An ear-splitting roar fills the air, giving way to a cacophony of crashing noises, smoke and lasers as three musicians burst on stage in an attempt to impersonate an unstable and volatile chemical reaction through music and visuals.

British alternative rock trio Muse took the house down Wednesday night, incorporating rumbling bass and heavy drums into a show that shook Verizon Center to its core during the D.C. leg of its extravagant “2nd Law” world tour.

After an underwhelming set by Cage the Elephant, hailing from Kentucky, seats started filling up as the audience anxiously awaited the arrival of the main attraction.

Suddenly, the lights went down and a pyramid-shaped set of screens descended, playing an artistic video of people running from an earthquake, while “The 2nd Law: Isolated System” played. Muse waited almost five minutes before breaking into the opening song of the album “Supremacy,” leaving the audience in extreme suspension.

The band lived up to its reputation of delivering elaborate, light-driven shows with a variety of lasers and smoke effects, as well as instrumental changes between almost every song. They played a mix of songs, with an emphasis on music from its last two albums, “The 2nd Law” and 2009’s “The Resistance”.

Frontman Matthew Bellamy was incredible with his opera-esque vocals and talented guitar playing, which very few musicians can match today. During “Madness,” he donned a pair of high-tech glasses that displayed the lyrics to the song as he directed a fish-eye camera at his face.

Bellamy took a backseat on “Liquid State” as bass guitarist Christopher Wolstenholme performed the song, one of two from “The 2nd Law” for which he does vocals. It was a nice change of pace from Bellamy’s belting voice, but by the end of the song the crowd was less enthused.

In honor of 9/11, Bellamy preceded crowd favorite “Hysteria” with a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. The band also played “Unnatural Selection,” punctuated by smoke plumes to go along with drum beats, and popular single “Uprising” to close its opening set, but ultimately won over the crowd with the epic “Knights of Cydonia.”

After “Uprising,” Muse left the stage to cheers for an encore, and quickly returned with the electronic dubstep-inspired “The 2nd Law: Unsustainable,” followed by the popular “Starlight.” Muse closed the night with a bang, ending with “Survival,” during which the bass felt like it was shaking everything from the floor to the audience’s bones.

The sold-out crowd at Verizon Center definitely got its money’s worth, as Muse lived up to its billing as one of the greatest live acts today. The incorporation of incredible visuals with lasers, video monitors, light-up instruments, and smoke plumes perfectly complemented the band’s futuristic sound, and provided Washingtonians with an unforgettable experience.