Muse is often compared to U2.

And that’s really unfair … to U2.

Sure, the two acts share grand ambitions and love for arena-rock anthems, among other things. Yet, Muse is far better in concert than U2 — as well as basically any other rock band you might want to name.

This is not a new development. Indeed, Muse has arguably been the most consistently spectacular live act in rock over the last eight or so years.

The trend certainly continued Tuesday as the Grammy-winning U.K. trio — consisting of vocalist-guitarist Matt Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard — brought its epic Drones World Tour to Oracle Arena in Oakland on Tuesday.

The group, which last performed at Oracle in 2013, was supporting “Drones,” its chart-topping seventh album released in June.

The high-tech stage production was brilliant, on par with the best of Pink Floyd, Coldplay and, yes, U2. It was a wonderfully dramatic collage of swirling lights, special effects and video images (broadcast on a variety of large screens), all of which were in perfect sync with the music. There did, however, seem to be some problem with the flying overhead drones at the start of the show, yet that was mostly forgotten once the group hit the stage with a blistering version of the new album’s “Psycho.”

Muse appeared “in-the-round,” performing a 360-degree show from a three-part stage erected at the center of the arena floor. Translucent screens hung from above, allowing fans to look through the ghostly images shown.

Bellamy was a beast as he ripped through one mighty guitar part after another, while stalking the catwalks that connected the three main sections of the stage. His operatic voice — one of the finest in the history of rock ‘n’ roll — sounded so achingly beautiful as the group continued through “Hysteria” from 2003’s “Absolution” and the title track to 2009’s “The Resistance.” The latter was particularly enjoyable, as Muse’s passionate delivery evoked images of Freddie Mercury and Queen. The band later pulled another chameleon-like move, doing its best Depeche Mode impersonation on “Undisclosed Desires.”

Bellamy played his piano man bit with the show-tune classic “Feeling Good.” His version was decent, but not anywhere in the same league as Nina Simone’s signature version. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, given that Simone’s take really stands in a league of its own.

Muse strongly connected with the big crowd, charming the 14,000-plus fans with fun singalongs, excellent musicianship and a strong set list during a show that lasted just shy of two hours. In the end, those were the things that truly mattered — far more than whatever special effects did/didn’t work.

Muse brought the main set to a close with such songs as “Uprising,” before returning in the encore with a grand double-shot of “Mercy” and “Knights of Cydonia.”

Phantogram, the cool electronic music duo out of New York, opened the concert with a likable set of cuts from 2009’s “Eyelid Movies” and 2014’s “Voices.”

Follow Jim Harrington at twitter.com/jimthecritic and www.facebook.com/jim.bayareanews.