Muse kind of rules...

Just as I realized I hadn't blogged about madman Glenn Beck since I began to blog again for the first time in a couple years, the same can be said of British rock trio, Muse.

I admit, I'm an American and wasn't much exposed to them until about three years ago. So, yes, I'm a bit of a newbie. However, in the past three years, I have been a bit obsessive with listening to their music and I can say at this point in time, they are my favorite band, past or present (or future...).

I would also like to admit, although I am a newbie, I have helped provide Muse with a number of new fans, including those 50 or older. ::pats self on back::. I even went to two concerts of theirs over the past year. I had to sell two tickets for the show in Columbus, Ohio (long story) and one of the individuals I sold the ticket to, an older gentleman, said it was by far and away the best concert he had ever seen and he has been witness to many. I've been witness to my fair share of good shows for my age: Elton John/Billy Joel, Kiss/Ted Nugent/Skid Row, Alice Cooper/Blue Oyster Cult, Marilyn Manson/Stabbing Westward/Stain'd/Buckcherry, Metallica, Def Leppard, Aerosmith/Seven Mary Three, Megadeth, Foo Fighters/Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, Korn/Limp Bizkit/Ice Cube/Rammstein/Orgy, Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire, Sponge/Iggy Pop, etc., etc., etc. I don't like to speak in absolutes, because I believe there are shades of gray in just about everything. So, I'm not going to sit here and say Muse was the best concert to which I've been witness. However, I will say they were one of the very best I've seen. Between being spot-on musically in conjunction with the insane light show, stage set-up and theatrics, it was truly a unique and wonderful experience.

Muse has run into some criticism since their debut album, "Showbiz," which was released in 1999. The criticism has mainly dealt with claims that they're nothing but a rip-off of Radiohead and/or Queen. Some critics have compared Muse frontman, Matt Bellamy's voice to that of Radiohead's lead singer, Thom Yourke. Some have also said that Muse plays an epic style of rock that is very reminiscent of Queen. There's no doubt that Radiohead and Queen have influenced the band, but that's how it always is. There are other bands and musicians whom have influenced the British trio. There are musicians whom influenced Thom Yourke and Radiohead, along with Queen. Personally, perhaps because I've listened to Muse so much over the past three years, I honestly don't hear too much similarity between they and Radiohead. Both Yourke and Bellamy have great range vocally and unlike most other rock bands, they aren't afraid to break out the falsetto and reach notes that hardly any other singer in the rock business can reach. But, that's the only similarity I see (hear) between the two. With regard to Queen, I don't hear much similarity in Muse's first four albums ("Showbiz," "Origin of Symmetry," "Absolution" and "Black Holes and Revelations"). The only album I hear a good deal of influence is with the band's fifth and most recent album, "The Resistance" (2009). I don't hear an influence on the majority of songs either. I don't hear much influence on: "Uprising," "Undisclosed Desires," "Guiding Light," "Unnatural Selection," "MK Ultra" or the three-part symphony. I only hear an influence on three songs: "Resistance," "I Belong to You" and especially "United States of Eurasia". I only hear slight influences in those first two songs I mentioned, only in certain portions of the songs, but hear it throughout the third, "United States of Eurasia," which sounds like a track devoted to Queen. When it comes right down to it, however, I don't see Muse as a rip-off of either Queen or especially Radiohead. Just because Bellamy has similar range vocally to Yourke, doesn't mean they're identical and he's attempting to copy the Radiohead singer.

One thing I love about Muse is their diversity in sound and their being willing to experiment musically and attempt to expand their horizons as musicians. I don't know many bands whom can pull off a hard rocker like "Stockholm Syndrome," a spacey number like "Knights of Cydonia," a R&B-esque song in "Undisclosed Desires," electronica with "Map of the Problematique," funk with "Supermassive Black Hole," epic rock in "Resistance" and a three-part symphony, among many others.

The albums themselves are all very distinct of one another. From "Showbiz" to "Origin of Symmetry" to "Absolution" to "Black Holes and Revelations" to "The Resistance," each and every album shows a contrast to all the others and illustrates the band's attempt to expand their sound through experimentation. Due to this, I feel as if the band is anti-Nickelback, and I'm very grateful for that. It's one reason I look forward to each and every album they release, not truly knowing what to expect.

While Bellamy's operatic voice can take some getting used to, when one does, it's remarkable, especially when combined with his skills on the piano and guitar, Dominic Howard behind the drums and Chris Wolstenholme at bass guitar. As a unit, they're tremendous, both in the studio and in concert. For those whom have not heard much of the band or at all, I highly recommend giving them a chance. I finally gave them a chance three years ago, instantly fell in love and have grown to enjoy their music more as each and every day passes.