Muse
Absolution

THE REVIEW

Third album from the English band and third masterpiece! 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 is a masterpiece of paranoia and malice, and thus encapsulates what Muse attempted to express in the previous two albums. In Showbiz, their debut album, which fully describes the paranoid and dark spirit of this band, and Origin Of Symmetry, the second album, decidedly more aggressive and catchier. But in Absolution, these two main threads, previously expressed separately, are blended with care and harmony, and indeed, we can find truly haunting songs like “Sing For Absolution,” which reflects the Muse of Showbiz, and aggressive, distorted songs with more "character," like “Stockholm Syndrome,” which aligns more easily with “New Born” or “Citizen Erased,” tracks found on Origin Of Symmetry.

However, if the first two albums of the Anglo-Saxon band seem so distant from each other, Absolution shows no traces of incongruity: the songs are perfectly arranged so as not to emphasize the gap between the two styles. From a technical standpoint, and to confirm the thesis that this CD encapsulates all the Muse’s style, the prominent use of the piano, as in Showbiz, but also heavier distortions, as in Origin Of Symmetry, should be noted. We should also highlight Muse's choice to record songs that can be more easily used as singles, without taking away anything from quality and style: hence, it's wrong to think that “Time Is Running Out,” the second single (the first is “Stockholm Syndrome,” available for free download from the official website), is merely a commercial song: it is decidedly catchier, but it does not lose artistic value for this reason. And with this idea, other tracks have been recorded, like “Hysteria” (which reliable sources indicate as the next single), or “The Small Print,” all songs that can be associated with each other for sound and style.

The lyrics have definitely improved in quality compared to the two previous albums, but it's known that experience means a lot in this sense. Like all Muse albums, this one also offers jewels of incredible beauty: indeed, if Showbiz presents us with songs like “Muscle Museum” or “Sunburn,” and if Origin Of Symmetry gifts us with gems like “Plug In Baby” or “Micro Cuts,” Absolution is no less, given masterpieces like “Blackout” and “Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist” (which I consider to be the best Muse song, possibly second only, and I emphasize possibly, to “Plug In Baby”!). Particularly curious is track 12: “Endlessly,” featuring a calm sound, with a distinctly soft keyboard, drums played lightly, warm and sweet vocals, violins which certainly aren't missing in this album, an almost lounge-like style, one of those songs to play in the background when talking to someone or to listen to as you fall asleep, given the enormous amount of relaxation it radiates. The only tracks that didn't particularly move me, naturally excluding “Intro” and “Interlude,” which together last a minute, are: “Falling Away With You” and “Ruled By Secrecy,” but no one is perfect, or at least that's what they say!