Alternative rock trio, Muse, released the first single off their upcoming album “Drones.” The track, titled “Psycho,” shows a return to Muse’s riff rock tendencies of the ’90s, mixed with the more structured, anthem-like sounds of their more recent albums.
Muse has been at the forefront of alternative rock music for over a decade and, with “Psycho,” they recycled a riff used in concert jams from their early days and turned it into an almost radio-friendly single. The riff is classic Muse: simple, a little cliché, but more than enough to make you want to bang your head for five minutes. Mixed with pounding drums and a strong bassline that occasionally takes the forefront of the song, the single is formulaic Muse at their most basic, but strongest.
The content of the song is a bit cheesy, especially for a band like Muse, which is well known for its dystopian lyrics and soundscapes. The lyrics are written from the viewpoint of a drill sergeant yelling at a confused, anonymous soldier. Singer Matt Bellamy, whose voice is as strong and clear as ever, screams “I’m gonna make you a f***ing psycho!” in the chorus, which does sound drill sergeant-esque, but is nonetheless simple and a little disappointing to fans who are used to Muse’s captivating and, at times, complex lyrics. The song is also littered with a few lines of profanity, making it perhaps less radio-friendly and commercial.
Despite the single being a little long (more than five minutes), having multiple sections of an actual drill sergeant barking orders and being lyrically simple, Muse pulls it off with the bravado they have maintained since the mid-’90s. It is easy to envision a crowd going wild to the song at a concert, and though it pales in comparison to epic anthems, such as “Knights of Cydonia” or even the blander but still inspiring “Uprising,” it still has enough angst and pure guitar-driven madness to make any person a casual fan of Muse.
The band has long been compared to Radiohead and Queen, and, in my opinion, Marilyn Manson can now be added to that list. This track contains enough distorted and high-pitched vocals paired with sleazy guitars to make it seem like a Marilyn Manson single. If the lyrical content would not be so political, I believe this song could have been a Marilyn Manson single.
Many will be happy to know that Muse intends to return to their rock roots with “Drones,” which comes out June 8. The band’s last album, “The Second Law,” was a more pop-sounding record that fell flat with many fans and critics. If the first single (“Psycho”) is any indication, Muse intends to bare their rock-influenced side to the world once again. The song’s riff is already known to some fans, who have heard it live in the past as a jam, so it is easy to say that Muse perhaps cheated and recycled a little too much, but the track will still be at its strongest when played live. Known for their spectacular stadium shows, Muse now has another barn-burner to add to their set list.

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