Absolution - Muse > Reviews > Pause For A Muse

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money

Advantages:	Some great tracks,
Disadvantages:	Not a huge progression

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When Muse came onto the scene with their debut album they were dismissed by some as a Radiohead clone. Yes there was a vocalist with a big vocal range, the songs were a bit off kilter and not in the norm, and there were some weird sounds. So what? With their second album Origin of Symmetry Muse proved that they rock harder than Radiohead.

Now we have Absolution, the third studio album and after a 9/10 score from the NME it’s safe to say that Muse are on the up once again. I’ve been listening to the album for a few weeks now and bought it yesterday. It’s already growing on me and fans of their previous records won’t be disappointed.

The album opens with an intro of marching before erupting into the striking piano riff of ‘Apocalypse Please’. The song moves through epic strides of sound from all angles as well as having a harmonious chorus to steady the ship. The lyrics proclaim “this is the end of the world” but really this is only the beginning.

Next is the current single ‘Time Is Running Out’. It starts with a bass line and some finger clicks before Matthew Bellamy’s vocals kick in with a strange groove in the background. “Bury it, I won’t let you smother it, I won’t let you murder it” features in the lyrics. It’s a heavy but strangely commercial song that you’d probably sing along to on the radio. It’s one of the best tracks on the album.

‘Sing For Absolution’ is a slow moving and haunting track with vocals that echo throughout. It builds up to some guitar twiddling in the chorus before growing into some typical Muse opera tics. It’s a hark back the previous album.

‘Stockholm Syndrome’ was the first single from the album and starts with a blistering guitar riff. The lyrics go along the lines of “And we’ll fly and we’ll fall and we’ll burn” before changing tone into more theatrical strains before diving into a heavy riff straight out of a Metallica album. It’s another great track.

‘Falling Away With You’ is one of the best tracks on the album that starts out mellow. Of course it builds into a chorus that once again experiments with sound but throughout you’re drawn to the simple sound of vocals and some guitar.

‘Hysteria’ is probably a future single as it’s a bit more commercial and upbeat that some of the other tracks on the album. It’s pretty straightforward stuff with verse-chorus-verse and none of the opera style theatrics. It also has a good riff.

‘Blackout’ is another great song. It starts with some sound that could make you feel like you’re in Italy. It also has a lush string arrangement that goes all the way through. Bellamy’s vocals are haunting and the whole thing is just sublime.

‘Butterflies and Hurricanes’ is another decent song that has a string arrangement that gets lost a bit in the fuzzy guitar. But again this is a song that flips from one moment to another, there’s a rocking bit before you go into some theatrical piano. It’s not the most accessible track on the album but still good.

‘The Small Print’ is nothing but hard rock. It opens with a great guitar riff and lyrics such as “Take all you need and I’ll compensate your greed with broken hearts”. The chorus gets heavier and it one of the more catchier songs on the album.

‘Endlessly’ is a stranger affair. I don’t think there’s a guitar sound in earshot as it starts with a drum riff before taking on some electronic beats. It’s a bit of a departure and ok for on song but I’d imagine a whole album of this would soon get dull.

‘Thoughts of a Dying Atheist’ starts off punk style and pretty basic. There are the usual howling vocals but it builds into a great chorus, it’s a good track that could have easily ended up being again theatrical in it’s ending but thankfully Muse restrain themselves this time.

‘Ruled By Secrecy’ is the closing track and sadly it’s probably the dullest track on the album. For me it doesn’t go anywhere and doesn’t really finish the album off. Maybe it’s because I was expecting something that would end with a large bang rather than a sombre note.

Anyway I’d say Absolution is not a huge leap forward in sound for Muse but it’s a definite progression in terms of music. They’re using a great deal more instruments and experimentation on this record. There are some great songs, perhaps there aren’t as many good singles on this album but that’s no bad thing. If you have previous Muse albums then you’re bound to like this as well.

For fans there’s a special edition release that features an extra DVD with some photos and a 30-minute making of feature on the album. It’s no great shakes but an interesting fly on the wall at what goes on I the recording of a record.