The rock band Muse is mostly known for their song “Supermassive Black Hole,” which was released in 2006 and was also used in the 2008 film Twilight. Their song “Supermassive Black Hole” and the scene it was used in Twilight prompted me to check out more of their music, and soon I found myself becoming a fan of the band and their music. One album of theirs that stuck out to me was Absolution, and I will be reviewing that album today since I’m determined to prove that this album is a no-skip album (meaning that none of the songs on this album are skippable).
Apocalyspe Please
Alongside the song “Thoughts of a Dying Atheist,” this is another one of my favorite songs off of this album. Again, the instrumental of this song just stands out to me, and that may partially be because there’s a piano in the background, but moving on… Matt Bellamy’s vocals sound so raw in this, especially when he’s holding long notes. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 9.5/10.
Time Is Running Out
When I first discovered this album from Muse, this was one out of the two songs that I had on repeat for weeks. The buildup to the chorus and the instrumental after the first chorus are my favorite parts of the song, and these two parts of the song really get me hyped up, to be honest. Also, any song that has Matt Bellamy belting out lyrics/almost screaming lyrics in parts of the song will always be a good song in my mind. Out of a 10, I would rate this song an 8/10.
Sing for Absolution
To be honest, I think this is the song that I listen to the least off of the entire album, but just because I don’t listen to it as much as the others doesn’t mean I have a negative view of it. In the beginning, this sounds like a pretty chill song, but by the chorus, it starts to ramp up, and by the end of the second chorus, the song can no longer be described as “chill” anymore. Also, by using the word chill, I don’t mean that it’s a relaxing song, I mean that the song starts off pretty mellow before the instruments in the background ramp up towards the chorus and the end of the song. Again, Matt Bellamy sings this song beautifully and I love how it sounds. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 7/10.
Stockholm Syndrome
I think the best way that I can describe this song in two words are the words gritty and soft. Gritty in the sense of how strong the instruments are in the background, and soft in the way that it seems to soften up a little when the chorus comes along (although the instruments are still pretty solid in the background). The drums in this song really caught my attention and still catch my attention every time I listen to them. Also, after listening to this song multiple times to review it, I have to say that this song is pretty close to becoming another one of my favorite songs off of the album. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 9/10.
FALLING aWAY wITH yOU
I absolutely love the instrumental in the chorus of this song. I also adore how Matt Bellamy sings this song, and again his signing in this song is just so raw-sounding and emotional in a way. I wish I had more to say, but I’ll end it off and say that this song is truly beautiful to listen to. Out of a 10, I would rate this song an 8/10.
hYSTERIA
After hearing “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse years ago, this is the next song that I stumbled upon around 2017. I appreciate the instruments heavily in this piece, especially with how the guitar sounds at the beginning of the song and after the chorus is sung for the second time. Basically, the instrumental of this song is just amazing, and the instrumental truly sold the song for me. I also admire how Matt Bellamy, the lead vocalist for Muse, sings the lyrics in this song. He just has a way of making the most simple-sounding lyrics sound beautiful. Out of a 10, I would rate this song an 8/10.
bLACKOUT
This is another song off of the album that I don’t really listen to a lot, but after listening to it a few times in order to review it accurately, I have to say that I should definitely listen to this song more often. Like a few other songs off of this album, this song is quite chill and mellow, except this song continues to stay mellow for a while, and the instrumentals don’t suddenly switch during the chorus. Once again, this song is sung beautifully and sounds great overall. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 7.5/10.
bUTTERFLIES AND hURRICANES
I have to argue and say that the instrumental in this song is one of the best instrumentals out of the entire album. Now, this may be because I’m a sucker for both violin and piano parts in music, especially because I know how to play both instruments, but I really do think that the combination of both the violin and piano playing after the chorus is sung for the second time is very pleasing to the ears. The drums in this song just sound great as well. This is another song off of the album that, while listening to it multiple times to review it, is slowly becoming another one of my favorites off of the album. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 9/10.
The Small Print
I quite enjoy how the instrumental of this song sounds, with how strong and heavy they are in the background. I also find the play this song is based on interesting, as it’s based on a play called Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, where a man ended up selling his soul to the devil and signing a contract with him. Like Stockholm Syndrome, after listening to this song a couple of more times, it’s slowly becoming a favorite song of mine with the others. Out of a 10, I would rate this song an 8.5/10.
Endlessly
This is the second song that I had on repeat when I first discovered this album. I’m pretty sure I had it on repeat so often because it’s probably the most chill song in the entire album. The instrumental in this song is amazing, especially the keyboard in the background, and the way Matt Bellamy sings this song is lovely. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 7.5/10.
Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
Out of the entire album, this has to be one of my favorite songs. The instrumental bridge after the chorus is sung for the second time is the best part of the song, in my opinion. I’m not so sure as to why this song stuck out to me so much when I first listened to it, and it still sticks out to me when I listen to it now, but I think I’ve finally come to an answer after listening to it for a while. The reason why this is one of my favorite songs off of the album is that I find the instrumental so addicting to listen to. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 9.5/10.
Ruled by Secrecy
I hate to admit it, but this is also another song that I don’t listen to too much from this album. This is also quite another mellow song until it reaches the piano solo after the second chorus, which is one of my favorite parts out of the entire song. Out of a 10, I would rate this song a 7.5/10.
Fury
In this song, I love how the guitar and the bass sound at the beginning of the song, and overall the guitar and the bass really sold this song for me. Out of a 10, I would rate this song an 8.5/10.
Overall, the album Absolution by the rock band Muse was a wonderful album, and I hope that I’ve convinced someone to give this album a listen.