Muse - Absolution

World First Playback
London Planetarium - 29th July 2003

4 years ago Muse were almost unheard of, but now 3 albums into their career they are seeing their 3rd album, the follow up to 01's Origin of Symmetry launched at this, the plush London's Planetarium. The large press area amongst the Waxworks of Madame Tussauds with complementary drinks and food all hoping to sway the opinions of the vast amount of press a band of Muse's stature attracts acts as the perfect venue for the nights proceedings, with the band out in full force mingling with the guests. Muse are on the brink of a 9 date arena tour of the UK (their biggest tour to date) and are now signed to major label - Warner Music, meaning it could now be make or break time, a poor follow up to Origin of Symmetry could spell disaster for them.

Inside the 400-capacity dome of the Planetarium itself and after a brief announcement and introduction to the album the playback started. With the Planetarium's visual display going on overhead (for those of you who haven't been to the Planetarium before it is a large dome shaped cinema / theatre where images of the stars are projected onto the ceiling) the sound of marching signified the opening track of the album, "Apocalypse Now". You can tell from the first note that Absolution is trying to be more than just a follow up to their outstanding previous efforts. It is an album with more purpose, an album that has a strange sense of urgency, as Bellemy sings on the second track in and first single proper "Time Is Running Out", I wont let you bury it / I wont let you smother it / I wont let you murder it / Because our time is running out.

It is mellower than its predecessors, showing the band maturing and expanding in their musical abilities. Opting for more piano filled moments, seen on tracks such as "Falling Away with You" and less of the huge riffery that was seen on Origin and Showbiz. When they do opt for heavier moments however, they don't half go for it; the drumming has evolved to sound huge, like a barrage of drums that, at times sound almost apocalyptic.

At points this album could be deemed a little self-indulgent, with a lengthy classical piano solo midway through "Butterflies and Hurricanes" and the mellower, almost ballad-like "Falling Away with You" which had some of the audience murmuring "cheesy". Overall though this is effective and only time will tell whether we will grow to love or hate these moments.

The album ended with a huge cheer from the crowd within the Dome, whether it was the small number of Muse-mad competition winners who got a chance to attend this showing or whether people were generally very pleased, happy and even amazed at what they heard is yet to be determined. As people left the Dome the muttered conversations ranged from the encouraging to the pessimistic.

Whilst we will have to wait until September to hear the album properly, the impression I gained from this first playback was of a band just starting to realise their sense of purpose, a band no longer worried about making music that will sell but with music that pushes the boundaries and sends out a message.

The tracklisting for the album (as we understand it) is as follows.
1. Apocalypse Now
2. Time Is Running Out
3. Sing For Absolution
4. Stockholm Syndrome
5. Falling Away With You
6. Hysteria
7. Blackout
8. Butterflies and hurricanes
9. Endlessly
10. Thoughts of a dying atheist
11. TSP
12. Rule By Secrecy

Muse will release Absolution on the 22nd of September with the single "Time Is Running Out" being released earlier in that month. You can still download "Stockholm Syndrome" for the price of £1 here. They will embark on a European tour in October with the UK dates beginning in November, they are as follows:

November
Tuesday 25th Glasgow SECC
Thursday 27th London Wembley Arena
Friday 28th Nottingham Arena
Saturday 29th Manchester Evening News Arena

December
Monday 1st Cardiff International Arena
Wednesday 3rd Birmingham NEC
Thursday 4th Brighton Centre
Friday 5th Bournemouth International Centre
Sunday 7th Exeter Westpoint