Muse say next album will contain a '15-minute space-rock solo'

Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has revealed his plans for the band’s future.

The star explained that he’d like their next album to feature more prog influences as well as a dancier feel.

Talking to NME, the singer and guitarist said: "I think on the next album I’d like to do at least one 15-minute space-rock solo."

He added: "Apart from that, ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ (2006 UK Top Five single) opened up a new area for us of dancing, grooving, rhythm section-dominated songs. I’d love to do more stuff like that really."

Talking to NME, the singer and guitarist said: "I think on the next album I’d like to do at least one 15-minute space-rock solo."

It was one thing when they were a pretentious lot o' blokes who listened to too much of "The Bends." Now they want to be a pretentious lot o' blokes who listen to too much of "Tales from Topographic Oceans"?

Muse might ditch album format

Muse have revealed they might ditch the album format and only release new material as singles from now on.

Although the band are currently in an Italian studio working on new material, the Teignmouth trio have admitted they want to experiment with the way that new material reaches fans.

Speaking to NME.COM frontman Matt Bellamy said: "I don’t think we’re going to approach the next album like we’re making an album."

He added: "I like the idea of releasing a series of songs, every month or every couple of months – just putting songs out there. Almost like making the single a more prominent format, and then every few years doing a best of from that period and that would be the album. So in other words, throw out songs every couple of months and see how people like them."

I don’t think we’re going to approach the next album like we’re making an album.

Muse have tracks written for fifth album

Muse have been busy in the studio and already have a several tracks written for their next record.

As previously reported, Muse had tentatively started work on album number five, the follow up to 2006's 'Black Holes And Revelations', earlier this year.

Drummer Dominic Howard has now explained that the band wrote a few tracks ahead of their headline V Festival slots (August 16-17) and are set to head back to their studio near Lake Cuomo in Italy soon.

Speaking to BBC 6music Howard said: "We're working on new stuff and we're gonna have a couple of weeks off and then in about two weeks time we're back out to Italy to start writing again."

He added: "We've already done a few tracks and it sounds great, so we're just working towards the future."

Howard also admitted he was a massive fan of recent Reading And Leeds Festivals headliners Rage Against The Machine.

"The music they make is so from the heart, so passionate and really, they almost started a genre of music," he declared.

Muse 'not ready to record new album'

Muse have warned fans not to expect a new album too soon, despite having previously revealed that they have plenty of songs written for it.

The band previously said they were heading to Italy to write new material. However, they have since said they are a long way off from actually beginning the recording process.

Bassist Chris Wolstenholme told BBC 6music, "There's about six or seven songs that we've started work on, but they're still very young.

"I don't think there's anything that we're ready to record yet.

"We just wanted to get started this year, to get the ball rolling a little bit rather than wait for a year doing nothing then get in the studio, and go, 'What do we do now?'.

"Sometimes you can suffer from having too much time off."

The band's last studio album, 'Black Holes And Revelations', was released in July 2006.

Muse aim to include 'hardest song ever' on new album

Muse have told fans that they have begun work on their fifth studio album.

Answering questions from fans on the Muse forum, bassist Chris Wolstenholme confirmed that work had started on the follow-up to their 2006 album 'Black Holes And Revelations'.

Wolstenholme wrote: "It would be nice to have the album out in the second half of next year [2009] but we have not set ourselves any targets. It is more important for us to make the best album we have made to date, and if that means it comes out in 2010 then we don't mind."

The star did add that he and the rest of the band were hoping to make the earlier release date.

The trio also revealed that the album could feature the "hardest song" frontman Matt Bellamy has ever written.

"There is a new song in three parts, more of a symphony than a song, which I have been working on sporadically for many years," said the singer, answering another question. "As a large percentage of the composition is orchestral, I have never wanted to collaborate with a string arranger as they may make it 'theirs'. So I have been arranging the orchestral elements myself, which is taking a long time. It should hopefully make the next album as the final three tracks."

Meanwhile the band also joked that having recently been given honorary doctorates they have been enjoying using their new titles.

One fan asked whether they had used the phrase "Trust me, I'm a doctor", to which drummer Dominic Howard joked: "I use that line every day... I just hope I'm not in the situation where someone takes me seriously and asks me to do something. At that point I will just have to offer a healing drumbeat."

New Muse album and tour for September?

Muse could be set to release their next album in September, followed by a European tour, "an insider close to the band's record label, Warner" has claimed.

Muse fan site Microcuts.net suggestes that the band's yet-to-be-titled fifth studio album is slated for a September release, thanking a Warner associate for the information.

Last November bassist Chris Wolstenholme wrote to fans, saying that "it would be nice" for the band to be able to release the album "in the second half" of 2009, but added that they were not working to a strict schedule.

"It is more important for us to make the best album we have made to date," he wrote, "and if that means it comes out in 2010 then we don't mind".

The band's last studio album was 'Black Holes And Revelations' in 2006.

Muse: 'Our new album is set for Classic FM'

Muse have revealed that they are around halfway finished writing their next album, and that it will feature collaborations with an orchestra.

Frontman Matt Bellamy joked to BBC 6music that the follow-up to 2006's 'Black Holes And Revelations' would be suitable for classical music radio station Classic FM, then said that he expected to band to be on tour during the tail end of 2009.

"A symphonic album has turned up here," he said, "like a full collaboration with an orchestra. There's definitely a few things on the album which are segueing into each other and it's all very orchestral, but that could take over the album, so it could actually be kind of classical act basically, and move away from rock all together.

"We'll be knocking on Classic FM's door, you know?"

Speaking about the band's schedule he added: "I'd say we're about halfway there [writing the album]. Probably autumn time or something like that I should think we'll be back on the road."

Muse won three awards at the Shockwaves NME Awards last Wednesday (February 25): Best Live Band, Best Album Artwork (for live album 'HAARP') and Sexiest Male for Bellamy.

Watch new footage from Muse's studio now

Muse have released footage of themselves recording their forthcoming new album.

The video, which you can watch by clicking below, sees the trio recording themselves clicking their fingers in a toilet cubicle before flushing the toilet.

The band had previously said that the follow-up to 2006's 'Black Holes And Revalations' will be \"orchestral\", and could see them moving away from rock music altogether.

They also said that the album was about "halfway there" in terms of completion.

Watch the in-the-studio footage by clicking below.

Muse confirm new tour

Muse have confirmed they will tour this autumn.

A message posted on Muse.mu stated that the band - who are currently working on the follow up to 2006's 'Black Holes And Revelations' - will play shows across Europe and North America later this year.

The post also revealed that Muse are to support U2 on some of their forthcoming North American tour this September.

The full message reads:

"We are pleased to confirm that Muse will be touring in the UK, Europe and North America this autumn.

"Full details on the UK and European dates will be announced soon, but for now we can confirm that the band will be special guests to U2 at a number of their North American shows this September, including New York on September 24.

"The remaining U2 dates will be announced in the coming weeks."

Muse's drummer Dom Howard recently posted a blog on his MySpace page stating that the album sessions are going well.

"We've probably got two more [songs] to record from scratch then we might be almost looking at a complete album," he wrote.

"Then strings, synth sparkles, llamas toenails, gongs and anything else we can think of that will help us perceive they [the songs] are finished. The hardest bit is finishing."

Howard added that the album is sounding "fucking great," and that he is looking forward to playing it live.

Muse's new album 'The Resistance' gets release date

Muse have announced that their next album, 'The Resistance', will be released on September 14.

Matt Bellamy and co made the announcement on their official website, Muse.mu.

'The Resistance', which will be the band's fifth studio effort and the follow-up to 2006's 'Black Holes And Revelations', was recorded in Italy, and will be released in time for the band's forthcoming arena tour.

As previously reported, Muse will play seven UK and Irish arena dates, including two dates at the London O2 Arena, in November.