Listen: Muse Wrote a “Modern Metal” Song “Featuring Double Bass Drum Action and Even a Death Growl”

We’re big fans of Muse. They’ve got that epic arena rock thing going on, and while they’ve always erred on the side of heavy and groovy, they’ve never felt the need to fully push into the metal sphere…until now. Now, Muse have dropped a new “modern metal” song titled “Kill Or Be Killed,” and it basically sounds like Muse wanted to write another Muse song, but wondered if they could get some of that Spiritbox money, too.

Because here’s the thing: “Kill or Be Killed” starts off with a nu-metal-ish riff, and has a big, burly breakdown in the middle, but is otherwise just another Muse song. And we’d really rather they picked one or the other, because this mash-up is unnecessary and amateurish. It sounds like they were worried some readers of Kerrang! didn’t love them. If this isn’t a joke, then it’s just awful.

Says frontman Matt Bellamy:

“‘Kill Or Be Killed’ is Muse at their heaviest! We wanted to update our hard rock sound on this album and with ‘Kill Or Be Killed’ we found a modern metal sound featuring double bass drum action and even a death growl. Lyrically the song takes influence from my favourite Paul McCartney song ‘Live And Let Die’, a dark take on how life’s adversity can sometimes bring out the worst human instincts to survival at any costs.”

“And even a death growl!” Matt, what the fuck are you doing, dude? Unless this is an elaborate gag, you’ve never sounded older. Hell, even if it’s a gag!

Check out “Kill or Be Killed” below, and catch Muse at one of their upcoming shows in October:

09/08 – Malaga, ES @ Andalucía Big Festival
10/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
10/09 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
10/11 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theater
10/14 – Toronto, ON @ The History
10/16 – New York, NY @ The Beacon Theater
10/23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Royal Theatre Carre
10/25 – Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel
10/26 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz