The Wow! Signal is Muse’s tenth studio album, and it’s a big one — conceptually and sonically. The title comes from a real radio signal detected in 1977, and that mystery runs through the whole record.
This is the first Muse album where someone outside the band co-wrote most of the songs. Dan Lancaster came in as a collaborator on production, mixing, and songwriting alongside returning engineer Aleks Von Korff. That outside voice makes a difference.
The music is cinematic and wide. Some tracks are built to feel massive — galloping rhythms, layered arrangements, a deliberate filmic scale. Muse have always leaned into drama, and this record doesn’t pull back from that.
The album holds together well as a full listen. The sci-fi concept gives it a clear spine, and the band’s signature sound is intact throughout. Nothing here feels out of place or experimental for its own sake.
Muse don’t sit neatly in the metal world, but The Wow! Signal speaks to listeners who like their music dense and idea-driven. The band has spent nearly thirty years following their instincts into strange territory. This album is another step in that direction — and it lands.
