“I’m a marionette with severed strings, gorge on my soul while I’m weak and dying.“
Muse have remained one of the dominant stadium rock acts for much of the past two decades. Yet, much of that time has also been marked by artistic inconsistency, with the band only occasionally reaching the heights of their acclaimed early career work. Many longtime fans have still held the group’s early classics Origin of Symmetry and Absolution as the peaks of their discography, despite Muse releasing a half dozen additional albums since then. With the trio seemingly sliding further into complacency, it was an open question if they could ever truly reclaim their original creative spark.
Against all odds, Muse have come out the gate swinging. While it is unlikely that The Wow! Signal will surpass the nostalgic love fans share for albums released over twenty years ago, it marks a stunning creative renaissance – one that sees Muse reconnecting with their early prog rock angst with a modern twist.
At least some of the credit for this astonishing return to form seems due to producer Dan Lancaster, who has also served as a touring member of the band since 2022. Lancaster has spent the past several years lending his production and songwriting chops to bands ranging from Bring Me the Horizon to Don Broco, and he brings a fresh perspective to frontman Matt Bellamy’s sometimes insular songwriting. The shake-up proves to be exactly what Muse needed, with the band incorporating influence from modern metal and industrial rock in a way that feels inspired and authentic to their sound, rather than a pale imitation.
Opener “The Dark Forest” kicks off with a sample of the titular “Wow! signal”, a 1977 radio signal which has been used to support evidence of extraterrestrial life. The track then shifts into a Western-style galloping riff, before building to a section of ominous Latin choral chanting, and finally an extended breakdown. It is a thrilling epic that instantly draws comparisons to “Knights of Cydonia”, the closer of Black Holes and Revelations.
In many ways, Black Holes and Revelations is the best comparison point for The Wow! Signal. Two decades ago, Muse expanded their sound into a range of new directions while still keeping the core of their sonic identity intact. The Wow! Signal acts as an inverse spiritual successor of sorts, returning to the band’s strengths while keeping their propensity for genre experimentation.
There is plenty here for diehards to love, with the dissonant main riff of “Cryogen” feeling like a long-lost Origin of Symmetry cut, before breaking down in a riff-laden finale. “Hexagons” is full of classic space rock bombast, utilizing towering synths and guitar leads to create a rollicking odyssey. It then transitions seamlessly into the Royal Blood-esque hard rock groove of “The Sickness in You & I” – which itself leads seamlessly into first single “Unravelling” and its djent breakdowns. This three-track run is a clear high point of the album, packed with moments any Muse fan will love.
Yet the album also shines in some of its more accessible moments – a feat Muse has often struggled with in recent albums. “Nightshift Superstar” pulls from the French house of Daft Punk and Justice, led by some of Chris Wolstenholme’s finest bass work, and a well-crafted pop hook that manages to avoid coming across like desperate pandering, while being genuinely catchy. Dominic Howard also manages to pack in some tasty drum fills in the song’s extended bridge section. Ellie Goulding guests on “Hush”, which contrasts dark electro-pop verses with an eight-string guitar hook. Goulding slides into this dynamic effortlessly, with her silky voice acting as an effective counterweight to Bellamy’s powerful belts.
The Wow! Signal occasionally struggles to balance its more intimate moments with the intense bombast surrounding them. The mellow electronic-tinged “Be With You” and tender closer “Space Debris” are competent songs on their own, yet fail to stand out much in contrast with the album’s many high-energy cuts. Yet in spite of some minor issues with its sequencing, The Wow! Signal remains Muse’s strongest collection of songs in many years. The trio appears rejuvenated artistically, with Lancaster’s production and songwriting injecting a fresh energy that shook the band out of lethargy and reconnected them with what fans have always loved from their sound. It’s an eclectic yet confident set that will hopefully set up Muse for more great things to come.
