it seems muse can't make a new album without completely changing styles and silencing all crititics and i believe absolution will be no different. they shrugged off radiohead comparisons with origin of symmetry, and now are branching out into more then just a rock group, but into a trio that are now producing quality thought out music. the imposibly talented bellamy is at his best here, often putting down the guitar to amaze us on piano, but still singing at the same level that has earned him so much praise. Muse have not lost that strength and power that seems to come out of their music, but have used more instruments in this release to really capture the listener in a hypnotic trance of melody and beauty
APOCALYPSE PLEASE
one of the most powerful songs on the album. opens with the sound of marching, followed by bellamy smashing at the keys for an jaw dropping intro to the album. he wails “this is the end of the world” and pounds at the keys as if it really was. backed up by inspired backing vocals and a solid bassline from wolstenholme, the song branches into an electronic solo followed by an apocalyptic ending with Howard's drums blasting so loudly into your ears you begin to understand what their singing about..
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
the second single to be taken from absolution, it begins with a funky bass riff almost taking us back a generation. followed by eerie keyboards, and matts short sharp lyrics, this song is easily one of the best on the album. the pre chorus seems to mimic placebo but still has that muse edge. it preceeds an impossibly catchy chorus. Matt sings “our time is running out” with a sound of desperation that fits the lyrics. muse seem to have the ability to change the direction of a song completely and then bring it back harmoniously,and proove it in the song with an interesting bridge with bellamy's trademark wailing. beautiful.
SING FOR ABSOLUTION
this song starts with a soft piano part that seems to have dropped from above. it comes with a funky bass rythym and the drumming breaks it into a beautifully melodic song. Bellamy sings with heaps of reverb. The verse seems pretty dark but the ballance is retained by a seemingly uplifting chorus. A truly beautiful song with an eerie feel that will make listeners feel as though walking into a horror film. a slow interesting solo shows us that not all solos have to be fast, and this one simply adds to the effect, carrying onto the chorus and ending, the song concludes powerfully leaving us in awe as it ends.
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
we have no time to catch out breath as Stockholm Syndrome burst into the speakers. the first song to be taken as an internet download only single. a mesmorising intro riff preceeds crashing drums and a changing bass line that is surely the most heavy section of the album. the verse is fast, almost too fast at times. the chorus shows us soft piano and electronic arpegios. Bellamy sings “this is the last time i'll abandon you” joined with unusually loud backing vocals from the usually quiet wolstenholme. the instrumental section brings back the crunching riff, keeping it the same as the bass changes notes. interesting. we then obviously get our trademark muse solo. all in all this song, while interesting and intreguing, at times seems to be trying to hard to satisfy muse's commercial appeal, and a little over produced. Not a song to skip by any means, but not one to be top of the list.
FALLING AWAY WITH YOU
a beautiful acoustic guitar line opens this song, so soft that we can even hear bellamy's fingers scraping the fretboard.
the chorus changes direction from this beautiful song into an eerie bombardment of crashing drums and Bellamy wailing “falling away” only to break back into the acoustic line, now joined with quiet drumming and bass. The song ends with this acoustic line and Bellamy singing as if feeling the loss of a loved one, and the song ends making the listener bubling with emotion. a true classic destined to be a fan fave.
HYSTERIA
a punching bass line in the same effect as the intro to “time is running out” opens this song, followed by drums and guitar scratching that make us remember “cochise” by audioslave.
it burst into an powerful intro and verse, that impossibly appealing bass line playin throughout. In the chorus Bellamy sings “i want it now” before the song falls back into that riff. the ending sees a Brian May inspired stadium rock solo, with a guitar bursting with effects. a true classic rock song destined to be a single.
BLACKOUT
finally we can catch our breath. the first of two songs on “Absolution” that feature a full string orchestra, it begins with a beautiful arpegio string intro followed by an inspired quiet choral singing. Bellamy here sees a vocal highlight of his career in this song. he wails “dont kid yourself” and we cant help but fall into the endless embrace of his words, and beautiful melodies that alter pitch so often. Bellamy's vocal talent really comes through here,which almost makes one think “thom who?”. The strings make this almost a song to fall asleep to. Seemingly a song brought out from “sleeping beauty”, drums enter but not with pace as to ruin the song. This is easily one of the most powerful songs on the album, with a fast picked solo on something which seems to be some sort of strange stringed instrument. The song ends as it began and we wonder just how this album can become more diverse.
BUTTERFLIES AND HURRICAINES
well, we must wonder more as this song takes “Absolution” to new heights. an electronic intro is followed by Bellamy singing and the second appearance of the stringed arrangement. . the song gradually crescendo's with more backing vocals added. Even from here we can see the song building up to something huge, and we are not disapointed. Pounding drums and bass enter the song, and Bellamy sings the verse once more but an octave higher but somehow increasing the power in his voice by 10 notches, in what is a pitch that most would sing quietly in falcetto. Bellamy screeches “your time is now” joined with what seems like endless backing vocals numbering easily more than 5, as the music stops. It restarts with a quiet but pounding unchanging bass line and simple effective drumming and we begin to think “whatever next” ?!. The baffled listener is the treated to a superb display of orchestral mastery, so haunting that it is shocking. held up by that bass line it is probably the highligh of the album. It stops too soon, and the song gets quiet with a high picthed piano, and we think the song will end. Not a chance. trademark muse piano starts, taken from Rachmaninov's notebook, and we listen in awe to the ridiculously impressive Bellamy. The song then almost ends again and we hear the intro again only to be followed by the same powerful chorus we experience earlier. it ends almost too soon but still leaving us in awe. A contender for the best song of Muse's short but impresive career so far.
THOUGHTS OF A DYING ATHIEST
We then are treated to a placebo style guitar intro, followed by a solid bassline that merges “newborn” and placebo's “bitter end”. But this song turns into something that placebo couldn't dream of composing, and yet this song is not a highlight of the album. Bellamy sings “it scares the hell out of me” in this fast paced song. the solo is beautifully apt to the song, we all knew it was coming. in all this song does seem lacking a little in creativity. we seem to beg for a quiet interlude and it never comes. Still a solid track though, not one to skip, but not one to admire as muses best work.
ENDLESSLY
an almost dance beat opens this song followed by keyboards. this is an intreguing song, but not the second coming of “unintended”, a fan fave. this song is a ballad in the same style, but the falsetto singing is replaced hear by a driving rhythym that is strange for seemingly a love song. Bellamy still sings with power and strength “Endlessly, i'll love you endlessly”
This song is a highlight of the album to some and a cheesy interlude to others, guarenteed to split muse fans right down the middle.
TSP
but we are not left open mouthed or with a stern look for long. This song burst into our speakers with a simple but o-so arrogant guitar line, followed by bass turned up to strangely high levels. an amazing coalition of bass and guitar in the verse falls under Bellamys effect ridden vocals. The chorus is loud and crashing, but one starts to feel this song is overproduced. Our fears are rightly places as the solo is so riddled by scratching and effects that one can hardly hear the guitar. This song is still a powerful rock song, and a stadium anthem to get the crowd going, but not up to the likes of some other tracks on the album. This song had massive potential, almost spoilt by the fact that it is almost a certain single release
RULE BY SECRECY
one expects a crashing end to this album, but it does not arrive. but we are certainly not disapointed. a sunkissed piano line that mimicks “newborn”, we can see similarities between former album closes “hate this and i'll love you” and “megalomania”, and indeed this song seems to be a ballance between two very oposing album closers. Bellamy amazes us again with vocal talent wailing and changing pitch every minute.
Some listeners may wish the song to pick up, but others, such as myself, appreciating the beauty of the music pray that it doesnt. It does, but not to novella proportions. The piano does not leave but is only joined with louder vocals and harder drumming. The song ends beautifully and we are left open mouthed as to how a trio so young can produce this kind of music.
All in all Absolution is a true gem. It may appeal an older generation, who may have thought muse to be just “noise” now should appreciate this as truly great MUSIC. It may not be the album that young fans may be expecting, as it couldnt be further from “origin of symmetry”. Muse have not changed some of their trademark styles, but have matured beyong belief into songs that are obviously increadibly well thought out and mastered. This album will have surpassed most bands, only with Muse can it seem apt to a band so impossibly melodic and oozing talent that one can hardly believe it to be true of such young musicians. Absolution is not similar to any album i have heard in a while. It encorporates so many different stlyes it is almost impossible to put one style bracket around it, and indeed one is wise not to classify it, but simply to admire the beauty of it.
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