View source for Metal medley

[[File:ChrisRAH2018.jpg | thumb | right | [[Chris Wolstenholme|Chris]] celebrated his 40th birthday at the [[London Royal Albert Hall 2018 (gig)|Royal Albert Hall]], where the medley was first played.]]

The '''metal medley''' is a medley of shortened versions of Muse's heavier songs, played at the end of the main setlist. The songs are likely picked due to sharing a Drop D guitar tuning.

Some songs are shortened to 1-2 minutes in length, while others are only played as guitar riffs. The entire medley is about 15 minutes long, thus being dubbed "15 minutes of metal" by Matt.

== Post-Stockholm Syndrome riff section ==

Following the release of [[Absolution (album)|Absolution]] in 2003, [[Stockholm Syndrome (song)|Stockholm Syndrome]] quickly became a staple in the live setlist, and was often used to close gigs. The song's outro is usually followed by a series of Drop D guitar riffs, where the band continue jamming – sometimes for several minutes – before leaving the stage.

This high-intensity "riff section" was well received by fans, so it has managed to stick around long after the album's release cycle.

From the [[Black Holes And Revelations Tour]] onwards, Stockholm Syndrome (plus riffs) was used to close the main set, with [[Knights of Cydonia (song)|Knights of Cydonia]] closing the encore. For [[The Resistance Tour]] Stockholm Syndrome was moved to the encore, just before Knights of Cydonia, but the riff section stayed and set its length record with more than 8 minutes of various riffs.

During [[The 2nd Law Tour]] and [[The Unsustainable Tour]] in 2012-13, the band began to rotate Stockholm Syndrome with [[New Born (song)|New Born]] as the main set closer (and occasionnaly [[Unnatural Selection (song)|Unnatural Selection]]), sometimes followed by B-sides such as [[Agitated (song)|Agitated]] and [[Yes Please (song)|Yes Please]].

The pre-encore riff section was eventually dropped altogether during the [[The Drones World Tour 2015/16|Drones World Tour]] whereas the band continued playing one or two Drop D riffs after Stockholm Syndrome of New Born.

== Notable performances ==

At the [[Nashville Mercy Lounge 2004 (gig)|Mercy Lounge]] in 2004
* [[Stockholm Syndrome (song)|Stockholm Syndrome]] + [[Riffs_and_jams#0123|0123]] riff + {{Execution Commentary}} riff + {{YYZ}} riff + {{Vuilstamen Riff}} + {{Endless Nameless}} riff + Random riff {{YTw |wxtzR1ueKbg}}

At the [[Los Angeles Staples Center 2010 - 26th (gig)|Los Angeles Staples Center]] in 2010:
* [[Stockholm Syndrome (song)|Stockholm Syndrome]] + {{School}} riff + [[Riffs and jams#0305030 / Early Psycho 01|Early Psycho]] riff + {{Execution Commentary}} riff + {{Township Rebellion}} riff + {{Agitated}} intro + {{Agitated}} outro + {{War Within a Breath}} riff + {{Negative Creep}} riff + {{Dead Star}} riff + {{Endless Nameless}} riff {{YTw |BIPPDSn9j2k}} {{YTw |_FskRmw81T8}}

At the [[New Orleans City Park 2010 (gig)|New Orleans City Park]] in 2010:
* [[Stockholm Syndrome (song)|Stockholm Syndrome]] + {{Agitated}} intro + {{Agitated}} outro + {{Too Many Puppies}} riff + {{Township Rebellion}} riff + {{Execution Commentary}} riff + {{War Within a Breath}} riff + {{School}} riff + {{Endless Nameless}} riff {{YTw |FxQCxBRpNzo|35}}

At the [[Indio Empire Polo Field 2014 - 19th (gig)|Coachella Festival 2nd weekend]] in 2014:
* [[Stockholm Syndrome (song)|Stockholm Syndrome]]  + {{Freedom}} riff + {{Township Rebellion}} riff + {{Negative Creep}} riff + [[Riffs and jams#0305030 / Early Psycho 01|Early Psycho]] riff + {{Endless Nameless}} riff {{YT|wizieObKkDM}}

At [[Montréal Parc Jean-Drapeau 2017 (gig)|Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts]] in Montréal, 2017:
* [[Reapers (song)|Reapers]] intro + [[Stockholm Syndrome (song)|Stockholm Syndrome]] + [[Micro Cuts (song)|Micro Cuts]] outro + [[Riffs and jams#Freedom | Freedom]] outro + [[Reapers (song)|Reapers]] outro + [[Agitated (song)|Agitated]] outro {{YTw |AN-vUC5U1Ig}}

At the [[London Shepherds Bush Empire 2017 (gig)|Shepherd's Bush Empire]] in 2017
* [[New Born (song)|New Born]] + [[Micro Cuts (song)|Micro Cuts]] outro + {{Agitated}} intro + {{Agitated}} outro + [[Yes Please (song)|Yes Please]] (shortened) + [[Reapers (song)|Reapers]] outro + {{Freedom}} outro <small>[[https://youtu.be/3JUx5zXUttI?t=3587 watch]]</small>

== The "15 minutes of metal" medley ==

Following the Drones World Tour, the band began to discuss reviving the riff section as a "metal medley," where several of Muse's heavier songs are played in shortened forms. The medley made its first appearance in 2018 at the [[London Royal Albert Hall 2018 (gig)|Royal Albert Hall]].

=== Medley songs ===

'''1.''' The following Muse songs formed the medley at [[London Royal Albert Hall 2018 (gig) | Royal Albert Hall]] <small>[[https://youtu.be/HVh_ECXf044?t=3526 watch]]</small> :

* [[Stockholm Syndrome (song)|Stockholm Syndrome]]: The intro through to first verse are played, then it skips to the pre-chorus riff. The chorus leads straight into the guitar solo, skipping the third verse. The final chorus and outro are played.

* [[Assassin (song)|Assassin]]: Only the riffs leading up to the first verse are played.

* [[Reapers (song)|Reapers]]: Played as usual until the first pre-chorus riff, then it skips to the guitar solo. Everything after the guitar solo is skipped.

* [[The Handler (song)|The Handler]]: Played as usual until the first post-chorus, then it skips to the final few seconds of the outro.

* [[Dead Star (song)|Dead Star]]: Played as usual until the first post-chorus riff, then it skips to Micro Cuts.

* [[Micro Cuts (song)|Micro Cuts]]: Only the outro is played.

* [[New Born (song)|New Born]]: Played as usual during the intro, with Morgan on piano. The intro riff leads straight to the guitar solo, followed by the final chorus and outro. The second and third verses are both skipped.

* [[Ashamed (song)|Ashamed]]: A slower version of the outro riff played in Drop D instead of Standard tuning was played after New Born at the Royal Albert Hall, concluding the medley and the main set. 
 
'''2.''' At [[Chicago Aragon Ballroom 2018 (gig) | The Aragon]], Chicago, they played the medley in the same form, but without Dead Star and Micro Cuts. They played a riff from the [[Smashing Pumpkins]]' song {{Zero}}, and the usual {{Freedom}} outro by [[Rage Against the Machine]] instead of the Ashamed outro after New Born. <small>{{YTw |cJc-xJcxexA}}</small>

'''3.''' At the [[Los Angeles Hollywood Palladium 2019 (gig) | Hollywood Palladium]], Los Angeles, they played the same medley as in Chicago, but without the Smashing Pumpkins' cover, and with {{Headup}} outro by [[Deftones]] instead of Freedom after New Born. <small>{{YTw |xZUHIX4sa6c}} {{YTw |vylWoS3bLM0}}</small> This version of the medley is what was used during the [[Simulation Theory World Tour]], though different outros were rarely played, such as the [[Ashamed (song)|Ashamed]] outro and [[Reapers (song)|Reapers]] outro in [[Paris Stade de France 2019 - 6th (gig) | Paris]]. <small>[[https://youtu.be/6ZznH8o679Q?t=6259 watch]]</small> 

The band also occasionally played other riffs to pay tribute to other bands:

* {{My Own Summer (Shove It)}} riff was played in [[Sacramento Golden 1 Center 2019 (gig) |Sacramento]], followed by the usual {{Headup}} riff, as both songs are from the city based band [[Deftones]].{{YTw |qpJEZfsfFvY}}

* {{Enter Sandman}} riff was played in [[Oakland Oracle Arena 2019 (gig) |Oackland]], CA, as [[Metallica]] originated in California.<small>[[https://youtu.be/DzWV08-UQO8?t=700 watch]]</small>

* [[Riffs and jams#Wilma's Rainbow | Wilma's Rainbow]] riff was played in [[Boston TD Garden 2019 (gig) |Boston]] for no geographical reason as [[Helmet]] are from New York.<small>[[https://youtu.be/J9Kfn1Ii9Es?t=723 watch]]</small>

* {{Negative Creep}}, the [[Nirvana]]'s riff was also played in [[Boston TD Garden 2019 (gig) |Boston]].<small>[[https://youtu.be/J9Kfn1Ii9Es?t=764 watch]]</small>
 

[[Category:Live]]