In the not too distant past we listed Muse’s upcoming 7th album as the most anticipated record of 2015. To celebrate our hot anticipation of the Teignmouth trio’s next release, we take a look at six things we can expect from Muse’s as-yet-untitled 7th album. Read on for more (note: slight bias).
PLENTY OF GUITARS
In comparison to Muse’s previous two records, 2009’s The Resistance and 2012’s The 2nd Law, album number seven is set to feature guitars in abundance as Muse head back to their rock roots. Frontman Matt Bellamy has promised plenty of raw rock, telling NME “I kind of feel like it will be nice to reconnect and remind ourselves of just the basics of who we are”. Although everything Bellamy tells us should be taken with a pinch of salt, the fact that they’re working with famed AC/DC producer Mutt Lange might tell us that he’s pointing everyone in the right direction.
FAT BASS
If we’re to believe bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard, album number seven will feature plenty of “fat” basslines and solos. In pictures published on Muse’s Instagram account, we see bassist Wolstenholme looking wholly satisfied with his takes. Muse hasn’t had a massive, bass-led hit since 2003’s Hysteria, unarguably one of the best basslines ever written. Has the time for another mega hit dawned? We hope so. Wolstenholme is a top-class bassist who deserves some more recognition for his largely-underrated playing.
CITIZEN ERASED PART 2
This one is definitely something we need to take with a whole barrel of salt. As most Muse fans will agree, 2001’s Citizen Erased is considered to be one of their best songs. Spanning over 7 minutes, its eclectic mix of fuzz, a huge chorus and melancholic piano outro has made it a live favourite amongst fans. When asked by a fan if they’d be playing the song during their next tour, Bellamy replied with a short-but-sweet “yes, and its sequel…” If he’s to be believed remains to be seen, but recent pictures of Bellamy’s famous 7-string guitar (used to record Citizen Erased) have fuelled further excitement.
MORE STRINGS
Although Bellamy promised that the next album would be more stripped back and basic, a recent studio recording of a full orchestra seems to counter those rumours. Filmed by long-time collaborator Tom Kirk (Muse’s “fourth” member), a full orchestra is seen playing a swirling orchestral section akin to 2009’s Exogenesis trilogy. This could make for some very exciting orchestral rock, hopefully similar to 2012’s Supremacy, the Bond theme that never was.
SONGS ABOUT ECOLOGY, EMPATHY AND THE 3RD WORLD WAR
As per usual, the new album will be delving very deep into a wide range of different topics. In the past, we’ve seen Bellamy write about politicians having heart attacks, the unsustainable state of the economy and the depletion of natural resources. This time round, we’ve been promised songs about Deep Ecology, the Empathy Gap and World War III. It’s a very interesting mix of topics, but we know Muse well enough to know that they’ll put these topics to justice with well thought out lyrics.
“@SykesErased: @MattBellamy Have you any idea of what themes that will speak the new album?” Deep ecology, the empathy gap and world war 3
— Matt Bellamy (@MattBellamy) September 18, 2014
THE MUSE WE LEARNT TO LOVE BACK IN 1999
The Muse that emerged in the late nineties was one of simple, melancholic alternative rock. Although album number seven will clearly not be a carbon copy of the Showbiz era, we’re definitely expecting that they’ll at least go back to a similar formula. There’s not much more to say, really.
Pretty much everything Muse puts out is nothing short of sublime, so fingers crossed that album number seven (which is due in May) brings us exactly what we want to hear from Muse. For more information on the album, click here.
