Is a comma always needed before 'although' – or is it just a matter of style?

First, I don't understand the quotation, but I am assuming that "Muse" has some connection with the "hard-hitting" videos.

Personally, I would have put a comma before although: it gives a break in reading; and the part before although could be a stand-alone sentence, and makes sense without the extra clause.

Yes, you could probably use but or even though instead of although - but I don't think that should change the punctuation: all of them should be preceded by a comma for the reasons given about. Changing the actual words used, while still retaining the same meaning, should not (normally) result in a change of punctuation.

Commas serve many purposes. In this particular case (without going into detailed grammatical reasons), they aid the reader in several ways:

• knowing when they can pause in reading the sentence;
• in indicating that the writer is about to introduce an additional 'thought' and preparing the reader for that;
• in indicating that the following clause is not essential to the first clause.