10 Musical Left Turns NOBODY Saw Coming

Muse had always been a tough band to pigeonhole. One part space rock, one part arena rock, and one part prog rock. Very different genres, but still under the category of rock music.

Then Muse released the single from their upcoming 2nd Law album, "Madness."

The band had gone dubstep behind everybody's back, and while Muse had always flirted with electronics in the past, with its synth-heavy instrumentation, this record was met with disgust by a portion of the fanbase. With the benefit of hindsight though, this album has stood up as one of their more interesting releases.

There are some standout moments on this record that hint at Muse's roots, like the epic "Supremacy" or the Queen-like "Survival." However, this album takes a few sonic detours like the funky "Panic Station" and the Chris Wolstenholme-fronted "Save Me" and "Liquid State." The electronics even help songs like "Follow Me" drive their emotional message home.

While Muse had been firing on all cylinders on previous records, they were dangerously close to sounding homogeneous. With 2nd Law, Muse were able to cut loose and give their career a second wind in the process.