And you thought the breakdown in "Won't Stand Down" was hard! Just wait, Muse fans, as Matt Bellamy and crew are not done showcasing their heavier chops, arguably releasing the heaviest song to date within their musical catalog. "Kill or Be Killed" is filled with aggressive and nasty chugging guitars, double bass drums and yes, even a Matt Bellamy death growl.
"Kill or Be Killed" is the fourth song to come from the forthcoming Will of the People album, following "Won't Stand Down," "Compliance" and the title track, and it's clear that the heaviness of the sound matches the attitude of the message that Muse have been sending through their initial song releases.
Singer Matt Bellamy, seen in the photo above unleashing his death growl, says, “’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."
He adds, "Lyrically the song takes influence from my favorite 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.”
After debuting the song earlier within their touring, the track got such a great response that the band decided to heed the calls on social media and release it ahead of their new album.
You can check out the video, taken from a live performance, below. The song appears on the band's Will of the People album, which is due Aug. 26. Pre-orders for the album are being taken here.
The group also has a handful of dates around the world booked for the fall. See the stops listed below and get ticketing info here.
Muse, "Kill or Be Killed"
Muse Fall 2022 Tour Dates
Oct. 4 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Wiltern
Oct. 11 – Chicago, Ill. @ The Riviera Theatre
Oct. 14 – Toronto, Ontario @ The History
Oct. 16 – New York City, N.Y. @ The Beacon Theatre
Oct. 23 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Royal Theatre Carré
Oct. 25 – Paris, France @ Salle Pleyel
Oct. 26 – Milan, Italy @ Alcatraz