Muse have gone eight-string – and it’s a lesson in how to evolve your sound

Unravelling is arguably the heaviest song they’ve done in years, but it still sounds like them – here’s how

After previous experiments with seven-strings and some pretty low tunings, Muse have brought out an eight-string for their latest single—a masterclass in light and shade, combining heaviness with catchiness. Yet, despite the band’s newfound brutality, it’s a song that still sounds quintessentially Muse.

It marks their first new music since 2022’s Will of the People, which featured two tracks in drop B—though those were played on six-string Manson guitars. This track goes one step further. But perhaps more impressive than the song’s authentic, modern-metal edge—already drawing comparisons to Sleep Token and Vola—is how it fuses this new aggression with the band’s more familiar sonic hallmarks.

Of the guitar itself, atop its subtly sparkling purple gloss finish is a hipshot bridge, two humbuckers, like Manson-made, and Gotoh tuners. There's also a truss rod wheel where the inlay-free rosewood fretboard meets the neck 'bucker. But it’s not what the guitar boasts, it’s how it’s used that makes Muse’s rebirth such fascinating viewing.

It opens with some classic Muse synths, stuttering into life before gathering speed like a marble dropped on concrete. This abruptly gives way to a brief, Prince-like a cappella moment, where Bellamy’s admiration for the Purple One shines through.

The synth then returns to underpin the verse, where a throbbing bass line intertwines with Bellamy’s poppy, crooning vocals. Listeners familiar with Muse’s recent output will likely draw immediate comparisons to 2018’s keys-heavy Simulation Theory, thanks in part to its electronic drum beat. Up to this point, it’s all very typically Muse.

Then things get interesting.

Muse-shuggah?

Let’s talk about the riff—a giant slab of stadium-crushing metal that precedes a lofty, yet still fairly gritty, chorus. The groove, the synth lines doubled up against the riff, and the snarl and bite of Bellamy's pre-drop guitar tone make those Vola comparisons entirely justifiable. This doesn’t feel like a basic drop-D riff lazily transposed onto an eight-string.

It’s in 4/4, with strong accents on beats one and three throughout to make it easy to move to, yet there’s still a slightly off-kilter feel that balances groove with more angular, progressive elements—much like Sleep Token have mastered in recent years. Check out The Summoning for an example.

There are also shades of Bring Me The Horizon in how the synths and heavy guitars seem to wrestle with one another. Then there’s the flurry on the third cycle of the riff, where a small but piercing motif slices through several octaves above after a clear rhythmic shift. Those two notes instantly recall the breakdown in BMTH’s Kool-Aid - it's heavy and animalistic, but it unleashes itself with precision. And there’s a common thread between the two songs.

The Dan Lancaster effect

London-born producer and multi-instrumentalist Dan Lancaster has worked with some huge acts—from Blink-182 to Don Broco (a band many tip to be future Download headliners) and Bring Me The Horizon. His CV is impressive. And since 2022, he’s effectively become Muse’s fourth member on the road, replacing Morgan Nicholls.

He also produced Will of the People’s crushing lead single Won’t Stand Down, where his electronic-meets-metal DNA is clearly audible. That track was in drop B, while Unravelling is in drop E. In both cases, Lancaster brings a fresh edge to Muse’s sound, while their signature blend of accessibility and adventurousness remains intact.

The production flourishes bear his hallmarks, too. There’s an aggressive edge to the band’s sound here that even their heavier early work didn’t quite reach. The doubling of guitar and synth lines, the grittier tones, and the way it all sits in the mix feel far more aligned with Lancaster’s body of work—and with the game-changing mixing techniques of Mick Gordon—than with the Muse the world has come to expect. The mix plays an extremely vital role in presenting Muse in a more contemporary manner, perhaps the band have seen the rise of Sleep Token and company and taken note. Considering they experimented with dubstep after witnessing circle pits at a Skrillex show, it's perfectly feasible.

But beneath the surface, this is a classic Muse track. And that's what makes it so great.

How does it still sound like Muse?

Balance is everything. The answer can be split into two strands: around the band’s uncharted heaviness, there’s still plenty of light, and elsewhere, Muse remain comfortably predictable. In this case, the latter is a good thing.

The intro and verses—not to mention the second pre-chorus, which holds back instead of letting rip like the first—all contribute to this feeling. On the whole, Unravelling still feels like a Muse song. It’s a stadium rock anthem above all else. The subtle pauses before the drops—leading into the pre-chorus and again into the chorus—give the track room to breathe, preventing it from overwhelming listeners less accustomed to extended-range riffage.

The verses, it must to be added, aren't metal. And that's exactly the point. Just like how Sleep Token have gone from playing tiny venues to headlining Download, they mix genres with great contrast. It makes the heavy bits sound far heavier, offers great dynamic and textural shifts, and, as above, ensures the song has an appeal beyond chug-loving metalheads. Sure, you'll have boomers confused, and metal elitiists frantically commenting on every Facebook post going about how Muse are a pop band, and doing everything they can to belittle them. But the parallels between both bands are strong. And that's no coincidence.

Familiarity plays a huge part, too. The chorus is classic Muse: big chords, straight 16th-note rhythms, and Bellamy’s soaring, operatic vocals coalesce into something powerful, but by no means revolutionary for the band. That sense of the familiar helps to temper the more alien elements for a broader audience.

Then there’s the breakdown, which cleverly expands upon the pre-chorus. By reprising that core idea rather than introducing something entirely new, it keeps things streamlined and accessible. On top of that, it’s iced with a lead guitar line steeped in Bellamy’s love of classical music—a trait that has appeared before on tracks like Hysteria—to stop the heavy turns from getting overbearing.

Unravelling is a masterclass in introducing new sounds to a band’s arsenal without them losing sight of their identity. It works because it’s so well balanced: for every new element added, they also lean into their tried and tested trick bag.

Master the art of mixing

Of course, the mix brings it all together. A poor mix here would have made the old and new feel like chalk and cheese. Instead, it’s smooth, everything feels like it’s where it belongs, and the power of the mix allows Muse to wade into these new, darker waters with confidence.

In the modern era, it’s vital for guitarists to have their recordings sounding as good as they possibly can, even with demos. And because technology is readily available to everyone, the mix quality of unsigned bands is rising exponentially. So, if you want your band to stand out, a great mix is paramount.

Modern Metal Academy’s Mixing Masterclass can help you with just that. With over nine hours of content across 24 in-depth lessons, John Browne guides you through the demo process of Lavos, a Mick Gordon-aided rager from Monuments’ fourth album, In Stasis.  

Head here to lean more.