Muse debut new song Madness, first official single from album, The 2nd Law

By Joe Bosso
published

"We're trying to see if we can challenge the laptop," says Matthew Bellamy

Madness, despite its title, finds Matthew Bellamy in a mellow mood
Madness, despite its title, finds Matthew Bellamy in a mellow mood (Image credit: Paul R. Giunta/Corbis)

Last week, we got a full-song taste of the upcoming Muse album, The 2nd Law, with the high-octane dubstep track, Unsustainable.

Today, however, comes the first "official" single, Madness, which cools things down considerably. Over a hypnotic, wobbly bassline, guitarist Matthew Bellamy croons. It's a stark contrast to the positively unhinged electronic bonanza of Unsustainable, and a clear indication that The 2nd Law will be a varied affair.

"We are defined by the fact that we can't be defined by anybody," Bellamy told Rolling Stone recently.

The 2nd Law, the follow-up to Muse's 2009 album, The Resistance, will be issued 2 October.

Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.