Personnel: Edoardo de Angelis (violin); Marco Brioschi (trumpet).

Audio Mixer: Rich Costey.

Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY; Electric Lady Studios, NY; Miraval Studios, France; Office Meccaniche Studios, Milan, Italy; Townhouse Studios, London, England.

Photographer: Derrick Santini.

Arrangers: Matthew Bellamy; Chris Wolstenholme; Dominic Howard.

Over the course of their first three studio albums Muse slowly gained ground as one of the more progressive and accomplished rock bands of the 2000s. By the time of 2006's BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS, the process was complete. While still steeped in moody Britpop, wall-of-guitar rock, and space-synth soundscapes, BLACK HOLES finds Muse diversifying their already broad palette and creating one of their most ambitious efforts.

The tune "Supermassive Black Hole" is a case in point. A club-ready funk groove underpins the crunching guitars, proving Muse as capable of moving the body as expanding the mind. Elsewhere, the band experiments with flamenco-flavored guitars and mariachi horns amid their dense waves of guitars and electronics, while lead singer Matt Bellamy sings of apocalyptic themes, environmental degradation, and revolution. The effect, sonically and otherwise, is expansive and powerful, and the successful conflation of dance-rock, prog-rock, and hard rock underscore Muse's knack for fearlessly pushing several buttons at once.