The 2nd Law
by Muse
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 408 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 287 out of 408
  2. Mixed: 77 out of 408
  3. Negative: 44 out of 408
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  1. Gabrielb24
    Aug 31, 2022
    7
    The 2nd law is alright in the same level as in The Resistance. The album went to direction like a comfort zone. You got a musical score piece like The 2nd Law unsustainable and Isolated System. Madness a standout some people except me, I like that song. Supremacy a song too similar to Paul McCartney’s Live and let die even through the lyrics is about earth is reach it’s end times. MyThe 2nd law is alright in the same level as in The Resistance. The album went to direction like a comfort zone. You got a musical score piece like The 2nd Law unsustainable and Isolated System. Madness a standout some people except me, I like that song. Supremacy a song too similar to Paul McCartney’s Live and let die even through the lyrics is about earth is reach it’s end times. My favorite song is Panic Station which I never figure out what the song means. All in all, the album is good.… Expand
  2. Musejonno
    Sep 29, 2019
    7
    A mixed bag more than any other Muse album. It starts with Supremacy, Madness, Panic Station and Survival, all exhilarating tracks. However, things quickly fall off. Follow Me is forgettable and while Animals and Explorers are decent tracks, they’re nothing special. Big Freeze is good fun but nowhere near good enough for what we expect from Muse. Save Me is one I always skip as there’sA mixed bag more than any other Muse album. It starts with Supremacy, Madness, Panic Station and Survival, all exhilarating tracks. However, things quickly fall off. Follow Me is forgettable and while Animals and Explorers are decent tracks, they’re nothing special. Big Freeze is good fun but nowhere near good enough for what we expect from Muse. Save Me is one I always skip as there’s nothing there and Liquid State is another mediocre song. Unsustainable is very divisive, but I actually really like that track, although again, it’s not one of their best. Isolated System is a pleasant closer but it’s only an instrumental. It’s a tale of two halves for me. First half is 9 or 10, but the second half is a huge let down.… Expand
  3. kevinhilldesign
    May 1, 2019
    10
    The 2nd Law's sound and general theme isn't unfamiliar to the typical Muse listener crashing the mainstream airwaves with conspiracy theories and political themes backed with a crunchy and whimsical sound and Matt's booming voice to carry us all into a new and better future but, unlike the previous Muse albums to date, The 2nd Law presents itself seemingly as a collection of singlesThe 2nd Law's sound and general theme isn't unfamiliar to the typical Muse listener crashing the mainstream airwaves with conspiracy theories and political themes backed with a crunchy and whimsical sound and Matt's booming voice to carry us all into a new and better future but, unlike the previous Muse albums to date, The 2nd Law presents itself seemingly as a collection of singles whereas each track takes on a new mask and presents the listener with something new and, at times, jarring.

    This of course doesn't take away the artistry and the brilliance behind each and every track on the album be it crashing of the gates with Supremacy's heavy guitar riff and Bellamy's undeniable vocals breathing life into the album or be it the synth driven single Madness bound by a crunchy and rythmatic voice modulation of rock love song or be it the polyrythmic patterns in the 5/4 track Animals lamenting the bureaucrats animalistic nature each song has it's place and each track distinctly create a mark of it's own on the album.

    To some this is the greatest detractor while each song stands alone and has a distinctly different feel to it the album as a whole doesn't feel as it if were a cohesive album front to back and the last four tracks can definitively support that claim. Both Save Me and Liquid State are sung by Chris and are the first two tracks of any album where Bellamy didn't sing lead vocals. These two tracks are on their own right great tracks but when seemingly tacked on the back end of an album powered by rallying cries and booming political themes these tracks lose most of their value on what should be an epic conclusion of a theme shifting album.

    The final two tracks being a two-part title track The 2nd Law: Unsustainable and The 2nd Law: Isolated System are these beautiful soundscapes of overlapping and a mixed media approach creating a cacophony of new and interesting sounds to the album. In Unsustainable they outfit a guitar to replicate the unmistakable attack of a Skrillix dubstep track while addressing the main motif of the album (more on that in just a bit) and the Isolated System is a piano driven elctro-journy that would be a launching point for nearly any other band in the genre with clippings of news broadcasts overlapping and spelling out what seems to be the complete breakdown of it all and the perfect ending to a unofficial concept album like The 2nd Law.

    What is most beautiful about the final two tracks is the explanation of "The 2nd Law" sprinkled thought out. If by the end of the album you look back and you are completely spent from trying to keep up after being taken every which way jumping genre to genre then it is totally understandable that when you get to the final two tracks there is an apathetic approach to grasping what the tracks are asking of you and that is simply to understand, generally speaking, the laws of thermodynamics, specifically the "2nd Law" of thermodynamics, and apply this concept and theme to every track you just listened to while keeping in mind the financial times of the post 2008 economic crash and the post 2001 war on terror along with various other political motivators.

    I'm no physicist but in my laymen attempt to talk about the second law of thermodynamics it is essentially that when no energy given to a system to maintain the system then everything naturally reduces to nothing, or better known as entropy. On the track Unsustainable the line "if no energy enters of leaves an isolated system, the entropy of that system increases" speaking to the general understanding of the second law of thermodynamics. Unsustainable then goes on to definitively tell us the listener how this connects to the album as a whole with the lines in the same stanza that read, "An economy based on endless growth is, Unsustainable."

    With the unofficial concept defined going back and seeing this theme flush in and out of tracks highlighting the consequences and our short-sided attempt to understand and control this ever increasing entropy in our lop-sided political and economic standing as individuals pushes this theme and this album from a solid "good" to "amazing". Each track now has several meanings and undertones that make you think about the other tracks before and after differently and it creates a conversation of ideas and perspectives that we are severely lacking in any considerable and respectable forum to this day and if an album can spark those ideas and encourage this sort of discussion, even if it is flawed and perhaps a bit too ambitious, than the album is brilliant in my book.    … Expand
  4. marcmyworks
    Sep 17, 2018
    8
    Muse returns and again aims to surpass their previous efforts by creating an even broader, more cinematic album. The result is The 2nd Law, a beautifully crafted Bond-themed entity, which proposes the same elements Queen once did when scoring the Flash Gordon soundtrack in 1980. Overall the album is a cohesive masterpiece of enchantment, with the single flaw that the tracks Save Me andMuse returns and again aims to surpass their previous efforts by creating an even broader, more cinematic album. The result is The 2nd Law, a beautifully crafted Bond-themed entity, which proposes the same elements Queen once did when scoring the Flash Gordon soundtrack in 1980. Overall the album is a cohesive masterpiece of enchantment, with the single flaw that the tracks Save Me and Liquid State, though brilliant, are not of the same ilk and sound as if they were slapped onto the final product last minute to increase the price on iTunes. Download: Supremacy, Madness, Survival… Expand
  5. Scratch
    Dec 31, 2016
    7
    With 'The 2nd Law', Muse has laid out a grand landscape, one that is built to tell an epic tale with ups and down, spanning different genres and ideas. Even though the album ends up being lengthy, none of the songs feel distinctly Muse. It's a great story being told by the wrong story teller, and it rarely hits a high point.
  6. clinteastwoo
    May 11, 2016
    10
    ...................................................................................................................................The Masterpiece of Muse.... Hands Down
  7. Zaynhewsonjavad
    Apr 2, 2016
    10
    43 Stupid Fans or even not-fan

    In this sixth album Muse have found his Magnum Opus, All here is perfect!!!!

    In Black Holes & Revelations of 2006 have the bad, "City of Delusion" & "Hoodoo" ,In Absolution of 2003,Origin Of Symmetry of 2001 have some bad songs, and few in The Resistance 2009,

    But not in this one.
  8. Thenewone
    Dec 30, 2015
    10
    .................................................................43 Idiots..................................................... The 2nd Law is underrated for own fans of Muse is a disgrace...
  9. raciocinio
    Oct 21, 2015
    10
    In Their sixth album,Muse made an complete album in all terms,mainly in melodies great melodies,Sadly this album is underrated for "fans" only because have step pop-electronica... But Madness,Big Freeze,Panic Station,Follow Me,Supremacy,Prelude,Explorers and The 2nd Law: Isolated System & Unsustainalble are classics of Muse.. So shut up "Posers Fans" of Muse
  10. sicrano
    Jul 20, 2015
    10
    43 imbecis ou fãs do musers posers imbecis...............................................................................................................
  11. Zanessa250QI
    Jul 12, 2015
    10
    Super subestimado por retardados!!!.... Aqui temos 43 imbecis que votaram de 0 a 3 pontos por essa Obra-Prima do Muse... Mesmo 4 a 6 sendo poucos pontos para essa Obra-Prima 26 cidadãos o fizeram... Tenho que concorda com esses 216 gênios...
  12. pjbh
    Jun 17, 2015
    10
    I'm not much of a fan of early Muse, but this is my favourite album by anyone in years.I can't understand how it was not nominated for the Mercury album of the year; it knocks Bowie's insipid comeback effort into a cocked hat. I like every track; two, Madness and Unsustainable, are truly exceptional. The latter should be played loud to every politician and economist until they get it.I'm not much of a fan of early Muse, but this is my favourite album by anyone in years.I can't understand how it was not nominated for the Mercury album of the year; it knocks Bowie's insipid comeback effort into a cocked hat. I like every track; two, Madness and Unsustainable, are truly exceptional. The latter should be played loud to every politician and economist until they get it. You do need to listen the album on a proper hifi; it gets lost on tinny speakers.… Expand
  13. WolfLambert
    Jun 16, 2015
    7
    Not comparable to the others quality-wise, but this album is just so much fun. Everything is extremely over the top, but I love it. A great record to just jam out to or whatever.
  14. oDjento
    Jun 9, 2015
    8
    A few unnecessary tracks on here sure but this album is nice and diverse with some brilliant tracks on here that are memorable. Get this album to check out; Supremacy, Madness, Panic Station, Follow Me, Animals, Save Me and Unsustainable! The songs on these albums are definitely a bit of an experiment for Muse but some of them (i'll be honest not all of them) work greatly!
  15. showbizjunkie
    May 21, 2015
    9
    The 2nd Law is an experiment, and a successful one: both at being an insanely well-done album and at annoying diehard "Origin of Symmetry" lovers. Loved Chris' singing in "Save Me" and "Liquid State," the dubstep was surprisingly captivating, and of course there was plenty of awesomeness all around.
  16. Ricko
    Mar 6, 2015
    7
    The fact that Muse got to album number 6 (and look to go well beyond that )is a surprise to me. Thinking back to their first two albums, I really didn't think they'd have lasting power but here we are. The thing is, I'm still not sure quite how they've managed to get away with knocking out 4 more albums after "Origin of Symmetry". You can't really accuse Muse of being unambitious orThe fact that Muse got to album number 6 (and look to go well beyond that )is a surprise to me. Thinking back to their first two albums, I really didn't think they'd have lasting power but here we are. The thing is, I'm still not sure quite how they've managed to get away with knocking out 4 more albums after "Origin of Symmetry". You can't really accuse Muse of being unambitious or boring but I think you could be forgiven for using the adjective "uninspiring". "The 2nd Law" is actually better than I was expecting. It's bombast and grandiose, but it wouldn't be a Muse record otherwise. Opener "Supremacy" sounds like they wrote it for Bond film but lost out to Adele instead. Its got drama and operatics everywhere and is quite listenable. This is followed by two quite decent pop songs "Madness" and "Panic Station". "Follow Me" is bizarre and sounds like Matt Bellamy doing a Europop version of The Phantom of the Opera. This kind of sets the tone for the album - a mix of pop rock, opera rock and loads of Muse weirdness thrown in on top. "The 2nd Law" isn't bad at all and fair play to the band for keeping their career's going this far. Muse are a strange bunch but what's even stranger is how this band are as big as they are and the fact that they have sold out Wembley Stadium.… Expand
  17. LoRevisor
    Jan 15, 2015
    10
    Excelente Álbum,o melhor até agora do Muse infelizmente The 2nd Law é muito subestimado.
    Top 6 The 2nd Law 2012
    1-Madness
    2-Big Freeze
    3-Panic Station
    4-Follow Me
    5-Explorers
    6-Supremacy
  18. Oliverthecat
    Oct 1, 2014
    7
    On their own the songs on The 2nd Law are great(with the exceptions of Madness, Follow me and Big Freeze), but as an album The 2nd Law tries to mix far to many genres(they did it in Black Holes & Revelations but it was much more structured and they did not wander it that particular genre to much), you get Prog-Rock then Pop then funk, then classical the Rock with a choir then pop for aOn their own the songs on The 2nd Law are great(with the exceptions of Madness, Follow me and Big Freeze), but as an album The 2nd Law tries to mix far to many genres(they did it in Black Holes & Revelations but it was much more structured and they did not wander it that particular genre to much), you get Prog-Rock then Pop then funk, then classical the Rock with a choir then pop for a couple of songs and it keeps going and that's what annoys the most(listening to it on strait through on an Ipod is difficult). The song Unsustainable is one of their masterpieces despite being dubstep, with a strings section to start it and then wham we get hit with a dubstep section which was made using a guitar and some pedals, but it is a song that has to be listened too to be appreciated. Overall a bad album but when taken apart it is very good.… Expand
  19. hboscoe1
    Aug 11, 2014
    10
    From the in your face deep rock riffs of Supremacy, to the chilled piano of Isolated system, The 2nd Law is, although unique and brave in many ways, still truly fantastic. The follow up to 2009's The Resistance, the album sees even further changes and experimentation from the days of 1999's Showbiz and 2001's Origin of Symmetry, but it's not ashamed of it.
    The album opens with Bond-esque    From the in your face deep rock riffs of Supremacy, to the chilled piano of Isolated system, The 2nd Law is, although unique and brave in many ways, still truly fantastic. The follow up to 2009's The Resistance, the album sees even further changes and experimentation from the days of 1999's Showbiz and 2001's Origin of Symmetry, but it's not ashamed of it.
    The album opens with Bond-esque hard hitter Supremacy, featuring some of Bellamy's strongest falsettos to date. There's no messing around or progressive introductions with this opener, it throws you straight in at the deep end, which feels rather fitting given the concept behind the album.
    At the end of Supremacy there are only two thoughts going through a listener's head. "Bloody hell that was awesome" and "was Bellamy joking about the electronic stuff?" And then BOOM. Madness. Featuring the classically electronic "m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-mad-mad-mad" at the intro accompanied by Dominic Howard's steady beat on the drum machine.
    Despite being different in every way from all of Muse's other tracks, it certainly doesn't disappoint. And boy, does it grow on you. The music slowly builds up, becoming one of the bands greatest songs to date as the electronics slowly drop out. Pay attention, Coldplay. This is how Magic should have sounded! It crams in many rock features throughout despite the electronic side, we still get a kick-ass (if admittedly a little brief) guitar solo accompanied by light hints of overdrive on Bellamy's Manson.
    Emerging from the calmness of Madness comes Panic Station... otherwise known as Everything Great About 80's Rock Jammed Into 3 Minutes. Everything you would possibly want in a Muse song is here. Clean Falsettos, about 500 uses of the word "you", one of the greatest bass lines since Hysteria or Another One Bites The Dust, and a melody that you just have to tap your foot to. 'Nuff said, give it a listen.
    At this point you know the album is diverse, and just to prove you right comes along an orchestral prelude (stunning) followed by the official song for the olympics 2012, Survival. With choirs, orchestras, and some of Bellamy's most powerful vocals to date. This is, in many people's opinion, the best song on the album. But not in mine, as the middle of the album ups the game yet again, with tracks Follow Me, sounding like something half way between the Pet Shop Boys and an extremely well produced Muse song. It's camp, it's poppy. And it's bloody brilliant. Even the rather irritating wubwubwub'd in the background grow on you, and suit the songs, and the live performances... wow, just wow. The song even features Bellamy's son, Bingham's heartbeat, setting the beat and tone for Bellamy's deepest vocals yet (both in pitch and meaning)
    Following Follow Me (yes I did that on purpose) is Animals, in my opinion, not just the best track on the album, but the best track of the year. it's so good! Lyrics from the next track, Big Freeze sum up my feelings about it "What words cannot convey"
    Big Freeze is the U2 style pop rock load of brilliant cheesiness. The vocals are Bellamy's best and hardest to sing to date, in particular on the above lyrics. It is a definite Muse future classic, and unfortunately marks an unbeatable high for the album, which is not what you want, the best should be saved for last, just look at The Resistance and Black Holes & Revelations as perfect examples.
    Explorers is wonderful, beautiful and one of Muse's best ballads, and it is unbelieveably hard to compare with the previous track, but it's better than the remaining 4 tracks, that much is certain. The next 2 songs are written and sung by Chris Wolstenholme, the band's bassist. And despite Chris being one of the greatest living bass players, it really doesn't make sense to have him singing on an album dominated by one of the greatest voices in modern rock. Of course the songs are about Chris, so it's only right that he should sing them, and they are good songs. They just don't fit in too well with the concept or style of the album. The same can be said to some extent about the 2nd Law electronic 2 part symphony. I was expecting another Exogenesis Symphony, which was an absolute masterpiece, but no. The orchetsral parts for the 2 tracks are great, but the UNSUSTAINABLE stuff does get a little tedious. But as usual Bellamy's vocals, even though they are only "woah, oh oh oh, oooh, ah ooh oh oh oohahwoahoh" are still brilliant, and almost too powerful for a man of his height.
    Isolated system is better in almost every way, and is extremely fitting in World War Z, and also to this album. It is the opposite to the intro of the album, it is calm, steady and peaceful, and a wonderful conclusion to this 52 minute masterpiece.
    The next album is said to go back to basics, and one thing is certain. I'll be queueing overnight to buy it.    … Expand
  20. Lelandskell
    Dec 23, 2013
    7
    Decent Muse album, but there isn't really any memorable songs, kind of boring actually. Panic Station is alright, and reminds me of 'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk, and Survival and Madness are good, but meh overall, if you want a really good Muse album, check out Absolution.
  21. VatsalSharma
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    All the age old Muse fans will cringe and moan about how the album is not "real muse", but really, the album is excellent! Electric Rock is a really tricky genre to meddle into and Muse is one of the few bands to have done it right. Songs like Follow Me and Madness show the careful and intricate production that Muse have mastered over the years, while Supremacy, Panic Station and AnimalsAll the age old Muse fans will cringe and moan about how the album is not "real muse", but really, the album is excellent! Electric Rock is a really tricky genre to meddle into and Muse is one of the few bands to have done it right. Songs like Follow Me and Madness show the careful and intricate production that Muse have mastered over the years, while Supremacy, Panic Station and Animals deliver the classic Muse melodies and guitar riffs! The two Instrumentals, Unsustainable and Isolated System are the exact opposite of the 3-part symphony in The Resistance, as they exhibit the far ends of the electronic prowess that Muse tried to accomplish and succeeded in my opinion.
    So really, i am a Muse fan since Absolution, and everyone needs to grow up and accept that a band ventures and experiments with different music and all albums cant be like your old time favourites. Muse has incredibly shown their growth with The 2nd Law and it only makes me more excited for their future works, along with giving me, what is arguably the best Muse song ever, Madness!    … Expand
  22. NK0331
    Aug 25, 2013
    9
    On first listen, The 2nd Law will leave Muse fans gawking in shock; every song on the album has a unique sound, many of which are quite different from anything Muse has done in the past. However, the songs are as complex and infectious as ever, and many will only reveal their beauty on the second listen. It's an amazing work for fans to appreciate and newcomers to dive in through.On first listen, The 2nd Law will leave Muse fans gawking in shock; every song on the album has a unique sound, many of which are quite different from anything Muse has done in the past. However, the songs are as complex and infectious as ever, and many will only reveal their beauty on the second listen. It's an amazing work for fans to appreciate and newcomers to dive in through. Highlights include the popular single Madness, funk infused jam Panic Station, electronic ballad Follow Me, and U2 inspired Big Freeze.

    Be wary of irritated so-called "fans" who can't accept that Muse would rather experiment with genres than produce innumerable copies of Origin of Symmetry and Absolution.    … Expand
  23. CaptainThom
    Jun 26, 2013
    8
    Its not the same as the old albums but would you want it to be? I'm not going to claim 2nd Law is as good as Origin of Symmetry or Absolution but its still a decent album. Songs like supremacy and panic station in particular are brilliant and even unsustainable (which i initially disliked) while not a classic muse song really grows on you. Like all Muse songs once you have seen them liveIts not the same as the old albums but would you want it to be? I'm not going to claim 2nd Law is as good as Origin of Symmetry or Absolution but its still a decent album. Songs like supremacy and panic station in particular are brilliant and even unsustainable (which i initially disliked) while not a classic muse song really grows on you. Like all Muse songs once you have seen them live you'll find they grow on you.… Expand
  24. Kiva
    Jun 9, 2013
    8
    I liked this album. It is fresh and muse showed that can rock in other ways. I know that it has some characteristics fro dub step however the music is good. i really like supremacy, panic station (which reminds me of red hot chili peppers), follow me and madness. It's a good one. Hope you enjoy it!
  25. Vampire25
    Apr 23, 2013
    8
    I'll never understand the deep hatred towards this record. Muse have not only made a great rock opera record, but my 2nd favorite Muse album I've had the pleasure to listen too. Much more rock-orientated than The Resistance, which was a huge disappointment, Muse touch upon their apocalyptic rock roots that made them huge in the first place. Matt Bellamy hasn't just grown as a vocalist andI'll never understand the deep hatred towards this record. Muse have not only made a great rock opera record, but my 2nd favorite Muse album I've had the pleasure to listen too. Much more rock-orientated than The Resistance, which was a huge disappointment, Muse touch upon their apocalyptic rock roots that made them huge in the first place. Matt Bellamy hasn't just grown as a vocalist and songwriter, but also a guitarist. Easily Muse' guitar record.

    All In All, Muse are only getting bigger, and The 2nd Law just proves it. B+    … Expand
  26. SlicedBread
    Mar 26, 2013
    7
    What does Muse have left to cover? I find myself asking this question frequently when I think about where singer/songwriter Matt Bellamy will lead his band after The 2nd Law, an album that sees the most over the top band since Queen continue down the road to full on lunacy. "Supremacy," this album's opener, instantly tells us that this album will be no less ridiculous than The ResistanceWhat does Muse have left to cover? I find myself asking this question frequently when I think about where singer/songwriter Matt Bellamy will lead his band after The 2nd Law, an album that sees the most over the top band since Queen continue down the road to full on lunacy. "Supremacy," this album's opener, instantly tells us that this album will be no less ridiculous than The Resistance (fortunately, it's also better.) High points: Supremacy, The 2nd Law: Unsustainable, Panic Station
    Low points: Animals, Explorers, Save Me, Liquid State    … Expand
  27. piford
    Mar 25, 2013
    8
    This album is a great experience to listen too. Only a few songs on there own can be listened to regularly, but if you listen to it all at once, it will sound amazing. The only problem are the last 2 songs are terrible and out of place. Song Suggestions from this album: Big Freeze, Panic Station.
  28. Terg
    Mar 23, 2013
    10
    The 2nd Law combines 13 completely different songs to create a surprisingly magnificent whole. Best songs are Follow Me, Animals, Explorers, Save Me and Liquid State.
  29. reece_cairns
    Mar 5, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Muse have never been the type of band that has a jam in the rehearsal room, come up with a few song ideas and picks out the best ones that should go on the album. No, Mr Bellamy knows exactly what he wants an album to sound like. It’s almost as if each Muse album shows just a snippet of what goes on in that man’s unpredictable mind. The 2nd Law can be summed up by listening to the first minute of the first track, Supremacy. It shows the two sides to Muse; the grandiose screeching guitar riffs and apocalyptic rhythms, but also the soothing symphonic passages which act as reflection scenes on the album. This first song is crying out to be the soundtrack to a James Bond film as it resembles Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir before it settles into the contrasting military-like march which leads you to believe Muse have skydived as 007 and landed into the aftermath of an epic sci-fi battle. The lyrics towards the end of this section suggest something is building up; “You don’t have long, I am on to you, the time, it has come” (are you ready?) “To destroy…” Prepare yourself as Bellamy exclaims “Your supremecyyyy!” with all of his might whilst being overdosed on voice effects. Ladies and gentlemen Muse have arrived. Their first single, from the album, released by the band was Madness, a real pop song with heavy influences of Queen. Chris Martin described it as “Muse’s best single yet” so obviously questions were going to be asked of the bands new sound. Madness is based around a pulsating synthesiser bass riff and contains reminiscences of vocal harmonies from Killer Queen, for example, and the guitar solo from I Want To Break Free, however this song explodes into life to create an emphatic bridge section with inspiring vocal melodies in which Bellamy is declaring he has realized his mistakes from a past relationship.

    Muse do like to be unpredictable, don’t they? I don’t think anybody expected the band to kick out a track like Panic Station. A real powerhouse-funk jam which you can not help nodding your head to. Chorus-filled slap bass, drums with 80’s style gate-reverb and Matt Bellamy shouting and squealing like he’s just completely taking the mickey, like a British Michael Jackson, but funnily enough, it works. The synthetic brass in the background only adds to the brilliance of this track and they help it erupt into a stomping joy-filled groove.

    Long before the release of The 2nd Law Muse were asked to compose a song for the London 2012 Olympics and for this reason it received the most radio airplay. Survival is a real classic Muse song, showing off the incredible vocal and guitar talents Matt Bellamy has in his locker. Introduced by the orchestral masterpiece that is the Prelude, Survival begins similarly to the start of the second section of Bohemian Rhapsody (note: another Queen reference), but then in comes the infectious drums and choir. On piano is Matt Bellamy before the song ruptures and he takes hold of his guitar and unleashes a shredding solo. The kitchen sink unit along with the ominous choir, with lyrics like “Race, it’s a race” and “I’ll reveal my strength” are really quite adrenaline pumping, very fitting for the occasion. The penultimate song The 2nd Law has to offer is Unsustainable, one that really sticks out from the album. It was an internet sensation at the time of its release. It starts with a thrilling orchestral section, which could be heard in a sci-fi adventure movie, and then in comes a news reel explaining the world’s energy resources are running out causing mass eruption. This is reflected in the upcoming section that is none other than dubstep. It’s Hans Zimmer meets Skrillex, or you could just call it the excellence of Muse. You can just imagine Bellamy tapping and scratching away at his ultra-cool science fiction-like guitar effects pad, which I guess is a reason against the idea of it being ‘real’ dubstep. You can still pick out the drums, bass, and of course the face-melting guitar which works to Muse’s advantage as it dismisses all arguments from people suggesting the band are copying modern artists. Isolated System is final song on the album offering more reason to believe that Muse are more than capable of writing film soundtracks. The electronic piece of music is pumped with more ‘end-of-the-world’ news reel clips, syncopated synthesiser sequences. It’s not quite the futuristic cowboy monumental finale that is Knights of Cydonia, from Black Holes and Revelations, which I guess sums up the whole album really. In The 2nd Law Muse have let their imaginations run wild creating some breathtaking moments and completely unexpected turns, which works to the albums success. However, whether it can compete with past albums, such as Absolution, I’m not so sure. Nonetheless, any die-hard Muse fan would not be disappointed as the band demonstrates their unpredictable talents yet again.    … Expand
  30. Cryo_Suit
    Jan 19, 2013
    8
    I am not a muse fan but I will say that the album is great and for me EXPLORERS is the best song from the album. It is not a waste of time and also not the waste of money. This album makes me think that people like justin bieber (A$$hole) and one direction (more A$$holes) becoming so success in their debut album and Muse took so much time to rise and get into the mainstream. I supportI am not a muse fan but I will say that the album is great and for me EXPLORERS is the best song from the album. It is not a waste of time and also not the waste of money. This album makes me think that people like justin bieber (A$$hole) and one direction (more A$$holes) becoming so success in their debut album and Muse took so much time to rise and get into the mainstream. I support Muse and I will always love this band.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed Album of 2012
78
#78 Most Shared Album of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Dec 5, 2012
    65
    From its atmospheric nineties leanings to Bellamy's consistently on-the-mark channeling of Bono, it's not too hard to imagine The 2nd Law having a similar legacy ten or twenty years down the road: not a great album, but an adventurous one.
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  2. Kerrang!
    Oct 29, 2012
    80
    Does this all meld together into the cohesive whole of a perfect album? Well, no, not really. But does The 2nd Law represent a band whose only limitations seem to be the high ceiling of their collective imagination? The answer here is an emphatic yes. [6 Oct 2012, p.52]
  3. Mojo
    Oct 22, 2012
    80
    Muse and David Campbell's melodramatic arrangements occasionally raise a smile, but if you like your rock symphonic and your vocals histrionic, The 2nd Law delivers. [Nov 2012, p.87]
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