New week with the column Musical Disclosure. This week we stay in Great Britain with Muse.

Muse was formed in the early '90s in Teignmouth, England, from the merger of two school bands: Matthew Bellamy and Dominic Howard's "Gothic Plague" and Chris Wolstenholme's "Fixed Penalty." Bellamy convinced Wolstenholme to switch from drums to bass, forming a new band. Renamed "Rocket Baby Dolls," the three participated in a school competition in 1994, taking the stage heavily made up in the style of The Cure. Their performance culminated with Bellamy destroying the equipment on stage, impressing the judges and winning first prize. This success convinced the band members to pursue music full-time. After changing their name to Muse, the band began playing in various venues in London and Manchester, catching the attention of Dennis Smith, president of Sawmills Studio. This meeting led to the recording and release of their self-titled first EP, followed by the "Muscle Museum EP," which attracted the attention of music critic Steve Lamacq and the weekly NME. Despite the success of the EPs, British record labels were reluctant to sign Muse due to Bellamy's high-pitched vocal timbre. However, the American label Maverick Records noticed their potential and signed them, allowing them to perform in the United States. Their debut album, Showbiz (1999), produced by John Leckie, revealed a surprising musical maturity for an emerging band and allowed Muse to open for bands like Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers in the United States. Between 1999 and 2000, Muse played at major European festivals and concerts in Japan and Australia, gaining an increasingly broad fan base. In 2001, the band released their second album, Origin of Symmetry, a harder and more experimental work that saw the use of unusual instruments such as organ, mellotron, and an expanded drum set. In 2003, Muse released Absolution, produced by Rich Costey: this album consolidated their international fame and continued the musical direction of Origin of Symmetry, blending classical influences with a harder sound. Absolution was described as a concept album with themes related to the end of the world and political conspiracy. The highlight of this period was their performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004, described by Bellamy as "the best gig of our lives." However, the joy was overshadowed by the tragic death of Dominic Howard's father shortly after the concert. Despite this drama, the band continued the tour, supported by the critical and commercial success of the album.

Today's listen is Plug In Baby, from Origin of Symmetry.