Muse's latest music video for 'Cryogen' from their upcoming album 'The Wow! Signal' is a visually stunning and thematically rich exploration of cosmic mystery and existential hope. Directed by Elliott Gonzo, the video takes place on Jupiter's frozen moon, Europa, with the band performing at the base of a red waterfall. The setting is both breathtaking and symbolic, as it reflects the band's interest in space and the unknown.
The video's narrative follows frontman Matt Bellamy as he wanders through a blistering polar desert, searching for the mysterious, ring-like aircraft that featured in the previous video for 'Be With You'. The UFO, which expels a piercing ray of red light before the video cuts to black, is a powerful symbol of the unknown and the potential for contact with something far greater than ourselves.
Musically, 'Cryogen' nods to Muse's past with echoes of the band's gothic space rock from the seminal 2001 album 'Origin Of Symmetry' and the 2006 widescreen stadium anthems of 'Black Holes & Revelations'. The track features a thunderous breakdown and a slick sense of completion courtesy of the production from live member Dan Lancaster and Aleks von Korff. The lyrics, written by Bellamy, project his heartache onto an apocalyptic canvas, with themes of loneliness and the search for meaning in a desolate landscape.
The title of the album, 'The Wow! Signal', is a reference to one of the most compelling interstellar mysteries of the last century - a powerful 72-second radio burst detected in 1977 originating from the constellation Sagittarius with a bandwidth and intensity that suggested a possible extraterrestrial source. The astronomer who discovered the anomaly famously circled the now-iconic sequence '6EQUJ5' and wrote 'WOW!' on the printout beside it, giving the signal its name and cementing its place in scientific and pop-culture lore.
The record is said to explore a mix of cosmic mystery, existential hope, and the exhilarating possibility of contact with something far greater than ourselves. The video and the album as a whole are a testament to Muse's ability to create immersive and thought-provoking experiences that resonate with audiences on a deep level.
In my opinion, 'Cryogen' is a masterpiece of modern music video art, blending stunning visuals with a powerful narrative and a deep exploration of the human condition. It is a must-watch for fans of Muse and anyone interested in the intersection of art, music, and science.
