Muse "The Wow! Signal " Album Review [prog pop rock, alt. rock, space rock]

 

by Dean Wolfe, Prog Dog Media                            Album released 2026

The Wow! Signal is mostly a very good album, with only a couple of songs that I feel are weaker than the rest.

I really think that if bands looked at their albums as a single entity, rather than just a collection of individual songs, we could avoid the "filler syndrome"—the "gee, why don't we just toss this song on there?" mentality. A record's grooves should be considered sacred, deserving only of the very best work a band can create. Every track should have a reason to exist.

That said, I can't imagine any fan being disappointed by The Wow! Signal. It's got all the signature elements I personally love about this band: Matt Bellamy's passionate vocal style, the dramatic, ever-present tech and sci-fi vibes, Chris Wolstenholme's stellar bass work—especially on "Nightshift Superstar"—and plenty of wild electric guitar. Admittedly, my exposure to the band is still somewhat limited. I own Black Holes and Revelations and have done reaction videos to a number of their songs over the years, but I certainly wouldn't call myself an expert. I also love hearing the echoes of classical composers woven into Bellamy's songwriting.

Muse has always excelled at creating a larger-than-life sound, and on this album that sense of scale is amplified by sweeping orchestral arrangements on several tracks—most dramatically on the opener, "The Dark Forest," which reminded me of epic film scores like Lawrence of Arabia and other grand cinematic works of that era.

They're playing to their strengths as musicians and songwriters. Even a weaker track like "The Sickness in You and I" is partially redeemed by its strong chorus. On the other hand, there's a fair bit of progressive metal chugging that I'm sure fans of the genre will enjoy, but it strikes me as just a little out of place. It feels playful, almost as if the band is having fun with the style, but at times it comes across as something added to strengthen the track rather than something the song truly needed.

The very pop-oriented track "Hush" (which, unsurprisingly, is not really my thing) features guest vocalist Ellie Goulding. It's a cool addition, and the song did grow on me somewhat, but I have to ask: is this really the direction Muse wants to pursue? I hope not.

Lyrically, The Wow! Signal continues Muse's fascination with big ideas: technology, humanity's place in the universe, dystopian themes, and the tension between progress and consequence.

I give the album 4 out of 5 dog bones. It's a pretty cool record, with enough diversity across the songs to eliver a satisfying platter of musical fun.

Favourite tracks: Nightshift Superstar, Space Debris