Negative Positive
Title: Ignore HMV's official review.
Review: Absolution is absolutely worthy of praise, but the description of Muse's style above is just flat out incorrect. This is not some head-banging, teeth-gnashing, hate-spewing metal act, this is Muse. While the comparison to The Bends-era Radiohead is pretty spot on, and the mood in most songs is dark, and the subject matter darker, Muse's sound on Absolution is far from grungey. Absolution sparkles with an upbeat, experimental vibe. To stick to the Radiohead comparison (though Muse easily stands on their own in substance and style), think of pumping Kid a/Amnesiac era paranoia and experimentalism into The Bends era guitar-driven rock. The sound is dramatic, slick, and big. It's strong, but not raw. You will not believe that the sound on Absolution came out of just three guys.
Is the review positive or negative? 