Muse

Muse are a UK rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, active since 1994. The group consists of Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Christopher Wolstenholme. Bellamy handles lead vocals, guitar and keyboards; Wolstenholme plays bass guitar and provides backing vocals; and Howard plays drums and percussion.

Early albums and rise

The band releases its debut album, Showbiz, in 1999. That record features Bellamy’s falsetto and a melancholy alternative rock sound. Origin of Symmetry follows in 2001 and brings in broader instrumentation and classical influences, helping establish the band’s reputation for energetic live performances. Absolution appears in 2003 and adds further classical elements, including strings on tracks such as “Butterflies and Hurricanes”. It becomes the first of seven consecutive UK number-one albums.

International success and later work

Black Holes and Revelations is released in 2006 and incorporates electronic and pop elements, including on “Supermassive Black Hole”, helping the band reach a wider international audience. The Resistance in 2009 and The 2nd Law in 2012 explore themes of government control and civil unrest, and Muse develop into a major stadium act. Their seventh album, Drones (2015), tops the US Billboard 200, is a concept album about drone warfare, and marks a return to a harder rock sound. Simulation Theory arrives in 2018 and features synthesizers heavily, drawing on science fiction and the simulation hypothesis. Will of the People, their ninth album, combines elements from earlier releases.

Style and recognition

Muse are associated with alternative rock, as well as alternative dance, alternative metal, art rock, neo-progressive rock and pop rock. The band receives multiple awards, including two Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards and eight NME Awards. In 2012, they receive the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. By October 2022, they have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.