Muse has released the follow-up single to its Olympic anthem "Survival." "Madness" is the second single off The 2nd Law, the band's forthcoming album.
The track sees Matthew Bellamy singing over deep, restrained instrumentation. It feels a bit like a dubstep tune that never takes off, in a good way. It's interesting to hear a guitar solo layered over dubstep's signature wobbles, and the final two minutes of the song define it as a more than capable piece of pop theater rock.
Muse had previously revealed that dubstep producer Skrillex was a big influence on its new record. The band attended a Skrillex concert and were so inspired that they immediately created "Unsustainable," a dubby track that's featured in a video trailer released as promotion for the album. For that song, Bellamy and friends focused on creating a dubstep-style song with live instrumentation.
Singer Matt Bellamy told reporters it was a great honor to have their track selected as the official Olympic tune, and that the Games figured prominently in the bandmember's minds when they wrote the song. "Survival" was played many a time throughout the games, before medal ceremonies and when athletes entered arenas.
The 2nd Law is currently available for pre-order. Check out photos of the Olympics' Closing Ceremony below.
