Chris Wolstenholme discusses fans' favourite album

Muse star Chris Wolstenholme has explained why he believes Absolution is such an important record in the band's career, after fans this week voted it their best ever album.

In a recent poll of Gigwise readers, the band's 2003 release narrowly beat their 2001 album Origin Of Symmetry to be voted top, ten years after it was released. Now, speaking exclusively to Gigwise, Wolstenholme has explained what makes the album such a special record, and how, at the time, it compared with their previous releases.

"I think Absolution was the first proper record we made," he told us. "Showbiz was a collection of the best songs we had written in the first five years of the band and was recorded at quite a few different studios with two different producers. Origin was pretty much put together in short breaks between touring and again was done in different studios with different producers.

"Making Absolution was the first time that we took some time away from touring and actually spent a ton of time in the rehearsal room and put all of the songs together at the same time. We also recorded with Rich Costey for the first time. We did the whole album with him which helped it to be more cohesive than the previous two."

Listen to Absolution in full below

Click here to see the Muse album poll (now closed)

Matt Bellamy has previously stated that Absolution is one of the more intimate Muse albums, despite epic themes such as life, death, war and outer space. The album scored the band a No.1 in the UK and France and hit the top ten across Europe when it was released on 15 September, 2003.

Muse release the DVD and accompanying soundtrack of their epic summer show in Italy, Muse Live At The Rome Olympic Stadium on Monday, 2 December 2013. Click here to read our full review of the film.

Below: 10 things every Muse fan needs to know about Absolution