It may not be obvious when listening to radio hits such as ‘Undisclosed Desires’ or ‘Panic Station’, but Muse are a band that deserve to be followed for the charismatic guitar playing of ultra-talented main man Matt Bellamy, even though sometimes he even seems to forget it. Let’s take a look at six moments, same number as the damn strings, that showcase that fact:

  • Showbiz: At a time when the British press as a whole viewed them as another Radiohead copy, Muse released a sentimental, yes, but not restrained in the least debut album, with this title track proving the point: first with the main riff at the 2-minute mark and then with the finale’s crescendo, where the lead sound mixes with Bellamy’s voice, a trick they would use plenty of times in the future.
  • Citizen Erased: Lots of tracks to pick from in ‘Origin of Symmetry’, which celebrated twenty years last year and Muse decided to honor it with re-recordings and remixes of the initial compositions, that do indeed offer fertile soil for experimentation. One of these is ‘Citizen Erased’, whose sound even managed to influence John Petrucci’s playing on ‘Octavarium’.  
  • Stockholm Syndrome: Great first riff, almost thrash-sounding, and the perfect antithesis to the melodic chorus, but the real deal is when the mid-tempo modulation comes in at the end. Incomparable song, on an incomparable record – statement of the band’s musical identity.
  • Assassin: On an album like ‘Black Holes & Revelations’ it is only normal to have the big commercial hits overshadow other songs on our collective memories, however I do invite you to give ΄Assassin’ another listen, because as advertised in the title, it kills. Not only on guitar, but on the drums as well.
  • Hysteria: Back to ‘Absolution’ with a classic song that is a live staple for Muse concerts. Stadiums are brought to their feet by the fist seconds of that iconic baseline. The outro is oftentimes embellished and prolonged, and ACDC’s ‘Back in Black’ is even added to it for good measure.
  • Hysteria: Back to ‘Absolution’ with a classic song that is a live staple for Muse concerts. Stadiums are brought to their feeΡat iconic baseline. The outro is oftentimes embellished and prolonged, and ACDC’s ‘Back in Black’ is even added to it for good measure.

Romanos Terzis