#11; Blog for Absolution

I realise that less than 24 hours ago I had written a blog entry cerning my view upon various matters of music and how a personals musical tastes can be too easily judged upon their character as well as various other tidbits. Furthermore, I want to thank those that provided me with some amazing comments about the entry because a lot of heart went into the writing of a subject that holds my heart in a dear way and apologies for the commenting bug that caused no-one to be able to post comments (that has now been fixed!). But I do genuinely appreciate all feedback from everyone so I did truly love the responses I got and am grateful for that! But nevertheless, back onto the subject - whilst I may have written that musical entry, I felt like explaining to you why i'm such a huge Muse fan and what the band mean to me alongside my appreciation for all things musical.

What is it about 3 blokes from various areas around the UK meeting up in the coastal greyland known as Teignmouth that has attracted me so much to be in adoration to the music they create, divulge, emote and perform? How can this band mean so much to me when there are millions of people worldwide singing to make a living, trying their hardest to live off their money and make a name for themselves and yet these three guys create such incredible music personally? I will be the first to admit that perhaps I like Muse too much - just take a look at my last.fm! But to say that I couldn't go a full day without listening to them, as absurd as that sounds, would be a true statement. I realise I'll have people laughing at such an idea, that a simple band could have such a profound effect on any human being, but I knwo that it's not just myself that appreciate this band for everything they do.

I got into Muse nearly a decade ago now, about 2001-ish I would say. It must have been around the release of their incredible second album Origin of Symmetry as I sat down at my sisters house humbley watching that 'lovely' channel known as Kerrang (I was young then, OK?) when this empty room appeared with melting images, and a somber individual with striking black hair stood their gazing into my eyes... then that riff was unleashed. Plug in Baby. Matthew Bellamy just stayed still with his hands just pouring out the most addictive and stunning guitar noise I'd heard for my age at the time... his red guitar, with metal-but-bizarre faceplates swung around his body with his hand continually strumming out this riff. My eyes continued to stare as I watched in amazement, seeing a fellow guitarist on the bass with wild, bushy hair orbit his movements, moshing away alongside a headbanging drummer beringing the song to life with drumfills and snaps of, for lack of a better description, sheer awesome. 'My plug in baby, crucifies my enemies, when i'm tired of giving.' My throat had instantly started humming the crunching bassline whilst my head grew in slight headbanging movement along with the lifespan of the song. Wow. Wow wow wow.What is this!? Where the hell have these guys come from?! Wow!!! What is that riff?! My jaw was on the floor as the guitar slowly faded out by the end of the song. Matt bellamy, Chris Wostenholme and Dominic Howard has blown my brains out with that addictively catchy piece of modern rock. This was the moment I knew something was in it from my point of view to follow these guys. Ohohoho, and follow I did.

I sit here typing this blog entry to you nearly 8 years still as much in love with that band as the day I discovered them. They've released several albums since them, travelled the world, matured into their own styles of music they can develop album by album and have even sold out the new Wembley Stadium twice in 2 nights. I am not trying to advertise the band whatsoever, but I can;t help but express as a fan how much pride these achievements bring to see a band you've loved for years do so much with themselves. Yet they continue to be so fresh with their style of music and surprise you in so many ways... if you told me that in 2001 that same band would have an r'n'b based rock song getting to no. 2 in the charts in 2006 I would have laughed at an idea and ridiculed them for thinking they would even try. But they did, and yet within such an impossibly strange idea for a rock band, they managed to do it without losing any credibility.

That brings me onto my next point - live shows. Muse are THE live band. I've only seem them once in person but that one evening provided a vast amount of amazement, bliss, profound excitement and almost a level of subconscious disblelief that I had the opportunity to finally experience these guys for myself. They make me wonder so much - these are three almost 30's on a stage with 3 instruments - a guitar, a bass, a drumkit. Yet the sound they produce is out of this world; for those not in the know I'd highly suggest looking on youtube for a few videos, or emailing me/twittering me to get a few suggestions what to look at. I can't put into words just how good of a show they produce. yet it's only 3 guys!!

There is so much that I could go into detail about their music that attracts me so much and why I treasure every soundbyte that they've worked into making. At heart, Muse are without a shadow of doubt a rock band; but they're a rock band that incorporate so many other genres into their music and are brave enough to attempt this constantly. If you compare their original album showbiz to their newest album Black Holes and Revelations, the differences are beyond vast. showbiz holds three young lads introduing themselves to the world of rock music with dark, moody insight into the thoughtds of feelings of a frustrated age group living in an area they hate, wanting to escape, with Bellamy pouring his feelings into screaming falsettos and his guitar work on tracks, whether it be distorted power riffs or a soothing Italian-style acoustic. 7 years later, with their 4th studio album Black Holes and Revelations, you hear the band being so much more confident to try new styles of music, to attempt areas of rock where others may not dare tread, to express themselves and how they view the world around them with so much diversity. The album for example begins with an apocalyptic insight into the political dictatorships around the world being asked for a sarcasm bow of appreciation, and is followed up with an insight into political conpiracies, the galaxy we live in, romance, hatred, love, war through a soldier's poem, and finishing on the most over the top, completely mental but utterly brilliant western-space-rock-opera we know as Knights of Cydonia. But it would be totally rude for me to mention all thisn without going into detail into the alvums between these; their second album Origin of Symmetry saw the band unleashing their progtastic, insanely rough and brilliantly addictive riffs fully into the faces of music fans throughout the world. Whether it be an 8 minute rock epic including soothing piano riffs and a bassline that could shake a city, a church organ haunting the echoing screams of Bellamy, the hyper mess of a shroomed-up session causing the most innocently gorgeous river of arpeggios creating an sense of bliss, the album was just completely in your face in comparison to the introductory nature of Showbiz. The followup is where Muse shine their greatest so far personally - Absolution.

Absolution is an album worthy of it's own paragraph personally, and I mean that with no disrespect to Muse's other albums as each album is incredible for their own reasons. This album is my haven though. From start to finish, 12 tracks (2 non songs too, theyre only a few seconds long though) of utter brilliance, and I dare say perfection when I know that nothing in the world will ever be perfect. Rather than go into massive detail I'll tell you just where this album shines ... Where to start...Ohhh... Stockholm Syndrome... How could anyone descrbe this song in words? I'll be honest, I can never describe Stockholm Syndrome properly. Anger, frustration, everything that we feel when we're at the end of our tether. 'This is the last time I'll abandon you, and this is the last time I'll forget you... I wish I could!!!' So much anger comes through these lyrics, and yet Bellamy's vocals are so soft, soothing, almost relaxing in a song that feels so loud and almost apolcaptic. You have heavy guitar riffs being through at your left right and centre, a bassline that jumps constantly back and forth, and an incredible drum riff taking the song along perfectly. And the main guitar riff? Ohh yum. Basically if Stockholm Syndrome were a food, it'd be jelly on top of a washing machine. You know it's good, you know you want it, and yet it's sits there going completely mental in front of you. Alongside SS we have the encapsulatingly addictive Hysteria, a song that runs on a bassline that just makes the song without a doubt alongside the guitar riff halfway through, a riff that spews out a gorgeously sweet feeling for a song that screams out frustration at wanting something more than anything in life and knowing you can't get it. Despite this, Hysteria stands proudly as the 'groovy' track on the abum despite still being totally rooted in Muse's rock origins. Other highlights of the album justify why Muse are more than allowed to dabble their way into new genres - Butterflies and Hurricanes provides an uplifting, positive light of life alongside a buildup of orchestral excellence, combined with a Rachaminov-esque piano section that breaks the song into two, yet makes the song a beautiful, unique experience to behold - Time is Running Out could be considered a pop-pier younger brother to Hysteria, being a bass-driven catchy haven of emotions for the band to unleash in their own unique way. I could go on and on.. endlessly and Blackout being the album's romantic areas... Ruled by Secrecy... Thoughts of a Dying Atheist... but I've already written enough...

And that is Muse to me. Apologies if this does seem like an annoying entry to include and so much to say over something that many people may not consider to be impressive, but I just wanted to get the opportunity to show you just how Muse crept into my life and what they mean to me. I mention them a lot to friends, again I fear this may be too much, so I apologise once more if it gets to the point of pure annoyance... but this is just one of the traits I enjoy in my life and one I'm far from being ashamed of. There are many more out there moreso than myself that truly love this band for everything they stand for, everything they create, for being Muse.

Sing for Absolution? I nmost certainly will be singing!