Muse – Absolution (2xLP)

"I don't think Absolution is necessarily a religious word," Muse frontman Matt Bellamy remarked about the title of their third studio set. "I think it just suggests that the act of making music is a way of understanding things." With the sound of 2003's album, the British trio tackled some heavy topics - including the war in Iraq and fears of societal breakdown. Counterbalancing the intense lyrics are the epic arrangements that mix art rock, progressive metal and orchestral flourishes on such highlights as "Stockholm Syndrome," "Time Is Running Out," "Butterflies and Hurricanes" and "Hysteria."