Absolution
by Muse

My favorite album of all time.

Combines all of the good things about Muse from old to new and combines everything I love in music and puts it on one album. Beautiful orchestrations and harmonies; catchy melodies; hard and fast rock; classical influence; incredible piano performances; amazing electronics; Matt plays guitar almost as if it's apart of his body, Chris lays down some of the greatest basslines of all time while Dom attacks his drums with massive fills. Epic, emotional, aggressive, beautiful, and inspirational all in one.

From paladisiac TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/11/2011 02:50 | #32636 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

There's tons of bombast in this stadium rock influenced by queen and what radiohead would sound like if more extroverted and needing to be liked, but it works because it seems sincere even though it feels like an act. Here, the act is the other side of the end of the world. On "apocalypse please", the heavy, low-note piano bears a palpable burden as does 's soaring vocals. "time is running out" is the hit, with kind of a dance-punk electro-glam combo and lyrics "I think I'm drowning; Asphyxiated, I wanna break this spell That you've created." and a chorus that soars and attempts to lift you up with it. Guitars wrench hard. i really like how Matthew Bellamy's voice soars to give weight to his meaning. The other standouts are "stockholm syndrome" and "hysteria". "stockholm syndrome" is a pure guitar juggernaut, that POUND with the drums before the chorus's climax "This is the last time I'll abandon you..and this is the last time I'll forget you / I wish I could" and its twinkly orgasm before resurrecting the guitar onslaught, and probably captures the muse sound i like the most. This song alone makes showbiz seem like it was put out half-assed by arty high-school kids. There's a guitar onslaught in "hysteria"; but the guitars bring out a more pensive mood once Matthew starts singing "I'm endlessly caving in / and turning inside out" before kicking at the chorus. For a next-generation Radiohead band, they sure can churn out some old-school guitar riffs (something Greenwood probably could do but would rather stick with layered textures). "the small print" rocks as well. They also have their prettier moments, like on "blackout" and "endlessly" ("hopelessly, i'll love you endlessly"). "butterflies and hurricanes" was my 2004 election year anthem for its message of personal responsibility of change reflected in the lyric "You've got to change the world / And use this chance to be heard / Your time is now" (with a classical sounding piano bit).

From Applerill TOP 100 COMMENTER 09/26/2010 09:49 | #15395 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

This is to Radiohead what Exile on Main Street is to Revolver. It's slightly less perfect, but it's edginess goes and still puts it in a league of it's own. This album isn't overrated. At all.

From rkjones10 07/05/2012 17:46 | #45936 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Where Radiohead would have taken their music if they didn't get into experimental electronica. And Muse pull it off completely. (Edited)

From makerofbuckets TOP 100 COMMENTER 11/15/2014 04:35 | #127010 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

People, have fun listening to music. Sure, it's over the top, but that makes it ENJOYABLE not BAD (Edited)