
C) Quadruple platinum
D) Gold
  • 49. Which prestigious award was the album nominated for?
A) The Pulitzer Prize
B) The Mercury Prize
C) The Brit Award for Best Album
D) The Grammy Award for Album of the Year
  • 50. What was the title of the 2008 live album that featured recordings from the tour?
A) Hullabaloo
B) HAARP
C) Live at Rome
D) Absolution Live
  • 51. What was Muse's third album, which brought them mainstream exposure in the US?
A) Absolution
B) The Resistance
C) Origin of Symmetry
D) Showbiz
  • 52. In what year was Absolution released?
A) 2001
B) 2006
C) 2003
D) 2005
  • 53. Where did Muse spend about two weeks writing and rehearsing for their fourth album?
A) Avatar Studios
B) Townhouse Studios
C) Electric Lady Studios
D) Studio Miraval
  • 54. Who is the songwriter and guitarist of Muse?
A) Matt Bellamy
B) Dominic Howard
C) Chris Wolstenholme
D) Rich Costey
  • 55. Who is the bassist of Muse?
A) Rich Costey
B) Matt Bellamy
C) Chris Wolstenholme
D) Tom Tom
  • 56. Why was writing and recording more relaxed for this album compared to previous ones according to Chris Wolstenholme?
A) They had a huge budget
B) They only had to record three songs
C) The band had no deadline
D) The producer did all the work
  • 57. What city did the group move to when progress was slow and they had difficulty deciding on songs?
A) Paris
B) New York City
C) Milan
D) London
  • 58. What new skill did Matt Bellamy learn while spending time in New York clubs?
A) Synthesizer programming
B) DJing
C) Sound engineering
D) Classical piano
  • 59. Which guitar amplifier model did Bellamy use?
A) Vox AC30
B) Orange Rockerverb
C) Fender Twin Reverb
D) Marshall JCM800
  • 60. What other guitar amplifier model did Bellamy use?
A) Ampeg V4
B) Vox AC15
C) Roland Jazz Chorus
D) Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
  • 61. What old synthesizers did the band purchase to change their working style?
A) Buchla 200e
B) Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
C) Moog Minimoog
D) Roland Jupiter-8
  • 62. What did Matt Bellamy spend several weeks recording in Italy?
A) Guitar solos
B) Bass lines
C) Synthesizer tracks
D) Vocals
  • 63. Where was the album mixed?
A) Electric Lady Studios, New York
B) Studio Miraval, France
C) Townhouse Studios, London
D) Avatar Studios, New York
  • 64. Whose music inspired the string arpeggios that open "Take a Bow"?
A) Prince
B) Philip Glass
C) Elvis Presley
D) George Bellamy
  • 65. What backs the opening string arpeggios on "Take a Bow"?
A) A prepared piano
B) A mariachi trumpet
C) A Moog synthesiser
D) A flamenco guitar
  • 66. On what instrument was the "Map of the Problematique" riff originally written?
A) Drums
B) Guitar
C) Keyboard
D) Synthesiser
  • 67. What did "Assassin" begin as before the band trimmed it?
A) A surf rock single with mariachi trumpets
B) A long progressive rock song with a huge piano break
C) An acoustic ballad inspired by Elvis Presley
D) A short dance track with club beats
  • 68. Which artist did critics liken "Supermassive Black Hole" to?
A) Philip Glass
B) Elvis Presley
C) Prince
D) George Bellamy
  • 69. Who is the drummer of Muse mentioned in the text?
A) Costey
B) Matt Bellamy
C) Dominic Howard
D) George Bellamy
  • 70. What kind of recording approach had Muse initially planned for "Soldier's Poem"?
A) Massive, epic approach
B) Small studio with vintage equipment
C) Noise rock jam
D) Acoustic club session
  • 71. What specific trumpet style is featured in "Knights of Cydonia"?
A) Classical trumpet
B) Jazz trumpet
C) Mariachi trumpet
D) Blues trumpet
  • 72. How does "Knights of Cydonia" end?
A) With string arpeggios
B) With a massive piano break
C) With a guitar solo
D) With a mariachi trumpet fanfare
  • 73. Why were some US dates in support of My Chemical Romance cancelled?
A) Food poisoning
B) Band injuries
C) Bad weather
D) Poor ticket sales
  • 74. Which US festival featured a headlining slot for Muse during the tour?
A) Lollapalooza
B) Coachella
C) Bonnaroo
D) Glastonbury
  • 75. At the 2007 Big Day Out Festival, which band headlined above Muse?
A) My Chemical Romance
B) Tool
C) Radiohead
D) Green Day
  • 76. In which month did Muse tour Eastern Europe?
A) July
B) November
C) October
D) June
  • 77. What event marked the end of the November arena tour of Australia?
A) Lollapalooza 2007
B) Benicàssim Festival
C) KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
D) Big Day Out Festival
  • 78. What was the average score of Black Holes and Revelations on Metacritic?
A) 90
B) 65
C) 75
D) 85
  • 79. Based on its Metacritic score, what kind of reviews did the album receive?
A) Generally favourable reviews
B) Universal acclaim
C) Mixed or average reviews
D) Generally unfavourable reviews
  • 80. How many reviews were used to calculate the Metacritic score?
A) 32
B) 15
C) 50
D) 100
  • 81. Who wrote in Rolling Stone that the album was 'one of the year's most overblown records'?
A) Andrew Perry
B) Will Hermes
C) Christian Hoard
D) Barry Schwartz
  • 82. Who described the album in Entertainment Weekly as 'corny and bombastic'?
A) Will Hermes
B) Noel Murray
C) Anthony Thorton
D) Christian Hoard
  • 83. According to Will Hermes in Entertainment Weekly, if prog is the new punk, what band are Muse?
A) Radiohead
B) The Darkness
C) Queen
D) Green Day
  • 84. Who wrote in Observer Music Monthly that the record was 'Entertaining and rabble-rousing, daft and deadly serious'?
A) Andrew Perry
B) Brian Raferty
C) Barry Schwartz
D) Noel Murray
  • 85. Who wrote in Stylus Magazine that Muse bring loud, excessive, and proggy elements?
A) Barry Schwartz
B) Will Hermes
C) Anthony Thorton
D) Christian Hoard
  • 86. Which publication compared Muse's elaborate and gaudy hard rock to the Darkness's debut?
A) Pitchfork
B) E! Online
C) NME
D) The Guardian
  • 87. Who wrote in NME that Muse made a 'ridiculous, overblown, ambitious and utterly brilliant album'?
A) Brian Raferty
B) Anthony Thorton
C) Christian Hoard
D) Noel Murray
  • 88. Which publication wrote that the album's electronic elements shouldn't work, but Bellamy's mania makes it succeed?
A) The A.V. Club
B) The Guardian
C) The Los Angeles Times
D) Pitchfork
  • 89. Which publication found the combination of electronic elements and rock 'jarring' and 'slightly half-baked'?
A) The Guardian
B) E! Online
C) Stylus Magazine
D) The Los Angeles Times
  • 90. What grade did Noel Murray of The A.V. Club give to Black Holes and Revelations?
A) A
B) D+
C) C-
D) B+
  • 91. Who wrote in Spin that the album was 'admirable and terrible'?
A) Brian Raferty
B) Christian Hoard
C) Andrew Perry
D) Noel Murray
  • 92. What did Brian Raferty criticize the lyrics on the album for being?
A) Jarring and half-baked
B) Mumbo jumbo about persecution
C) Too serious and authentic
D) Corny and bombastic
  • 93. Which publication called the album 'the band's most autopiloted effort yet'?
A) Spin
B) Pitchfork
C) NME
D) Rolling Stone
  • 94. In what year was the updated edition of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die published, which included Black Holes and Revelations?
A) 2006
B) 2008
C) 2009
D) 2011
  • 95. Which publication named Black Holes and Revelations the third-best album of the year?
A) Classic Rock
B) Rhapsody
C) NME
D) Q
  • 96. Classic Rock named Black Holes and Revelations one of the ten essential progressive rock albums of which time period?
A) The century
B) All time
C) The decade
D) The year
  • 97. What position was Black Holes and Revelations voted as the best album of all time by readers of Q in 2006?
A) 44th
B) 18th
C) 74th
D) 34th
  • 98. On 26 January 2008, 'Knights of Cydonia' was announced as the number-one song on which Australian chart?
A) Triple J Hottest 100
B) Rhapsody Top 100 Tracks
C) Q Magazine Top 100
D) Mercury Prize Countdown
  • 99. Which year's Triple J Hottest 100 featured 'Knights of Cydonia' as the number-one song?
A) 2009
B) 2007
C) 2008
D) 2006
Created with That Quiz — where test making and test taking are made easy for math and other subject areas.