Absolution

From WikiMuse

Absolution

Release date(s)	: September 15th, 2003 :September 29th, 2003 : September 29th, 2003 : March 23rd, 2004
Recording details	2002 – 2003 at Grouse Lodge Studios, County Westmeath; Air Studios, London; Cello Studios, Hollywood; Livingstone Studios, London; and Sawmills Studios, Cornwall
No. of tracks	: 14 : 15
Length	: 52:19 : 57:28
Publisher(s)	: Cutting Edge Records : Mushroom Records : Festival Mushroom Records : Taste Media
Producer(s)	Rich Costey, John Cornfield, Paul Reeve and Muse
WikiMuse top 3	Hysteria Stockholm Syndrome Sing for Absolution

Absolution is Muse's third studio album, released in Britain on September 29th, 2006. The album contains 14 tracks and a bonus track, Fury, on the Japanese edition.

Six songs from Absolution were released as singles, in order: Stockholm Syndrome, Time is Running Out, Hysteria, Sing for Absolution, Apocalypse Please, and Butterflies & Hurricanes.

[edit] Overview

The album is a fluid mixture of slower string/piano songs and heavier tracks, joined with two short instrumental interludes. Many of the tracks fade into each other, whilst others offer a complete contrast to the one previous.

Absolution is often regarded as the most dramatic album, with epic songs such as Sing for Absolution, the very dark Ruled by Secrecy, the classic slow Blackout, the fast paces Hysteria and the heavy Stockholm Syndrome that is still used as the climax of live performances.

[edit] Tracklist

All songs were written by Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard, except where noted.

Intro – 0:22
Apocalypse Please – 4:12
Time is Running Out – 3:56
Sing for Absolution – 4:54
Stockholm Syndrome – 4:58
Falling Away With You – 4:40
Interlude – 0:37
Hysteria (Bellamy, Wolstenholme) – 3:47
Blackout – 4:22
Butterflies & Hurricanes – 5:01
The Small Print – 3:28
Endlessly – 3:49
- Fury (Japan bonus track) – 5:02
Thoughts of a Dying Atheist – 3:11
Ruled By Secrecy – 4:54

[edit] Instrumentation

Matthew Bellamy

Lead vocals on all tracks except Intro and Interlude
Guitars on all tracks except Intro
Synthesizers on Sing for Absolution, Stockholm Syndrome, Falling Away With You, Endlessly and Ruled By Secrecy
Piano on Apocalypse Please, Sing for Absolution, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Endlessly and Ruled By Secrecy

Christopher Wolstenholme

Bass guitar on all tracks except Intro and Interlude
Backing vocals on all tracks except Intro and Interlude
Synthesizer on Hysteria

Dominic Howard

Drums on all tracks except Interlude

Paul Reeve

Backing vocals on Apocalypse Please and Blackout

[edit] Chart performance

Absolution charted in 15 countries, 13 more than its predecessor, Origin of Symmetry. It entered the top 5 of the charts in six countries and peaked in the top 5 in one more. The album stayed in the UK Albums Chart Top 75 for 57 weeks, much more than Origin managed. The country in which Absolution charted the longest was France, where it stayed in the Top 150 for 80 weeks, also making it the country in which Absolution stayed at number 1 for the longest.

Country	Entry	Peak	Chart weeks
Australia	22	21	14
Austria	5	5	7
Belgium	32	7	13
Denmark	28	28	1
Finland	12	12	10
France	1	1	80
Germany	11	11	5
Ireland	3	3	9
Italy	7	7	12
Netherlands	33	2	29
New Zealand	35	17	9
Norway	5	5	4
Portugal	7	7	6
Switzerland	3	3	27
United Kingdom	1	1	57
TOTAL	1	1	283