Absolution

On their post 9/11 world - inspired apocalyptic 2003 project [Absolution], Muse find steady footing after their first truly great album [Origin of Symmetry]. It's a concept album through and through, with the concept being as specific as "the end of the world" or as vague as "the end of something" depending on who you ask.

Opening with {Apocalypse Please}, Matt Bellamy perfectly sets the tone for what's about to overtake the next 50 minutes of your life. If you dabble in alternative rock, you already know what the highlights are: the desperate {Time Is Running Out}, the loud and abrasive {Stockholm Syndrome} and of course the endlessly chainsaw-revving bassline of {Hysteria}. These are kinds of things Muse is known for, after all.

Regardless, the songs here aren't all the aggressive scratchy kind you'd expect from Muse; we get peaceful, melancholy and mournful on songs like {Endlessly}, {Thoughts of a Dying Atheist} and {Ruled by Secrecy}, sentiments usually accompanied by somber lyrics and fitting instrumentation for anyone that likes a bit of grandiose piano in their edgy world-ender storm of a rock album.

The rage and melancholic dread of the project best come together in the song {Butterflies and Hurricanes}. While not the best song here, I think it's the best singular expression of what they were going for during the span of these 14 tracks. If you listen to it and enjoy it, it's likely you'll enjoy the rest of the album as well.

Favorite Songs: Hysteria // Time Is Running Out // Stockholm Syndrome // Butterflies and Hurricanes // Ruled by Secrecy
Least Favorite Songs: Falling Away With You
Special Commentary: matt is my favorite 9/11 truther