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Rating: "Tiptoe in your room, a starlight in the gloom, I only dream of you, and you never knew"
They could have ridden the wave of an epochal album like "Origin Of Symmetry", they could have rested on their laurels and lived on royalties, but no, like the true great Artists that they are, Muse did not do that, and in the year 2003 they produced a strange album, an album that sparked mixed reactions, that divided audiences and critics. This album is called "Absolution", and it is truly something special and unique in the production of the band from Teignmouth: if in the band's other works each song stands alone, a fresco that can easily be examined separately from the context, here no, all twelve songs that make up this album, which I see as a true rock opera, a concept album in which a sense of existential angst and unease, expressed in various forms and declinations, pervades all the compositions, from the first to the last, compositions that flow smoothly, united by a subtle but very perceptible red thread.
Stylistically the album is divided into two categories of songs: the performance of what I define as new millennium hard rock, or electronic hard rock, or more simply Muse-hard rock alternates with more melodic and tormented pieces, all in a symmetric and perfect alternation like a Tibetan mandala.
In the first category, we can list the enigmatic opener "Apocalypse Please", in which a reference to the Iraq war is very evident, characterized by a very percussive piano and a hypnotic and powerful vocal, with keyboards acting as a real piston for a song that soars high on the wings of unease. The extraordinary single "Time Is Running Out", which manages to reconcile strong pop catchiness with an epic guitar crescendo, with the wise use of synthesizers, piano, and hand claps in the verses (a classic touch of Muse-like genius). The electronic hard rock manifests in its most explicit forms in the impetuous "Stockholm Syndrome" and "Hysteria", in which guitars, keyboards, and a bass used as always masterfully create an explosive mix to enjoy, which also inspired the greats Dream Theater for their "Never Enough". Also really lovely is "The Small Print", incredibly catchy and driving with an exquisitely over-the-top chorus and a textbook riff, even if the undisputed peak of the more rock side of "Absolution" is surely "Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist", an absolute masterpiece, moving in its contrast between the lyrics and the melody, so catchy and seemingly naive. I think it will be the song I'll have played at my funeral...
And then, as I already said, "Absolution" also has an even more introspective and sweetly tormented soul, which manifests in the remaining six songs: "Sing For Absolution", so nocturnal and fascinating, especially accompanied by the wonderful video (one of a very long series), crowned by a stellar piano, absolutely poetic lyrics, and a cathartic chorus that flows into the epic finale. Sweet, or rather, stunningly bittersweet "Falling Away With You", dreamy and ecstatic in the verses, alternating with a tense and dramatic chorus; even if the conclusion reprises the initial theme, it is overshadowed in the lyrics by a veil of disillusionment, disillusionment that also returns in "Blackout", strongly characterized by orchestral arrangements and truly gentle background choirs, with a wavering rhythm, in which it's sweet to drift away, with lighters held high under the stage. The more prog side of Muse instead appears in "Butterflies & Hurricanes", which begins gently, reverberating, to then gain great pathos and strength and flow into symphonic and pianistic virtuosity of absolute value, worthy of a Beethoven symphony. If in "Butterflies & Hurricanes" our band shows us their sumptuous side, with "Endlessly" they rediscover their more minimal side, in a passionately subdued song, characterized by sparse arrangements that enhance Matt Bellamy's outstanding vocal performance. If we really want to nitpick, the only weak point of the album is the concluding "Ruled By Secrecy", a bit too slow and soporific in its attempt to recover the atmosphere of "Megalomania" without having its charm, but this absolutely changes nothing, it doesn't alter my judgment of this masterpiece that really must be listened to with the heart, an inexhaustible mine of emotions.
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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.
