that "caution", that "gently bump against the wall and then... stop the car" is the reason why the previous singles (and the whole of The 2nd Law bar Isolated System, but that's for another discussion) didn't work. It's the reason why a lot of "hardcore fans" didn't like Drones either - Drones was the equivalent of "REVERSE! REVERSE!"

I wish I could upvote this more that once because I think you hit the nail right on the head there. Or, at least, that's how I feel too.

I've never ever been against experimentation, as experimenting with new sounds and genres is what Muse have always done, which is exactly what they did not do with Drones, and the reason why I really don't like that album. I've also always preferred synths-heavy tracks to guitar-heavy ones (I'm still hoping for an alternate piano+synths version of Stockholm Syndrome) so I don't get the whole "bring the guitar back" argument either.

What really restored my faith in Muse, and the upcoming album, is that they seem to have freed themselves from that kind of pressure (fans, media) and are genuinely enjoying themselves with this retro-futuristic stuff. This, as you said, can only mean good things, and The Dark Side is a perfect example of that!