The 2nd Law
by Muse

From videoheadcleaner 09/27/2012 05:03 | #51281 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

You know that feeling you get when someone hypes up something so much that you almost want to projectile vomit into the closest open vessel? Yes, well it works with bad hype as well. I am sick of hearing that Muse's new offering is trite, unlistenable and frankly just ripping off other artists.

Have we never heard of influence before, people? A band changes due to the influences they listen to. Powderfinger, when creating Vulture Street listened to 70s rock and in particular David Bowie. This is evident on their track Don't Panic. But it is not a ripoff but a homage to what past artists have done.

With The 2nd Law, the music is reminiscent of Queen and U2 with smatterings of INXS, electronica and dubstep thrown in. Bellamy, Howard and Wolstenholme have once again looked at the past to create the future. In this case, not necessarily their own past. Sometimes Origin Of Symmetry and Absolution are hinted at, but Muse obviously want to evolve. What is the point of creating music if you are not adventurous?

Okay, the tracks themselves. Supremacy is a great opener (not in line with Take A Bow) and leads into the Invincible-reminiscent Madness. Panic Station, Prelude and Survival feed off each other to make the listener engage with the album. For me, it is a love/hate relationship. I may like it now, but later it might wane.
Follow Me builds to an electronic wonderland but may fall a little short. Animals is a highlight of the album alongside some of the earlier tracks. Explorer and Big Freeze are on the weak side of the album and sees Bellamy channel that frontman Bono at times.
Save Me does as the name suggests and saves the album from falling into an epic lull; includes Wolstenholme on vocals and with the writing credits. Liquid State is also a Wolstenholme creation and shows a grunge/QOTSA side to the band. Already some other posts have commented that Wolstenholme should sing more on Muse tracks. Good plan.
Now, the two tracks people are loathing before hearing: The 2nd Law: Unsustainable / Isolated System.
Yes, there is dubstep.
Yes, it is an attempt at another symphony by Bellamy.
Yes, elements of it work.
Yes, I can tolerate it.
Yes, I am a Muse fanboy.
The first "movement" is a political, electronic thunderstorm. Robot Bellamy tries to enter your mind through dubstep but for those immune to the psychotic ability to enjoy dubstep, this track may leave you cold. The second part is subdued for the majority and almost overshadows the hurt that Unsustainable can leave.

"It is impossible for an effect to be stronger than its cause." (Aquinas, 1274) - In this case, it is not likely that The 2nd Law will outweigh the best the band has produced. I love every Muse album that comes out so I have a biased towards what they produce. However, The 2nd Law is not their best and not their worst.

It does come second to their best.

I really wanted to hate this album, because I love Muse's earlier work. Like many others I found the hype and comments regarding dub step, electronica, etc. off putting. However, as a fan of the bands previous work I purchased the album anyway. I listened with the intent to dislike every track and found instead that I enjoyed the album. OK it's not perfect. It's not their best album. But let's not condemn a band for trying to grow, experiment, leave their comfort zone...I congratulate them for doing something outside the box. Shouldn't that be the goal of every artist? As for the music, there are definitely tracks for those who like Muse's older material, there are tracks that will remind you of other artists they have been compared to (i.e. Queen, Radiohead), and there are tracks you will simply go "hmmm...didn't expect that". Kudos to Muse for doing something that I'd like to see all artists do -- "try".

From Freddie55 TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/16/2012 17:24 | #52445 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

There are so many haters for this album. Gotta lighten up guys and gals. Muse is simply having a great time here jamming bits from lots of classics and blowing all genres over the top. You can feel the joy. The songs here might not be connected to each other except for the fact that each one is playful and huge. I imagine this music will be brilliant combined with Muse's stunning stage show. This is a band that must be seen live!

From luigybetis TOP 100 COMMENTER 05/04/2018 13:58 | #214149 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

This album is really underrated, but I am not surprised as everything by Muse seems to be hated in this site. I think it deserves at least a 70/100 BEA score, but whatever. 7/10.

From RockyRaccoon TOP 100 COMMENTER 07/10/2013 01:50 | #80831 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I once heard someone, when describing Muse, say “Who needs Radiohead when Muse does it louder?" That’s something that, every time I hear Muse, I remember, mostly because it’s pretty true. If you take Radiohead (and I’m talking more before their “Hail To The Thief" era stuff, more around “Paranoid Android" and “Kid A") and turn them up louder, you get Muse. And man Muse is good. I didn’t think they could ever make an album better than their last album, “The Resistance", but this one is pretty close. Each song is unique in it’s own way, the arrangements are very well-done, the music beautifully written, even bassist Chris Wolstenhome gets featured on two songs that he wrote and sings. This album is powerful. It’s like bam-in-your-face-majestic powerful.