Thursday, March 17, 2005

Absolution by Muse: Reckless and Powerful

I’ve just listened completely to the “Absolution”, album by Muse and I am awed, struck by their music, And to think that I’ve kept deferring listening to it, thinking how uncomfortable I might feel about the dark themes they chose to explore. I was totally wrong. I think they dared be like evangelists, ‘cause you can just sense in the tremolo-laden voice of the vocalist, and the dramatic, goose-pimpling deluge of emotions of the guitar, piano and drums, the urgency of the message that they wish to convey, or at least unintentionally conveyed.

The first song declares an emergency; about changing the course of history. Just stop a while and savor the song. Indeed, the end is coming, and where shall that bring us? The second song, Time is Running Out reinforces that. Our time is running out, you can’t push it underground; you can’t stop it screaming out. It takes a believer to Sing for Absolution, that says the following in the end: “our wrongs remain unrectified, and our souls won’t be exhumed.” Even Stockholm Syndrome puts to reality what Solomon learned about life, when he said, “Vanity, everything is vanity!” Maybe, that was exactly what they had in mind when they penned these words: “look to the stars, let hope burn in your eyes, and we’ll love and we’ll hate, and we’ll die, all to no avail….”

Grossly for you, Falling Away With You, does not at all contradict the first songs, as it emphasizes the preciousness of time and something of more value in “all the loves we threw away, all the hopes we cherished, making the same mistakes again…all of the love we’ve left behind, watching the flashbacks intertwine, memories I will never find.” I mean there can’t be a more beautiful way of saying, “we screwed up, we should have known better!”

Oh, and Hysteria, it vividly describes the confusion of a man within as something bugs him, twists him around, endlessly caves him in and turns him inside out. It’s clearly turmoil in a man’s being, a battle that only he can choose to win, if and when someone asks something of a man, described in “’cause I want it now, give me your heart and soul. I’m not breaking out, last chance to lose control.” The response is hysteric, “I’ll feel my heart implode, I’m breaking out, escaping now (transition of which is wonderful!) feeling my faith erode.” And can you really afford to be in a total Blackout even when you’re young? It says “don’t kid yourself, and don’t fool yourself. This life could be the last (can’t be more true!) and we’re too young to care.” Oh well, no one is too young or too old to die.

The theme gets better with Butterflies and Hurricanes as it talks about “changing everything you are and everything you were.” What is meant by “Your number has been called?”. For me, it has something to do with the final judgment, when we all give account of ourselves in the great white throne on that exciting day. “Fights and battles have begun, revenge will sure come, your hard times are ahead…your last chance has arrived”. Oh, isn’t materialism epitomized in The Small Print? It’s about the devil deceiving people, compensating their greed with broken hearts. He is bending the truth but if one believes him, he only has himself to blame. Endlessly, well, for me it’s a promise that only God can keep. He just won’t give up on us, no matter how stubborn and bad we may be. His love is endless and if one believes Him, he won’t be let down.

Lastly, “Thoughts of a Dying Atheist.” This follows up on Hysteria, where the battle has been previously told. Who is it that is said to be “in this room” and “floating in between where our worlds collide”. Talk about life on earth, hell and heaven and the reality of these all bombarding the thoughts of a dying person. Dying is only physical ‘cause it is but a transition from earthly life, which is not even a fraction of eternity. Truly, it should scare the hell out of any unbeliever.

So much so that I think, that just like U2, Creed, Lifehouse, and Switchfoot, this band Muse is actually out to influence the world in a positive way. Watch out, they’re powerful, reckless and out to save and who knows who responds?
BING L. HERNANDO slept soundly at 3/17/2005 03:27:00 PM