A New Sound Brings Forth “The 2nd Law” for Muse

By: Eric Freedlander –

With their sixth studio album The 2^nd Law, Muse has picked up where they left off from The Resistance and have created a sound that is radically different from its predecessor. While the first single “Survival” has a very poppy sound to it, and is something you can tell was made for commercial radio play, the album’s second single on the album, “Madness” combines electro and alternative rock into one super genre. It’s almost as if the song is intended to give the listener a preview of how the rest of the album will play out. It further seems as though it’s pop tendencies echo The Resistance single “Undisclosed Desires,” but where that track lacked, “Madness” succeeds due in part to its influences from Queen’s “I Want To Break Free” and David Bowie’s post-Berlin trilogy phase.

Track three “Panic Station”  seemed to have gained some influence from an early Red Hot Chili Peppers album, with an opening riff that sounded similar to something Dave Navarro and Flea would jam to before breaking into “Higher Ground” from Mothers Milk (1989). Later in the song, Muse front man Matt Bellamy does his best Freddy Mercury impression, as the high pitched vocals and extended emphasis on various words are used.

The title of the album was actually based on a science theory. As a result, the final two tracks of the album were broken into a two part series. The first part, “The 2^nd Law: Unsustainable,” which serves as the second Dubstep track on the album, the first being “Follow Me,” describes the theory that the album is based on. While listening to part one, you feel you are in a science lab, with doctors running tests on you to see if the theory works. While an venture into the often rocky terrain of Dubstep was criticised by both fans and critics, it’s an refreshing change within a prog-rock heavy album. Conversely, the second part “The 2^nd Law: Isolated System” the band goes into an instrumental jam, while various radio broadcasts are included in, talking about the 2nd Law theory, and how it will affect society if it is ever approved and implemented by the government. Their use of stringing political and social themes throughout the record is a well-established point in Muse’s catalogue, and while it may never be too in-depth, it’s a pleasure to see a band use any political theme with any conviction in western world strife with apathy.

While it may not win album of the year, 2^nd Law allows fans and critics of Muse to agree on one thing, Muse continues to evolve.

Essential Tracks: “Panic Station,” “Madness,” “Big Freeze.”