Written by Laura Day
Muse are a band that have defied their own boundaries time and time again. Forged in the crucible of uncertainty over the last two years, ‘Won’t Stand Down‘ is a testament to their determination to transcend musical expectations.
With a juggernaut bassline that pulses through the bones, Bellamy spins a heavy-metal riff before breaking into his renowned melodic wails that hark back to the days of ‘Hysteria‘. However, long gone are the lustful poems about being held hostage by desire. Instead, we’re at the mercy of a devout proclamation that they’re ‘owned no longer’, before pushing forth a tsunami of noise that echoes the frustration we haven’t heard since ‘Citizen Erased‘.
If anything, ‘Won’t Stand Down’ is a manifesto of a carefully nurtured core value held strong by the ropes of experience. Indeed, perhaps the greatest life lesson is that we have to courageously stray far to appreciate home and, like prodigal sons, they’ve returned to the sounds that started it all.
To borrow the words of Walt Whitman, here they now stand with their robust rock and roll soul.
Is there a new Muse album on the way? We’re yet to know. But you can find the brand new, pretty creepy video for ‘Won’t Stand Down‘ below: