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Rating: Since in my personal database there were practically only prog album reviews (except for two), someone was seriously beginning to wonder if I listened to anything that is not normally labeled as progressive or if I was indeed consuming only prog.
Well, I must admit that indeed until March 2010 (if I recall correctly) my external hard drive contained practically only discographies of modern progressive bands, while it was only during bus trips that I listened randomly to various rock or metal songs on my mp3. But from that period onward, I finally became curious to explore bands from other musical genres as well, trying not to be so tied to a single genre. I started with some post-rock bands and by the end of the year, besides going back to listen to the historic progressive bands (something I hadn't done yet), I continued my exploration expanding it to those rock or non-rock bands characterized by a rather peculiar, refined, and varied style. I indeed believe that rock becomes art only when it is contaminated by other genres and freed from various constraints, allowing the musicians' imagination to run wild; if it is pure, it gives the impression of being simple amusement music and little else.
Muse are definitely one of those bands for which the word "rock" is not enough to define them. They have always wanted to contaminate rock sounds with elements from other genres, classical and electronic above all. "Absolution," the third album by the British band, is probably the one that best manages to combine the various elements without favoring one in particular. Therefore, we are facing a work that manages to be perfectly midway between creativity and balance among the elements and can easily be considered the group's best. The band already had two albums to their credit: "Showbiz" was an excellent debut but still lacked the eclecticism that later made them famous; "Origin Of Symmetry," considered by many a masterpiece, instead showed a great step forward towards a more varied sound... But "Absolution" is the definitive step forward. The band is now completely established and mature, capable of setting an example for many names of tomorrow and Pino Scotto is right when he calls this band "the future".
Taking an overview of the 14 tracks (including an intro and a central interlude), we find songs capable of satisfying different rock lovers; from the almost indie sounds of "The Small Print" and "Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist" to the "space" rock of "Sing For Absolution"; from the almost operatic "Blackout" to the perfect blend of piano and electronics in tracks like "Apocalypse Please" and "Butterflies & Hurricanes"; from the energetic rock of "Time Is Running Out" (a successful single) and "Stockholm Syndrome" to the openly electronic matrix of "Endlessly" down to the intense piano ballad "Ruled By Secrecy". Also good are the moderate "Falling Away With You" and the hard-rocking "Hysteria" with the splendid bass accompaniment.
And if we were to spend a few words on the individual musicians? What to say... Matthew Bellamy is an excellent guitarist, also good with effects and quite original, but he proves to be outstanding when he sits at the piano, and when he deals with synthesizers; he is also a remarkable singer, with a very distinctive voice, with his vibrato and suffering singing, excellent even in falsetto. Christopher Wolstenholme impresses with his powerful, often synthesized bass, which is almost always crucial in the economics of a track (listen to "Time Is Running Out" and "Hysteria"). Dominic Howard on drums, on the other hand, offers a performance that is not as spectacular as many other famous drummers yet solid.
In any case, we are dealing with an album that is of great importance in the modern alternative rock landscape, not only because it is the album that brings them out of obscurity and consecrates them to a much wider audience but also because it will have a certain influence on the rock of subsequent years. I imagine many bands have at least once cited Muse among their influences and maybe even explicitly mentioned them in some songs; for example, take the veterans Dream Theater who practically plagiarized "Stockholm Syndrome" in their "Never Enough".
In any case, the album is recommended to those looking for a record that doesn't limit itself to the usual classic rock'n'roll but offers a varied and never boring rock. If this is what you are looking for, you must have it: you might fall in love with it!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Apocalypse Please (04:12)
Declare this an emergency
Come on and spread a sense of urgency
And pull us through
And pull us through
And this is the end
This is the end of the world
It's time we saw a miracle
Come on it's time for something biblical
To pull us through
And pull us through
And this is the end
This is the end of the world
Proclaim eternal victory
Come on and change the course of history
And pull us through
And pull us through
And this is the end
This is the end of the world
03 Time Is Running Out (03:57)
I think I'm drowning
Asphyxiated
I wanna break this spell
That you've created
You're something beautiful
A contradiction
I wanna play the game
I want the friction
You will be the death of me
Yeah you will be the death of me
Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
Our time is running out
Our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out
I wanted freedom
Bound and restricted
I tried to give you up
But I'm addicted
Now that you know I'm trapped
Sense of elation
You'd never dream of
Breaking this fixation
You will squeeze the life out of me
Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
And our time is running out
And our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out
How did it come to this?
Oooooh yeah yeah
Yeah you will suck the life out of me
Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
And our time is running out
And our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out
How did it come to this?
Ooooohh yeah yeah
04 Sing for Absolution (04:57)
Lips are turning blue
A kiss that can't renew
I only dream of you
My beautiful
Tiptoe to your room
A starlight in the gloom
I only dream of you
And you never knew
Sing for absolution
I will be singing
And falling from your grace
There's no where left to hide
In no one to confide
The truth burns deep inside
And will never die
Lips are turning blue
A kiss that can't renew
I only dream of you
My beautiful
Sing for absolution
I will be singing
And falling from your grace
Sing for absolution
I will be singing
And falling from your grace
Our wrongs
Remain unrectified
And our souls
Won't be exhumed
05 Stockholm Syndrome (04:56)
I won't stand in your way
Let your hatred grow
And she'll scream and she'll shout and she'll pray
And she had a name
Yeah she had a name
I won't hold you back
Let your anger rise
And we'll fly and we'll fall and we'll burn
No one will recall
No one will recall
This is the last time I'll abandon you
And this is
The last time I'll forget you
I wish I could
Look to the stars
Let hope burn in your eyes
And we'll love and we'll hate and we'll die
All to no avail
All to no avail
This is the last time I'll abandon you
And this is
The last time I'll forget you
I wish I could
This is the last time
I'll abandon you
And this is
The last time I'll forget you
I wish I could
I wish I could
06 Falling Away With You (04:41)
I can't remember when it was good
Moments of happiness elude
Maybe I just misunderstood
All of the love we left behind
Watching the flash backs intertwine
Memories I will never find
So I'll love whatever you become
And forget the reckless things we've done
I think our lives have just begun
I think our lives have just begun
And I'll feel my world crumbling
I'll feel my life crumbling
I'll feel my soul crumbling away
And falling away
Falling away with you
Staying awake to chase a dream
Tasting the air you're breathing in
I hope I won't forget a thing
Promise to hold you close and pray
Watching the fantasies decay
Nothing will ever stay the same
And all of the love we threw away
And all of the hopes we've cherished fade
Making the same mistakes again
Making the same mistakes again
And I'll feel my world crumbling
I'll feel my life crumbling
I'll feel my soul crumbling away
And falling away
Falling away with you
All of the love we left behind
Watching the flash backs intertwine
Memories I will never find
Memories I will never find
08 Hysteria (03:48)
It's bugging me
Grating me
And twisting me around
Yeah I'm endlessly
Caving in
And turning inside out
Cause I want it now
I want it now
Give me your heart and your soul
And I'm breaking out
I'm breaking out
That's when she'll lose control
It's holding me
Morphing me
And forcing me to strive
To be endlessly
Cold within
And dreaming I'm alive
Cause I want it now
I want it now
Give me your heart and your soul
I'm not breaking down
I'm breaking out
That's when she'll lose control
And I want you now
I want you now
I'll feel my heart implode
And I'm breaking out
Escaping now
Feeling my faith erode
09 Blackout (04:22)
Don't kid yourself
And don't fool yourself
This love's too good to last
And I'm too old to dream
Don't grow up too fast
And don't embrace the past
This life's too good to last
And I'm too young to care
Don't kid yourself
And don't fool yourself
This life could be the last
And we're too young to see
10 Butterflies and Hurricanes (05:01)
Change
Everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called
Fights, battles have begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead
Best!
You've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And you use this chance to be heard
Your time is now
Change
Everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called
Fights and battles have begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead
Best!
You've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And you use this chance to be heard
Your time is now
Don't
Let yourself down
Don't let yourself go
Your last chance has arrived
Best!
You've got to be the best
You've got to change the world
And you use this chance to be heard
Your time is now
11 The Small Print (03:29)
Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed
With broken hearts
Sell, I'll sell your memories
For 15 pounds per year
But just the good days
Say it'll make you insane
And it's bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose
And you watch this space
But I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest God never paid
Hope, I hope you've seen the light
Cause no one really cares
They're just pretending
Sell, and I'll sell your memories
For 15 pounds per year
But you can keep the bad days
Say it'll make you insane
And I'm bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose
And you watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest God never paid
Say it'll make you insane
And I'm bending the truth
You're to blame
For all the life that you'll lose
And you watch this space
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest God never paid
12 Endlessly (03:50)
This part in me you'll never know
The only thing I'll never show
Hopelessly I'll love you endlessly
Hopelessly I'll give you everything
But I won't give you up
I won't let you down
And I won't leave you falling
If the moment ever comes
It's plain to see it's trying to speak
Cherished dreams forever asleep
Hopelessly I'll love you endlessly
Hopelessly I'll give you everything
But I won't give you up
I won't let you down
And I won't leave you falling
If the moment ever comes
Hopelessly I'll love you endlessly
Hopelessly I'll give you everything
But I won't give you up
I won't let you down
And I won't leave you falling
But the moment never comes
13 Thoughts of a Dying Atheist (03:07)
Eerie whispers trapped beneath my pillow
Won’t let me sleep, your memories
I know you’re in this room, I’m sure I heard you sigh
Floating in-between where our worlds collide
Scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
And it scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
Yeah yeah yeah...
I know the moment’s near
And there’s nothing we can do
Look through a faithless eye
Are you afraid to die?
It scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
And it scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
Yeah yeah yeah...
It scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
And it scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
Yeah yeah yeah...
14 Ruled by Secrecy (05:12)
Repress and restrain
Steal the pressure and the pain
Wash the blood off your hands
This time she won't understand
Change in the air
And they'll hide everywhere
No one knows who's in control
You're working so hard
And you're never in charge
Your death creates success
Rebuild and suppress
Change in the air
And they'll hide everywhere
No one knows who's in control
Change in the air
And they'll hide everywhere
And no one knows who's in control
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Other reviews
By theego
The power of sound and lyrics is always at high levels, and this time it is even more fueled by the gloomy climate in which society finds itself.
'Absolution' is the third step in the certainly ascending parabola of the English group, hoping that this is not the peak.
By TheSilentMan
Muse establish themselves as an extraordinary band capable of thriving in the music business, while at the same time making their own decisions.
The genre the trio presents to us is difficult to define, aside from categorizing it as post-rock influenced by some shards of molten metal.
By easycure
Muse truly suck.
The guitar is completely anonymous and the voice is the most hateful and inconsistent thing you can hear nowadays.
By airbag
Absolution is an album devoid of meaning starting with their first track "Intro."
They have proposed something unengaging, unoriginal, and that feels very fake.
By Sir Psycho Sexy
It definitely deserves a score close to perfection, as those who, like me, are fans of the genre can only consider it as the best album recorded so far.
Absolution shows no traces of incongruity: the songs are perfectly arranged so as not to emphasize the gap between the two styles.
