Absolution is the third studio album by English alternative rock band Muse. It was released on September 21, 2003 in the UK and on March 23, 2004 in the U.S. by Taste Music Limited. The album yielded the band's first big American hits - "Time Is Running Out" and "Hysteria", the former becoming their first UK Top 10 single.

Writing and composition

The band spent much of 2002 recording Absolution with producer Rick Costey. The album was recorded in studios in both Los Angeles and London.

The album incorporates themes of fear, mistrust, personal achievement and joy. Bellamy said that the beginning of the Iraq War had an effect on their songwriting.

Reception

Absolution was Muse's first album to chart in the US, and is credited with establishing the band a fan base there. The album reached #1 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and #107 on the Billboard 200.

The first release from the album was download-only single "Stockholm Syndrome".

Track listing

All lyrics written by Matthew Bellamy, all music written by Muse.

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 & Hurricanes" – 5:01
11. "The Small Print" – 3:28
• "Fury" (bonus track between "The Small Print" and "Endlessly" on Japanese release) – 4:58
12. "Endlessly" – 3:49
13. "Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist" – 3:11
14. "Ruled By Secrecy" – 4:54

Initial copies of the CD featured inlay errors, where the songs "Interlude" and "Hysteria" switched places on the track listing.

Limited edition UK bonus DVD

1. "The Making of Absolution" documentary

(Also Hysteria and Interlude positions are switched on the tracklisting, yet this is not the case on the album)

Australian Tour Bonus Disc

1. "Stockholm Syndrome" – 7:14
2. "New Born" – 6:11
3. "Muscle Museum" – 4:18
4. "Hysteria" – 4:14
5. "Bliss" – 4:01
6. "Time Is Running Out" – 4:06

This bonus CD is entirely composed of live versions, recorded at the Big Day Out in Sydney, January 23 2004 for Australian radio station Triple J and broadcasted in the radio show "Live at the Wireless".

B-Sides

Three non-album studio tracks were released as b-sides.

"The Groove" - 2:38, b-side to "Time Is Running Out"
"Eternally Missed" - 6:04, b-side to "Hysteria"
"Fury" - 5:02, b-side to "Sing for Absolution" Included on Japanese version of the Album

Personnel

• Matthew Bellamy – lead vocals, guitars, piano, synthesizers, mandolin on "Blackout"
• Chris Wolstenholme – backing vocals, bass guitar, synthesizers on "Hysteria" and "Time Is Running Out"
• Dominic Howard – drums, percussion
• Paul Reeve – backing vocals, vocal samples

Chart positions

Album

Year	Chart	Position
2003	UK Top 40	1
2003	Billboard Top Heatseekers	1
2003	The Billboard 200	107
2003	France Albums Top 150	1
2003	Dutch Albums Top 100	2
2003	Ireland Top 75	3
2003	Swiss Albums Top 100	3
2003	Austria Top 75	3
2003	Italy Top 50	4
2003	Norway Top 40	5
2003	Belgium Top 70	7

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
2003	"Stockholm Syndrome"	UK Downloads Chart	31
2003	"Time Is Running Out"	UK Singles Chart	8
2003	"Hysteria"	UK Singles Chart	17
2004	"Sing For Absolution"	UK Singles Chart	16
2004	"Apocalypse Please"	UK Downloads Chart	10
2004	"Butterflies & Hurricanes"	UK Singles Chart	14
2004	"Time Is Running Out"	Modern Rock Tracks	9
2005	"Hysteria"	Modern Rock Tracks	9
2005	"Stockholm Syndrome"	Modern Rock Tracks	31

References

External links

• Official Muse website