The song was released by Immortal Records on July 23, 2002, as the lead single from the band's self-titled debut album.

[1] The song was written by Jared Leto and was produced by Bob Ezrin, Brian Virtue and 30 Seconds to Mars.

[2] The song entered the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks at number 40 on September 7, and reached the peak position of 31 on October 5, 2002, remaining eight weeks on the chart.

"[14] Smiley Ben of BBC commented that "with titles such as 'Capricorn (A Brand New Name)', 'Echelon', and 'Welcome to the Universe', they knowingly push boundaries and produce great music with an edge.

"[15] Megan O'Toole of The Gazette praised the song, stating that "'Capricorn' launches an arrow of alienation toward the hearts of today's youth; yet, instead of being bleak, the track is poignantly resonant.

"[16] Jay Gordon praised the song and described it as "an interesting fusion of nu metal, techno, new wave, synthetics, and hints of popish undertone.

[17] Johan Wippsson of Melodic.net wrote a similar review, saying that "'Capricorn' is a marvelous tune where their mix of styles just presses out energy and edge.

"[19] The music video features the band members in a desert-mud based set where people are digging in mud pits.

Near the end of the video, what appears to be a SWAT team arrives and begins taking control of the area, hosing down the diggers.