Devonshire trio Muse have officially released 'Cryogen', the third single from their upcoming 10th album, 'The Wow! Signal', which is set to arrive on June 26. This "old-school space rocker" first premiered live at their intimate Brixton Academy gig in London earlier this month, offering fans another taste of what's to come.
Following the release of last year’s ‘Unravelling’ and the recent lead single ‘Be With You’ that launched the album campaign, 'Cryogen' further builds anticipation for the new record. The track showcases the band's signature blend of theatricality and hard-hitting rock.
Starting with a wailing guitar intro reminiscent of their iconic ‘Plug In Baby’ riff, ‘Cryogen’ deliberately nods to Muse’s past. It echoes the gothic space rock of their seminal 2001 album ‘Origin Of Symmetry’ and the widescreen stadium anthemics of 2006’s ‘Black Holes & Revelations’.
The track features a thunderous breakdown and a slick sense of completion, expertly produced by live member Dan Lancaster (Bring Me The Horizon, Blink-182). Aleks von Korff provided additional production, ensuring a polished, powerful sound.
Lyrically, frontman Matt Bellamy projects his heartache onto an apocalyptic canvas, singing: “Winter’s end, she’s Europa, I’m a cracked interloper / Icicles pierce my heart so cruel and quiet / Loneliness, she left me trembling in a polar desert / Wilderness, I’m breaking…Cryogen, I can never cry again / Cryogen, I’m freezing over.”
Per a press release, ‘The Wow! Signal’ itself takes its title from one of the last century’s most compelling interstellar mysteries. It refers to “a powerful 72-second radio burst detected in 1977 originating from the constellation Sagittarius with a bandwidth and intensity that suggested a possible extraterrestrial source”.
The press release further adds: “The astronomer who discovered the anomaly famously circled the now-iconic sequence ‘6EQUJ5’ and wrote ‘WOW!’ on the printout beside it – giving the signal its name and cementing its place in scientific and pop-culture lore.”
The record is said to explore “a mix of cosmic mystery, existential hope, and the exhilarating possibility of contact with something far greater than ourselves”, aligning perfectly with Muse’s long-standing fascination with cosmic and existential themes.
Muse's Evolving Legacy: A Return to Form?
Muse has a history of reinventing their sound, yet ‘Cryogen’ feels like a conscious, confident embrace of their foundational elements. By blending the raw intensity reminiscent of ‘Origin Of Symmetry’ with the expansive scope of ‘Black Holes & Revelations’, the band appears to be strategically appealing to both long-time devotees and newer fans.
After an extensive touring period, including a headline slot at Madrid’s Mad Cool Festival, this album cycle could solidify their position not just as stadium-rock titans, but as artists capable of profound thematic consistency. This balance of classic Muse sound with fresh cosmic narratives positions 'The Wow! Signal' as a potentially pivotal release, demonstrating their enduring relevance in an ever-changing musical landscape.
‘The Wow! Signal’ is scheduled to arrive on June 26. Fans can also look forward to an extensive tour schedule, with Muse having already announced a 2026 North American arena tour. They will be joined by Bloc Party, The Temper Trap, and Portugal. The Man for these dates.
UK and European dates are anticipated shortly, following Matt Bellamy's tease at their recent London gig that the band would “be back in November”. Last year, Muse embarked on a European tour, where NME described their Mad Cool Festival show as an “era-spanning, revolutionary space-tacular”, praising Matt Bellamy and co for “easing into their new cycle with riffs and revolution”.
