British rock band Muse announced the release of a new album called "Drones" and a tour on Wednesday, keeping up with previous themes of science fiction and political unease.
Lead singer Matt Bellamy said the band's seventh studio album will be released on June 8, after months of hinting that new work was on the way.
"To me, 'Drones' are metaphorical psychopaths which enable psychopathic behaviour with no recourse. The world is run by Drones utilising Drones to turn us all into Drones," Bellamy said.
"This album explores the journey of a human, from their abandonment and loss of hope, to their indoctrination by the system to be a human drone, to their eventual defection from their oppressors."
A new track, "Psycho", will be released on YouTube on Thursday, followed by the release of the album's first single "Dead Inside" on March 23.
The band is to play a series of live shows across Britain in March, followed by a tour that will pass through countries including Germany, Russia and France.
Hailing from Devon in England, the band's signature fusion of genres has found considerable success over a 21-year career, and the group composed the official song of the London Olympics in 2012.
Previous hits include anthems "Time is Running Out" and "Supermassive Black Hole", and the band had sold over 20 million albums worldwide.