Muse
Absolution

THE REVIEW

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!