Muse lead vocalist Matthew Bellamy's vocal timbre bears some similarity to that of Thom Yorke, leading some to dismiss Muse as simply a band of Radiohead worshipers. With Absolution, however, the group proves that it's much more than the sum of its influences, delivering a work that revels in the enormity of its ambition, the breadth of its sonic palette, and the intensity of its emotional resonance. Employing a daring mix of classical-influenced piano and strings, metallic guitars, unabashedly strident house-style synths, and the type of production bombast usually reserved for Queen or ELO, Muse often sound like an otherworldly jam session between Rufus Wainwright, the Move, and Evanescence. Packed with both pop hooks and unusual instrumental textures, Absolution invites listeners to expect the unexpected. ~ Pemberton Roach