This is the 415th most frequent German word.
völlig
Completely; entirely.
Here, 'völlig' is used as an adverb modifying 'absurd', emphasizing total degree.
Die Idee war völlig absurd.
The idea was completely absurd.
'Völlig' here highlights the newness of the perspective, showing it as entirely different or distinct.
Das ist eine völlig neue Perspektive.
This is a completely new perspective.
In this case, 'völlig' intensifies the unexpected reaction, akin to 'utterly' or 'totally'.