Brian May Brings Queen-Style Guitar to ‘Masters of the Universe’

Brian May’s unmistakable guitar sound became a central ingredient in Daniel Pemberton’s score for Masters of the Universe, and that collaboration is now headed to vinyl. A standard two-LP edition is scheduled for January 2027, followed by a separate deluxe vinyl release later in the year.

Pemberton approached the film with a clear musical idea: avoid a conventional superhero score and instead embrace the scale, humor and theatricality of a rock band such as Queen. Director Travis Knight shared that vision, making May the creative team’s dream collaborator.

A meeting at Abbey Road opened the door

Reaching the guitarist took time. The opportunity finally came when Pemberton learned that May would be at Abbey Road Studios while the composer was working in another room. Their conversation led to a concentrated recording session at May’s home studio, where he added guitar to numerous cues.

The collaboration made sense on more than a stylistic level. May knew Masters of the Universe through his son and associated the property with family memories from the 1980s. Pemberton, meanwhile, drew inspiration from Queen’s soundtrack work on Flash Gordon and Highlander, especially its mixture of grandeur, melody and deliberate excess.

The soundtrack gets a physical release

The January edition from Lakeshore Records will contain 34 tracks on two “Golden Flame” records. It includes Pemberton’s score and the film’s theme song by The Darkness, whose members also contributed to the final track. May’s Red Special guitar can be heard across multiple pieces, including the prominent “Eternia” theme.

The soundtrack has already appeared digitally in both standard and expanded forms. The deluxe digital edition added 20 pieces of music, including previously unreleased material. The new vinyl releases give the score a physical format designed to match the film’s bright, retro-inspired identity.

For May, the project connects a new fantasy franchise chapter to the sound of Queen’s earlier film work without simply recreating it. For Pemberton, it fulfills the score’s original ambition: music that feels bold enough for He-Man while still carrying the personality of a singular guitarist.