Simulation Theory by Muse

Simulation Theory is the eighth studio album by English rock band Muse. It was released on 9 November 2018 through Warner Bros. Records and Helium-3. Co-produced by the band with Rich Costey, Mike Elizondo, Shellback, and Timbaland, it is a synth-rock album with themes of simulation and centering on the idea of "fantasy becoming real". Contrasting the band's previous three albums which dealt with darker themes, the band sought lighter influences from science fiction and 1980s pop culture and produced the album one track at a time without a focus on a greater narrative or theme. Recording began at AIR Studios in London in early 2017 with Elizondo, creating three tracks before embarking on a midyear tour of North America. Production restarted in Los Angeles in late 2017 with Costey, who had co-produced Muse's albums Absolution (2003) Black Holes and Revelations (2006). Muse wanted to combine elements from multiple eras. The contemporary political climate of the United States informed the music and lyrics. The album cover for Simulation Theory, designed by Stranger Things artist Kyle Lambert, and its music videos, directed by Miike Snow and Twin Shadow collaborator Lance Drake, shared the album's 1980s pop culture and science fiction influences, homaging Back to the Future, Critters, Ghostbusters, Max Headroom, Michael Jackson's Thriller, and Teen Wolf. The album was preceded by the release of singles "Dig Down", "Thought Contagion", "Something Human", "The Dark Side", and "Pressure", along with a 2018 festival tour of North America. It was released in a standard edition alongside two deluxe editions featuring alternate versions of its tracks. A headline tour of North America and Europe in 2019 is planned ℗ 2018, Muse under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited with the exception of track 10 2017, Muse under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK