Muse will release, Simulation Theory¸ their eight studio album, on the 9th of November through Warner Music. Produced by the band, as well as Rich Costey, Mike Elizondo, Shellback, and Timbaland, the eleven-track record is set to have each song accompanied by a video. Building upon the theme that was introduced with “Dig Down” and continued through singles “Thought Contagion” and “Something Human”, latest single “The Dark Side” expands on the 80s pop-culture references and visuals with a stunning new video. Viewed together in succession, they form an interlinking visual story that is a feast for the eyes as much as the ears.
A change in tact from previous albums, the band has been releasing singles in regular succession for upcoming album Simulation Theory, rather than holding them back until the album complete. Discussing the reasoning behind this, Mat Bellamy stated, “The album will be a very mixed bag. The songs are going to be quite different in spots and we’re also interested in doing some genre-blending and era-blending.” Having listened to the four tracks currently available, that becomes perfectly clear, with tracks combining disco, 80s electro-pop, and even classical music riffs into their signature MUSE sound. Additionally, unlike previous albums, not having a ‘concept’ to work from has allowed the band to explore their creativity, with Bellamy adding, “It was nice to remind ourselves to just think about a song. What makes a song great? Every song you’re going to hear over the next year will be totally unique with their sound, approach, textures and so on.” While this may be a cause for consternation for some fans, I for one am looking forward to hearing the results of this new approach.
Simulation Theory will be released in three formats: Standard (11 tracks), Deluxe (16 tracks), and Super Deluxe (21 tracks). The expanded tracklisting features an acoustic gospel version of “Dig Down,” the UCLA Bruin Marching Band feature on “Pressure,” a live version of “Thought Contagion,” acoustic versions of several tracks, including “Something Human” and ‘Alternate Reality’ versions of “Algorithm” and “The Dark Side.” For specific format tracklisting, please see below.
Pre-order Simulation Theory through the band’s Official Shop for early access to tickets for Muse’s 2019 tour. You can find out more here: http://simulationtheory.muse.mu
Tracklist:
STANDARD ALBUM CD & VINYL
Artwork by Kyle Lambert
1. Algorithm
2. The Dark Side
3. Pressure
4. Propaganda
5. Break It To Me
6. Something Human
7. Thought Contagion
8. Get Up and Fight
9. Blockades
10. Dig Down
11. The Void
DELUXE ALBUM CD
Artwork by Kyle Lambert
1. Algorithm
2. The Dark Side
3. Pressure
4. Propaganda
5. Break It To Me
6. Something Human
7. Thought Contagion
8. Get Up and Fight
9. Blockades
10. Dig Down
11. The Void
12. Algorithm (Alternate Reality Version)
13. The Dark Side (Alternate Reality Version)
14. Propaganda (Acoustic)
15. Something Human (Acoustic)
16. Dig Down (Acoustic Gospel Version)
SUPER DELUXE BOXSET
Artwork by Paul Shipper
CD 1 and Vinyl 1
1. Algorithm
2. The Dark Side
3. Pressure
4. Propaganda
5. Break It To Me
6. Something Human
7. Thought Contagion
8. Get Up and Fight
9. Blockades
10. Dig Down
11. The Void
CD 2 and Vinyl 2
1. Algorithm (Alternate Reality Version)
2. The Dark Side (Alternate Reality Version)
3. Pressure (Ft. UCLA Bruin Marching Band)
4. Propaganda (Acoustic)
5. Break It To Me (Sam de Jong Remix)
6. Something Human (Acoustic)
7. Thought Contagion (Live)
8. Dig Down (Acoustic Gospel Version)
9. The Void (Acoustic)
10. The Dark Side (Alternate Reality Instrumental)
About Muse
Muse is Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme. Their last album, Drones, was released in June 2015 and debuted at No. 1 in 21 countries around the world including their first No. 1 album in the United States. The album went on to win the Grammy Award, their second, for Best Rock Album in February 2016. Since forming in 1994, Muse have released seven studio albums selling in advance of 20 million albums worldwide. Widely recognised as one of the best live bands in the world, Muse have won numerous music awards including two Grammy Awards, an American Music Award, five MTV Europe Music Awards, two Brit Awards, 10 NME Awards and seven Q Awards, amongst others.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock
Links: https://muse.mu
Line Up:
Matt Bellamy – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, keytar
Dominic Howard – drums, percussions, synthesizers, backing vocals
Chris Wolstenholme – bass guitar, backing/lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, harmonica
Written by: Erik De’Viking
My Global Mind – Reviewer / Music Journalist
Erik De’Viking is a freelance music journalist based in the South of England. His musical interests include rock and metal in all its forms, and he is constantly on the lookout for new bands and genres to discover and later preach about to the masses.
Socials: Twitter: @Erik_DeViking Instagram: @Erik_DeViking Last.FM: @Erik_DeViking Spotify: Erik De’Viking
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