Absolution
A man standing on a sidewalk with many people's shadows flying over him in the background
Studio album by
Muse
Released15 September 2003 (2003-09-15)
RecordedSeptember 2002 – June 2003
Studio
Genre
Length52:19
LabelTaste[lower-alpha 1]
Producer
Muse chronology
Hullabaloo Soundtrack
(2002)		 Absolution
(2003)		 Black Holes and Revelations
(2006)
Muse studio album chronology
Origin of Symmetry
(2001)		 Absolution
(2003)		 Black Holes and Revelations
(2006)
Singles from Absolution
  1. "Stockholm Syndrome"
    Released: 14 July 2003
  2. "Time Is Running Out"
    Released: 8 September 2003
  3. "Hysteria"
    Released: 1 December 2003
  4. "Sing for Absolution"
    Released: 17 May 2004
  5. "Apocalypse Please"
    Released: 23 August 2004
  6. "Butterflies and Hurricanes"
    Released: 20 September 2004

Absolution is the third studio album by the English rock band Muse, released on 15 September 2003 through Taste Media. It was produced by Muse and Rich Costey, with additional production by John Cornfield and Paul Reeve.

Costey wanted to give Muse a bigger, more aggressive sound, and Absolution is more polished and direct than Muse's previous albums. It incorporates classical influences, with orchestra on tracks such as "Butterflies and Hurricanes" and "Blackout", and apocalyptic lyrical themes. Most of the album was recorded at Grouse Lodge in County Westmeath, Ireland.

Absolution reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. It also produced Muse's first top-ten single, "Time Is Running Out", which reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. As of 2018, Absolution had sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide. A 20th-anniversary reissue with bonus tracks was released in November 2023.

Recording

Muse set aside time to develop their third album, as their previous recording sessions had been rushed.[1] They began work in late 2002 with the producers John Cornfield and Paul Reed at Air Studios, London, where they recorded "Butterflies and Hurricanes" and "Blackout".[2] They were joined there later by the American producer Rich Costey, who produced the rest of the album. Costey had worked with acts Muse admired, including Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and wanted to help them find a bigger, more aggressive sound. According to Costey, Muse wanted to sound like a "colossal, dynamic, epic and powerful rock band".[2]

Muse and Costey regrouped in early 2003 for 10 days at Livingston Recording Studios, London, completing the recordings they had made at Air.[2] They then moved to Grouse Lodge, a residential recording studio in County Westmeath, Ireland, where most of the album was recorded.[2]

To create basic tracks, the band recorded together live, then focused on overdubs.[2] Costey minimised editing to preserve the "human touch" and avoid an artificial result.[2] He added little reverb, preferring to use the natural ambience recorded by the microphones.[2] The guitarist, Matt Bellamy, used custom Manson guitars and Marshall and Diezel amps.[2] The bassist, Chris Wolstenholme, split his signal into three Marshall amps, one clean and two distorted, and blended the results.[2]

The group experimented with drum sounds, using a number of microphones. For the introduction to "Apocalypse Please", they recorded two large kick drums in the Grouse Lodge swimming pool. They also recorded Wolstenholme diving into the pool, which was used in the bridge of "Thoughts of a Dying Atheist".[2] For "Ruled By Secrecy", they recorded a drum take in the courtyard outdoors, hoping to capture an unusual ambience, but discarded the results.[2] On "Falling Away With You", Costey was keen to capture the sound of Bellamy's fingers on the guitar strings to create an intimate feeling.[2]

For "Sing for Absolution", Muse used prepared piano, laying metal objects such as nails and guitar strings on the piano strings. They also processed the piano with a pitch-shifting DigiTech Whammy pedal and an Echloplex delay effect.[2] For "Ruled By Secrecy", they blended acoustic piano and a Yamaha CP-80 electric piano. Costey recorded Bellamy's left and right-hand parts separately, and processed them using guitar amps and an Echoplex.[2] "Time is Running Out" was the most difficult song to record; the band spent hours working on the bass sound for the introduction.[2]

"Endlessly" was the last song to be completed. The band struggled to improve on the simplicity of Bellamy's demo, recorded with a piano and a four-to-the-floor drum machine rhythm. Eventually, they used lighter, jazzier drumming and an old Hammond organ.[2] Later in 2003, Muse and Costey spent three weeks in Cello Studios, Los Angeles, where they recorded more overdubs and the final version of "Endlessly", and mixed the album.[2]

Music and lyrics

Absolution is an alternative rock, progressive rock,[3] hard rock, and art rock album. It features a more polished and direct sound than Muse's previous albums.[4] In 2020, Wolstenholme described it as a continuation of their second album, Origin of Symmetry (2001): "We knew what we wanted to do, and we'd found our feet a little bit, and we felt comfortable with what we did."[5]

Bellamy wrote most of the songs on piano, including guitar-based songs such as "Stockholm Syndrome".[6] For "Butterflies and Hurricanes", he sought to create a heavy rock song using classical piano instead of guitar, with a "mechanical paradiddle thing all the way through".[6] He was inspired by the "intensive, repetitive" piano compositions of Terry Riley, such as "In C".[6] "Blackout" uses mandolin and orchestra.[2]

The lyrics incorporate themes of fear, mistrust, personal achievement and joy, and a general theme of "things coming to an end".[1] Bellamy said that the beginning of the Iraq War influenced the songwriting,[1] and that the lyrics for "Apocalypse Please" followed naturally from the "epic and in-your-face" chord progression.[6]

Title and artwork

Bellamy said that absolution was "not necessarily a religious word; it has meanings of purity, but it's not necessarily talking from a Christian or any particular religious point of view. I think it's just suggesting that the act of making music is a way of understanding things."[7]

Absolution is one of two Muse albums (alongside Black Holes and Revelations) to feature artwork by Storm Thorgerson. The ambiguous falling/floating image is similar to the René Magritte painting Golconda.[8] According to Howard, the artwork could be interpreted as depicting people either leaving or descending to Earth.[9]

Release and promotion

Absolution was released on 23 September 2003 on CD and double vinyl.[10] The first single, "Stockholm Syndrome", was released as a download and was downloaded more than 20,000 times.[11] Because of contractual obligations, Muse could not allow it to be downloaded free, so the fee was set at $0.99 in the US.[1] On tour for Absolution, Muse performed in arenas for the first time and headlined Glastonbury Festival in 2004.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Alternative Press5/5[14]
Blender[15]
Drowned in Sound10/10[16]
The Guardian[17]
NME9/10[18]
Q[19]
Rolling Stone[20]
The Scotsman[21]
Uncut[22]

On Metacritic, Absolution has a score of 72 of 100 based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[12] Alternative Press wrote that its "chaotic choruses feel like the triumphant culmination of some earth-shattering undertaking",[14] while Andrew Future of Drowned in Sound called it "a truly elemental opus".[16] Tyler Fisher of Sputnikmusic felt that Absolution was Muse's most consistent album to date and that it perfected their sound, writing that it "expands on newer sounds and improves on others".[23] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote: "Muse sound like a band who are at the top of their game. Their confidence carries you through the album's excesses."[17] Rob Kemp of Rolling Stone was less enthusiastic, drawing Radiohead comparisons and concluding that Bellamy "doesn't bring as much ingenuity to his singing".[20]

Absolution was Muse's first album to chart in the US, and is credited with establishing their fan base there.[11] It was the second Muse album released in the US, after a dispute with Maverick Records had canceled the release of Origin of Symmetry there.[24] Absolution reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and No. 107 on the Billboard 200.[25] It was certified gold in March 2007, becoming Muse's first album to be certified in the US.[26] "Time Is Running Out" became Muse's first top-10 single on the UK Singles Chart and was certified gold in the US.[27]

Legacy

In 2005, Absolution was ranked number 345 in the Rock Hard book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[28] In 2009, Q readers voted it the 23rd-best British album,[29] and in 2009, Kerrang! readers voted it the second-best album of the century so far.[30] A remastered 20th-anniversary reissue, Absolution XX Anniversary, featuring bonus tracks, live recordings and demos, was released on 17 November 2023.[4]

Track listings

All lyrics are written by Matthew Bellamy; all music is composed by Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme[31]

Absolution – Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Intro"0:22
2."Apocalypse Please"4:12
3."Time Is Running Out"3:56
4."Sing for Absolution"4:54
5."Stockholm Syndrome"4:58
6."Falling Away with You"4:40
7."Interlude"0:37
8."Hysteria"3:47
9."Blackout"4:22
10."Butterflies and Hurricanes"5:01
11."The Small Print"3:28
12."Endlessly"3:49
13."Thoughts of a Dying Atheist"3:11
14."Ruled by Secrecy"4:54
Total length:52:19
  • Initial copies of the CD featured inlay errors, where the songs "Interlude" and "Hysteria" switched places on the track listing.

Personnel

Personnel adapted from Absolution liner notes[31]

Muse

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[60] Platinum 70,000^
Belgium (BEA)[61] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[62] Gold 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[63] Gold 100,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[64]
sales in between 2003-2004 		Gold 50,000*
Italy (FIMI)[65]
sales since 2009 		Gold 25,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[66] Gold 40,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[67] Gold 7,500^
Russia (NFPF)[68] Gold 10,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[69] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[70] 3× Platinum 948,685[71]
United States (RIAA)[72] Platinum 1,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[73] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ Also released through East West Records in the United Kingdom, PIAS Recordings in Benelux, Motor Music in Germany, Naïve Records in France, Festival Mushroom Records in Oceania, Cutting Edge/maximum10 in Japan, and Warner Bros. Records in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Stout, Gene (6 May 2004). "Absolution plows the ground for Muse's US following". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Buskin, Richard (December 2003). "Rich Costey: Producer". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Philip, Tom (19 December 2018). "Muse Found Solace in Escaping Reality on Their New Record". GQ. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Trendell, Andrew (15 September 2023). "Muse announce Absolution 20th anniversary deluxe reissue". NME. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Beller, Bryan (8 January 2020). "Too much is never enough: Muse's Chris Wolstenholme reinvents art-rock bass for the 21st century". Guitar World. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Innocence and Absolution". Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  7. ↑ "Muse guest program". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 April 2004. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  8. ↑ "Muse's Absolution at 20: The making of a prog rock landmark". Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "'Pink Floyd' Artist Storm Thorgerson Dies Aged 69: His Greatest Album Covers". 19 April 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "Muse (official fansite)". Archived from the original on 28 April 2007.
  11. 1 2 Stout, Gene (6 May 2004). "'Absolution' plows the ground for Muse's U.S. following". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Reviews for Absolution by Muse". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  13. ↑ DiGravina, Tim. "Absolution – Muse". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Muse: Absolution". Alternative Press. Cleveland (192): 146. July 2004.
  15. ↑ Power, Tony (June–July 2004). "Muse: Absolution". Blender. New York (27): 140. Archived from the original on 5 December 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  16. 1 2 Future, Andrew (15 September 2003). "Album Review: Muse – Absolution". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  17. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (19 September 2003). "Muse, Absolution". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  18. ↑ Martin, Dan (10 September 2003). "Muse : Absolution". NME. London. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  19. ↑ "Muse: Absolution". Q. London (207): 109. October 2003.
  20. 1 2 Kemp, Rob (1 April 2004). "Absolution". Rolling Stone. New York. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  21. ↑ Shepherd, Fiona (19 September 2003). "Music of the mind". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  22. ↑ "Muse – Absolution". Uncut. London (77). October 2003. Archived from the original on 11 November 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  23. ↑ Fisher, Tyler (15 November 2006). "Muse – Absolution". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  24. ↑ Spin Sep 2009. September 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  25. ↑ "Billboard chart history". Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
  26. ↑ "Gold and Platinum Database Search". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  27. ↑ "Search Results". Gold and Platinum. RIAA. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
  28. ↑ Rensen, Michael, ed. (2005). Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. p. 71. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
  29. ↑ "NME 100 Greatest British Albums Ever! – 2006". rocklistmusic.co.uk. April 2008.
  30. ↑ "Kerrang Readers 50 Best Albums of the 21st Century". Ilxor. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  31. 1 2 Absolution (CD liner notes). Muse. Taste Media. 2003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  33. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Muse – Absolution" (in German). Hung Medien.
  34. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Muse – Absolution" (in French). Hung Medien.
  35. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  36. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Muse – Absolution" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  37. ↑ "Muse: Absolution" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  38. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  39. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Muse – Absolution" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  40. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  41. ↑ "Charts.nz – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  42. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  43. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  44. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  45. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (June 2015). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2012 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-866-2.
  46. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Muse – Absolution". Hung Medien.
  47. ↑ "Muse | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  48. ↑ "Muse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  49. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2003". Ultratop. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  50. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2003". Ultratop. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  51. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2003". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  52. ↑ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2003" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  53. ↑ "Classifica Annuale 2003 (dal 30.12.2002 al 28.12.2003) – Album & Compilation" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  54. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  55. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2003". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  56. ↑ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2004" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  57. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2004". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  58. ↑ "ChartsPlusYE2005" (PDF). UKchartsplus.co.uk. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  59. ↑ "2006 UK Albums Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  60. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  61. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2004". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021.
  62. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Muse – Absolution". Music Canada.
  63. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Muse; 'Absolution')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  64. ↑ Failoni, Helmut (12 June 2004). "Dai Korn ai Muse in arrivo due giorni ad alta tensione rock". la Repubblica (in Italian). p. 16. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  65. ↑ "Italian album certifications – Muse – Absolution" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  66. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Muse – Absolution" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Absolution in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2004 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  67. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Muse – Absolution". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  68. ↑ "Russian album certifications – Muse – Absolution" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  69. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Absolution')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  70. ↑ "British album certifications – Muse – Absolution". British Phonographic Industry.
  71. ↑ Jones, Alan (16 November 2018). "Charts analysis: Muse vs Murs in albums battle". Music Week. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  72. ↑ "American album certifications – Muse – Absolution". Recording Industry Association of America.
  73. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2005". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
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