Fantastic, 15 Jun 2005

By	L. Otto "iPod? Sure, I'll take two." (Surrey, England) - See all my reviews

Intro-Not bad, not good. I feel it's a waste of like 10 seconds or so, but it does set Apocalypse Please up nicely, not worth adding to your MP3 though.

Apocalypse Please-Stunning first song on an album, almost rivaling New Born. Epic piano work from the start with a really heavy bassline, and really good live. 4/5 song

Time is Running Out-Brilliant. What more can i say? that bassline is catchy, the lyrics are...oh dammit the whole song is catchy, Matt's vocals are on top form as usual. 5/5 song

Sing For Absolution-The real slow love song of the album, well one of two at least. Haunting verse vocals from Bellamy erupting into an epic rock chorus. 5/5 song

Stockholm Syndrome-The first taster of the newest album from Muse, distingtive guitar work with a really uplifting chorus, a brilliant song both on album and live! 5/5 song

Falling Away With You-A more mellow song from muse, i love the guitar work on the verse and think the lyrics are very sweet and meaningful, not really for those who love heavy muse though. 4/5 song

Interlude-Does what it says on the tin, pretty cool though for the effects. 3/5

Hysteria-Wow. What a track, from the first second of this song it grabbed me, very very good. the effect on Matt's vocal can come under question, however, i would beg to disagree. Brilliant song. 5/5

Blackout-Hmm. I really don't like this song, from the beginning it dulled me, I think Fury would have been a better song to put on the album than this, but hey it has a weird rhythm and structure which maybe I'm just not used to, though try it before you knock it at least. 2/5 song

B&H (not benson and hedges) Brilliant song, not many people could base a song around an amazing piano solo to put the best pianists in their place can they? Muse can, Muse DID. Very good song, the single version is much better though, with added guitar and distorted vocals. 5/5 song
The Small Print-Very good song from the begining, the guitar intro is good and the half time break has a real live performance feel, very good. 4/5 song

Endlessly-I don't think this song is as weird as people say it is, i like it and think it's very well done, completely piano based with good melodies and so on. 4/5 song

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist-I love this song, this song is different to what muse have done before and I think it's gold, really good rythm with thought-inspiring verses. 5/5

Ruled By Secrecy-A good album finisher in my opinion, it really settles you down after all the madness you've just experienced. the lyrics are brilliant "change in the air, and they'll hide everywhere" as an example. But all in all very good piano based song.

So there we have it, a brilliant album, if you're not a Muse fan in particular I would still highly recommend this album as it is a true classic, you'll never get bored of it and you'll truly appreciate the work that's gone into this masterpiece, cheers. Peace.

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Still more innovation, 11 Jan 2004

By	Jonathan Waterlow - See all my reviews

"Absolution" is an amazing achievement. In many interviews leading up to its release, Muse were threatening it would be much, much heavier than "Origin Of Symmetry", and in places this is true enough ("Stockholm Syndrome" for one). However, this assessment completely fails to encompass the variety provided by the contemplative, intoxicatingly relaxing "Blackout" and "Falling Away With You", which has one of the most memorable riffs of the whole album. Like all the finest musicians, Muse's latest offering is every bit what we have come to expect from them, whilst simultaneously offering much that is new and unexpected. Whilst Bellamy's trademark arpeggios are present and correct, there is also the introduction of strings into several of the songs. Usually a warning sign that a songwriter is rapidly disappearing up his own backside in the pretentious stakes, thankfully Bellamy has managed to use his neo-classical leanings to brilliant and often amazing effect on this album. In the hands of another frontman, "Absolution" could potentially have gone over the top; but it is impossible even to consider this when listening to Bellamy pour out his heart and soul with the voice of a fallen (and possibly demented) angel.

The DVD which comes with this special edition of the album is also worthy of review - you need a good reason to fork out a few extra quid for a novelty item! The documentary proclaims to be a "making-of" feature of the album. And it's certainly good at the beginning that you're told this, because it starts off incredibly unconnected and confusing. There is a sore lack of narration, and no other real explanation of why you're watching what's on the screen. There's unnecessary ooh-let’s-be-arty black and white video, and for the first 15 minutes or so there's really no context, which deprives the footage of any real meaning, with too many static shots in studios with nothing but a drum-beat to listen to.

However, it does get into a stride, and quite an entrancing one at that, as the documentary continues. The sequence of recording in Ireland is particularly engaging, with the drumming being recorded outside in the countryside, giving it an unquantifiable "open" and fresh sound; the camera then takes you round into a building where you hear the rest of the song being put together. And, quite poignantly considering the setting, they are recording "Ruled by Secrecy", adding a little more depth to the song through this added insight. And this is where the DVD is at its best - adding some extra knowledge which compliments the already brilliant music on "Absolution". You also get a sense of who the guys in Muse are, as they arse about in the studio, and occasionally forget where they are in a song, arguing over how many bars there are until the chorus (a comfort to "amateur" bands everywhere). Watching the heavily layered "Time Is Running Out" being put together is particularly interesting to watch, as you hear the various elements being added in and mixed, which gave me a whole new respect for 3 piece bands who have to do that much more to create a full sound than those with heaps of musicians.

Clips of the album's cover shoot are also very interesting to those (like me) who want to know a bit more about the production which goes on behind the proverbial scenes. The flying shadows weren't computer generated at all, as I had at first thought, but are enormous cardboard designs. Err... which isn't too amazing, I suppose, but even the otherwise dull moments in this film are lightened by the constant soundtrack of album tracks in-progress, allowing you to hear them being built up in the studio (and, again, appreciate their finished versions that much more). Drums and cymbals being played in a swimming pool is a mandatory part of the musical process for Muse, it seems!

Other smaller points of interest are Matt Bellamy's new LED-covered guitar for their upcoming tour, and the exhausting video shoot for "Time Is Running Out". Seeing Bellamy at the piano is also quite something, though possibly only for fellow pianists. A few photo galleries are also on the disc, although not particularly interesting ones.

All in all, though, this DVD has added an important new element to listening to Muse's latest masterpiece, and I can only recommend that you pay a few extra pounds for this Special Edition. I can hardly wait to see what they do next.

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