The 2nd Law - Muse
User Score
6.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 179 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 128 out of 179
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 179
  3. Negative: 32 out of 179

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  1. jos95
    Oct 2, 2012
    4
    Appalling compared to previous releases, The 2nd Law is disjointed and completely lacking in cohesion. They try to have too many styles and influences on the album, from prog rock to dubstep and none of them form together in a satisfying way. Matt's staccato vocal delivery is just pompous and irritating, and the two part symphony at the end has nothing on Exogenesis. Like the rest of the album, it's just lots of tidbits thrown together to pass off as experimentation. The only acceptable songs on the album are Panic Station and Supremacy. Matt and the boys need to come down to a little place called Earth, somewhere they were clearly at during the Origin of Symmetry era. That album was amazing. This is pure crap.… Expand
  2. markymark
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    Massive grower - both for the listener and in terms of Muse's development. Take out Liquid State and it is pretty much perfect. Really enjoying this.
  3. kermitology
    Oct 9, 2012
    3
    Pretty disappointing effort as far as I'm concerned. Muse turned to the fashionable sound of the day (dubstep) and made an album that will easily date itself. It's all over the place and doesn't grab me like some of Muse's earlier work has done a good job of.
  4. BaggerdyRoll
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    I think this Album is great. Have been a muse fan since Showbiz and I'm glad they are willing to mix things up rather than growing old and stale. Good music is good music. The track Big Freeze is currently my fave on the album with the powerful chorus resonating deep inside me. If you hate this album and think Muse have gone down a terrible road... then stop listening. Go find a band that sounds exactly the same to everything else you like. If you can't stand this album because its to "pop" or whatever, then you're too insecure to consume media anyway.… Expand
  5. Pat
    Oct 2, 2012
    3
    All I can say is, "not good." I am quite disappointed with this album. Almost every song on here makes me cringe. I was a long time muse fan up until resistance, and this album somehow is less listenable than that. Still, Muse is amazing live and will make these songs better when played on stage. Hopefully they will go back to using their full potential as musicians instead of this over produced queen want to be nonsense with dubstep baked in. The only song I liked, which gave me hope for the album, was the first one, 'Supremacy.' From there it goes straight down hill. Madness has the potential to be a good song but is marred with pop influences. The two songs where bassist, Chris Wolstenholme sings, are fairly dreadful due to a pretty obvious lack of vocal talent. He can sing well enough for backup, but he comes out flat at lead. Essentially, if you were a Muse fan pre Twilight, you will most likely hate this album. Post Twilight fans will eat it up.… Expand
  6. BrandonBonasera
    Oct 2, 2012
    4
    As a fan of previous Muse albums, I am really disappointed that Muse had to do this to the fans. What did Muse do you ask? Well Muse decided to create a terrible album that completely destroys what made them so good by the slow and incredibly tedious tunes and the unnecessary dub step used in one of their songs. This album also lacks cohesion and is completely joyless and dull when trying to be cinematic. Muse, you need to clean up your act and create something that made your previous albums most memorable, if not amazing.… Expand
  7. Muselvr
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    Guys!!! Some of you really need to chill out. This is a different sound for Muse but you need to appreciate that they are able to make new sounds and touch other genre's. Muse is such an amazing band and its better to show off some new sounds than to produce the same music over and over.
  8. foowombats
    Dec 11, 2012
    7
    It's a generally very good album, but not a patch on some of their earlier albums. Unfortunately for Muse, they seem to have already set up their own legacy with the classic albums of Origin, Absolution and Black holes. This though seems a wholly unremarkable album, its a bit all over the place and contains no really career defining songs. There are some good ones don't get me wrong. The dub-rock powerfest of - Follow me, is obviously the stand out, but there are others. These include the happy, catchy and beautifully layered - Big freeze, the funky Panic Station, the relentless - supremacy and even the two electric title tracks at the end. Madness is probably the best example of a song that grows on you out there. When I first heard it I was like "What...?" but now I love it. Weaker songs include; Survive and liquid state. I still recommend it to everyone, its an interesting but not perfect album.… Expand
  9. Muser793
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    if you want to get something different go for this album . muse is the best band in the world and they know what to do . let me make it clear , this album is not a rock album ! you will get some dubstep with guitar (!)as well as rock , pop-rock , heavy metal , funk ...
    it's not the best album from trio cause all of their albums are awesome but it's the most perfect one ! matt bellamy's vo    cal is the best ever and their music is perfect . bellamy shows you that you can sing about energy , politics , illuminati , love , apocalypse ... even in dubstep and pop genre .
    so if you're a muser you will be satisfied and if you're not , give it more listens , you will love it ...    … Expand
  10. Falling_Hammer
    Oct 3, 2012
    10
    Well I can say that Muse did a splended job here. They haven't turned mainstream with this album (unlike Coldplay's newest album) and that is what is important. The record has got a lot of avantgarde sounds and lot's of alternative styles in songs. There are some songs that you will skip later when listening but only 1, max 2. All in all a great album that reminds me of Queen and other alternative rock bands.… Expand
  11. TixyLix
    Oct 2, 2012
    3
    I want to like it but it is by far Muses worst album, the lyrics just make me cringe like they were written by a child. During the build up they kept saying how they were going to be doing dub step and funk and crazy electric guitar solos, none of which exist. They make an attempt at something... however it never hits the genres they advertise. I'm a big Muse fan but I cannot recommend this album to anyone. Songs I do like again I get put off because they're obvious rip offs, Supremacy is obviously trying to be a James Bond title track, Panic Station just rips off the bassline from Another One Bites the Dust and Big Freeze is basically a generic U2 track. I just don't get this album, it isn't Muse, it isn't creative and just makes me cringe so much.

    The biggest disappointment since Resistance, which at least had some original ideas and a few good songs.    … Expand
  12. Voldie
    Oct 3, 2012
    4
    Definitely worst Muse album to date. Bits and pieces of different styles and different concepts thrown in one not-so-good-smelling mess.

    Out of 13 tracks 8 are fillers, other tracks sound like a collection of singles, not an album.
  13. bigcheese1
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    The problem with the 2nd law is it is less a cohesive album and more of a collection of diverse songs that just do not flow. That said, the majority of the songs on this album are brilliant, from the ridiculously epic supremacy to the funky panic station, or the subdued guitar genius of animals to the chilling Isolated system. The songs big freeze and liquid state may be weak links, but the rest of the album is very strong. It's a much more diverse and interesting record than the resistance, with Muse showing the bombastic sound that made them famous ahead of the manufactured sound from their previous effort. You may not like the album, but you cannot complain of a lack of heavy songs-survival, supremacy, liquid state and possibly even follow me are all loud tracks. It's heavier than the resistance, and again features a wide range of genres, with influences coming not just from Queen, but also from INXS, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and even Stevie Wonder.

    The addition of tow tracks by bassist Chris Wolstenholme is also a welcome addition, as he has a good voice and produced a great track in save me.

    Overall, the album is ridiculous, over the top, but also brave enough to explore every genre-those fearing an album of dubstep can rest easy. This is the best work they have produced since Absolution.    … Expand
  14. Buzzkill23
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    Another great album from Muse. I have been a Muse fan since the first album and I find it really brave of the band to experiment and mix with new sounds. Music is always likely to change, and nothing stays the same forever. Big Freeze by far is my favorite from the album, along with Isolated System. Big Freeze has similar tones to Map of the Problematique. It still annoys me to here complaints that Muse sound too much like U2 or Queen. Bands are out there to inspire other people, and other bands, it is how new music comes out... through inspiration. Muse are inspired by other bands, and they inspire other people! Deal with it!… Expand
  15. grabnar55
    Oct 2, 2012
    0
    This album is a waste of time, if you want to listen to muse than listen to their other albums because this album is just **** boring, Bellamy is a sell out.
  16. MonsieurMazure
    Oct 2, 2012
    0
    La tournure commerciale qu' a pris Muse et le nombre de groupies qui s'est multiplié montre l'évolution musicale pathétique des anglais.
    Rien ne sert de faire une critique sur l'album puisque c'est le néant, le vide, le rien !!!
  17. ashtonkonon
    Oct 5, 2012
    8
    It is after buying my first album from muse (this album) made me buy their entire collection - except for Hullabaloo and Showbiz' ! This album was the defining moment for new listeners to run out of their house, find the nearest music store and get their entire collection!!! I know it is gonna be a good investment, because you know it is gonna be an evergreen band, once you hear the entire album and you just know that¬!
    It is something about the atmospheric cult, intentions, and presence that made me jump out from the seat and get their previous albums. The 'can't get enough of Muse syndrome' imposed to me at the point of wanting more from what the band already had accomplished'' The effects from listening their albums are highly addictive;; This album will make one dwell into Bellamy's surreal resounding tone which compliments the musical scores, composition well enough to say this is the album I am waiting for this! - certainly a different approach from their previous albums, - Bellamy's voice for the word 'pure' on the 'undisclosed desire' track still resonate in my mind , he said it so effortlessly, convincingly, like he meant it - piercing through your heart - made the affirmation of getting their collection ever so satisfied and to the point of believing this cult projected from this band will leave a trace for a long time and will persevere if they continue to outperform what they already achieved; - You can;t go wrong with this album, if you already enjoyed their previous tracks.    … Expand
  18. julybish
    Oct 3, 2012
    0
    Awful! The worst album Muse has so far produced. It seems to me Bellamy has spent too much time in hollywood! Really boring and disappointing. Hopefully he'll get back on track.
  19. thordursveins
    Oct 4, 2012
    9
    They continue to amaze me. Even though The 2nd Law is not as big of a leap from Resistance as Black Holes was from Absolution it brings plenty of freshness. It's light and sometimes funky. Starts with a grand James Bond-like opening. The bass line from Panic Station just makes you wanna grab the nearest lamp and dance to it. Sometimes you can even hear a little latino influence in the guitar and the brass sections.
    The dubstep influence is not as grate as you might have expected, but it's there and it sounds brilliant... and yes Chris puts down the bass and does the lead vocals on two tracks, a bold move but in my opinion a good one. So I definitely recommend it.    … Expand
  20. AloudSound
    Oct 12, 2012
    7
    "Not a bad album at all. It has very great musical detail, and with [Matt's] soothing vocals. Though the album doesn't include as much great songs on the album and with some of the song's not being exactly 'perfect' and 'accomplishing', the album does give a great direction to a new musical era."
  21. maik_kel
    Oct 15, 2012
    8
    The first time I listened to this, I hated it (as a years-long Muse-Fan), it was too Poppy, too mainstream. But then, after the third or fourth time of listening, it grew on me. I still don't think it's their best work (in my opinion that was their last album "the resistance" and "Absolution"). Muse are still experimenting and their music is as epic as ever. And there's not too much Dubstep in this, only in two songs. That's bearable...… Expand
  22. superRadCat
    Oct 3, 2012
    4
    I honestly don't entirely know what to think about this album. For the most part it just doesn't sound like Muse. I've read several reviews from people stating that their lack of traditional Muse trappings is due to the evolution of the bands sound but in reality it's not that they've evolved and more that they seem to have run out of original ideas. I really want to love it but this album is completely disjointed and sounds more like a tribute album to the '80's greatest pop and rock music with some dub step thrown in for good measure. On their own each song ranges from acceptable to great ( with the exceptions of "Liquid State" and "The 2nd Law-Unsustainable"), but many of these songs don't sound like Muse at all. That wouldn't be a problem and could be attributed to the progression of their musical style, except that those songs sound nearly identical to songs written and performed by existing bands, especially "Big Freeze" which sounds exactly like U2 with Matt Bellamy as the front man. All in all this isn't a bad album but it isn't a good one either and I feel like the least they could have done would have been to market this as a kick ass tribute to '80's rock instead of a Muse album.… Expand
  23. perydwyn
    Oct 10, 2012
    7
    This album is such a mixed bag. It is definitely more a collection of tracks rather than a cohesive whole...it contains some of the best moments of the band's career (Animals, Follow me and Supremacy), but also a few of their worse moments too (Survival, and the too awful for words Big Freeze). Chris Wolfenholme sings on 2 of the tracks, and he is a pretty decent vocalist, but his songs do not really sound like Muse.… Expand
  24. funkydoodycool
    Oct 11, 2012
    10
    I wouldn't call myself a Muse fan. I used to love Origin of Symmetry, but found the albums since then to be quite boring. For some unknown reason I became caught up in the hype around 2nd Law, after watching the preview video a few times, and wondering how Muse were going to fuse dubstep with their guitar-based band.

    The album is very disjointed - no two songs seem to sit quite comfor    tably together in the way an album might be expected. But strangely it works, in much the same way as Queen's Night at the Opera, to which this album owes a lot. However, I haven't been able to get the songs out of my head all week - surely a sign of a great album? Having a listen seems to be the only cure, albeit only for a few hours.

    Rather than simply sounding like a Radiohead tribute as they did 11 years ago, Muse now display a wide variety of influences. Queen, David Bowie, ELO, and U2 all crop up here. The song Big Freeze could very easily be made by U2. Survival might as well be an ELO song.

    One stand out song is Panic Station, which should join the ranks of Junior Senior's Move Your Feet as a surprise club hit, with its strong beat and brilliant writing.

    The band here have evolved, with Matt Bellamy's voice matured almost beyond recognition since Origin. No more screeching falsetto all the time (although it's not completely absent). There is a distinct lack of guitar work here too, with a lot of synths providing the background to his moving vocal work. Clearly Muse are not afraid to experiment in order to move their sound forward.

    The only weak point, somewhat ironically, are the final two songs titled The 2nd Law: Unsustainable and The 2nd Law: Isolated System. They lack the power and finesse of the rest of the album.

    All in all this is a fantastic collection of songs, and gets better with each listen. I haven't listened to an album in such depth in about 15 years, so I'm sure you can understand my excitement with it.    … Expand
  25. TwisterAce
    Oct 2, 2012
    7
    This is one of those albums that has to grow on you before you like it. At first, The 2nd Law didn't strike a chord with me. It didn't seem as heavy as Muse's past records like Absolution and Black Holes & Revolutions. But after a second listen, I can say that this album has some amazing moments and some very good songs.

    Overall it has a Queen-U2-Depeche Mode kind of vibe.The opening tr    ack, "Supremacy," has a Led Zeppelin-esque style (it reminded me of their song "Kashmir"). "Madness" begins quietly with bass and samples, building up into a Queen-style climax. "Panic Station" (my personal favorite) is a heavy funk-driven track. The bombastic "Survival" (the 2012 Olympics anthem) is probably the only song on the album similar to "old" Muse. "Explorers" sounds very similar to "Invincible" from BH&R. "Save Me" and "Liquid State" are both sung by bassist Chris Wolstenholme. "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" sees Matt Bellamy emulating dubstep via guitar (similar to what Tom Morello did in RATM by emulating turntables and synths via guitar), although the choppy, distorted vocals ruin the song.

    Most of the lyrics deal with personal subjects. "Madness" details a shaky relationship. "Follow Me" is about Bellamy's newborn son. "Save Me" and "Liquid State," the two songs sung by Wolstenholme, describe his dark experience with alcoholism. The final two songs, "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" and "The 2nd Law: Isolated System," refer to the second law of thermodynamics (hence the name of the album).

    In conclusion, The 2nd Law is an album that takes a little while before one can appreciate it. It may not be as "in-your-face" as past Muse albums have been, but it is still an interesting record that can be enjoyed.    … Expand
  26. Junghova
    Oct 3, 2012
    9
    While i am more of a rap/hip hop lover, The Resistance was one of my favourite albums when it came out and I would even argue it could be considered "classic". I had very high hopes for this album and while I admit the first couple of listens scared me (as I was expecting the 2nd coming of god), in the end this is an excellent album that grows with each listen and I tip my hat off to Muse. Well done chaps!… Expand
  27. theahsanhaseeb
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    I am a HUGE Muse fan, but I must say that this album is not as awesome as their previous work. BUT.. still, it's too damn good. I love (almost) all the songs, even the vocal contribution of the bassist Christopher Wolstenholme. I love how they never refrain from experimentation like incorporation of funk, dubstep symphonic rock with their classic space rock in this record which is something rare. VERY RARE. As a band, they are really growing, they are not leaving their roots behind. I don't know why are the fans upset about the utilization of the whole dubstep idea. I just wanna say one thing to them and that is: Dubstep, itself, isn't bad. When you listen to an unsual genre song from a great artist, they make it sound like they are the pioneers of that genre and that's what happened here with Muse (IN MY OPINION). Listen to The 2nd Law: Unsustainable and Madness. You are definitely going to love them. Remaining songs on the album sound like they're Muse's, for sure. You can't ignore the intensity of the variation and experimentation in making this record. I am glad they have made this album, I mean I get to listen to different side of Muse, so I am not gonna hate on them. NEVER. I still love the band, they're still my top favourite band. And they will always be. If you want to listen to the same sound like the one used in previous albums, go ahead and listen to previous albums. Simple. Just stop being a bi**h and get over it. And at least, appreciate that they have made a new record which still sounds nothing like their previous work (sounds different and great) and that's a great thing. They keep evolving after making each record and I am really impressed with that and that's one of the major reasons I love this band so much. I know the expectations were really high and at first, I was kinda disappointed as well but when I finished listening to the whole album, I was like, "WOW!" and as a fan, that's quite enough for me. I don't care if people don't like the songs, what's done is done, you can't undo it so the only option is: TAKE IT. You can't just leave it. The songs have started growing on me and I am glad about it. Just give it a go again and I hope you would start loving it, too.… Expand
  28. Pander
    Oct 2, 2012
    5
    With regards to the 2nd Law, my greatest fear, that it would be a dubsteppy and bad mess, was relatively unrealized. The unpredicted problem arose when I realized I couldn't remember any truly great songs, or even riffs. There wasn't the amazing Rachmaninoff/Bach/Prokofiev virtuosity I'd come to expect, there wasn't a landmine of unexpected pr
    og-rock devastation to be stepped upon like B    H&R's Knights of Cydonia...there were a bunch of songs sounding like Guiding Light off The Resistance, a few dubsteppy whatevers, and a couple synthy-rock mashes that were simply straws too short to drink from the 64oz big gulp of satisfying Map of the Problematique.

    The Resistance may have been rather haphazard, stilting between happily scratching a Muse itch and leading to worries that I Belong to You would become their new permanent sound in place of gorgeous operetic rock-anthems like the ENTIRE ALBUM of Origin of Symmetry. Yet, it still had its seminal moments, like the overblown Eurasia, the pulsing piano/drums lead in to the title track, the unforgettable synth pounding Uprising dishes out, and the wondrous oddity of the three-track symphonic suite close-out.

    The only tracks I can remember after my listen were of the interesting-yet-boring first single Madness, the unpleasant dubstep closer Unsustainable, and one or two tracks in the middle with a fun-yet-unremarkable sound. There wasn't one single game-changer.

    One of my favorite bands, unalike in almost every way to Muse except for Ability To Own Arenas, is the Goo Goo Dolls. Between 93 and 02 they released 4 albums that I consider to be nigh-flawless, with every song meriting special attention and playtime. Their 2006 effort Let Love In signaled the end of this streak, as it (and their 2010 album) had a few interesting new songs sandwiched by largely-forgettable tracks. For non-Goo fans, I'd submit other evidences via Metallica's Reload (eventually leading to the pathetic St Anger) and Smashing Pumpkins' Adore (as Machina I and II became their unfortunate (and temporary?) swan song).

    Muse has, I feared, reached this same point. Peaking with 2006's Black Holes and Revelations (if you like fascinating and creative masterpieces, you own that album), they have now released two straight albums where you can no longer hit play and go from start to finish with your mind buoyed to the heavens by exceptional musical craftsmanship. I am not so foolish or stuck in my ways to demand a band 'go back' to a seminal sound, but the direction for growth chosen in 2nd Law, extra electronica and crawlingly slow U2-ish medleys, doesn't strike me as an advancement for the band. It feels more like a diversionary toy. I had hoped for an expansion of the orchestral feel of the Exogenesis symphonic suite, or a more frenetic offering of synth-rock similar to Map of the Problematique and MKUltra, or (even more hopefully) an expansion of spaghetti-western rock much like the seldom-heard City of Delusion off BH&R.

    I wasn't obliged, and a kind of aimless tinkering filled the air for the better part of an hour. I was never so hooked on any melody that I stopped and had to know what was playing. I never felt challenged. I didn't feel like anything new or exciting was going on. And that makes me sad.    … Expand
  29. Carlito2222
    Oct 2, 2012
    8
    Certainly one of the most anticipated albums of 2012 for me personally. It's not an album. It's not coherent. But, except Liquid State (to much Foo Fighters), all are great songs. And I really enjoy that the band is evolving and searching at new music styles. All great longterm artists in history have evolve. And yes, they are still searching, but in the meanwhile they have put beautiful new songs on a disc.… Expand
  30. jasonli18t
    Oct 3, 2012
    10
    If you understand music, and don't have a predisposition to already hate Muse, this album is remarkable. Genre -bending, done better than anyone else, all in a package that is much better live. Muse always has been and always will be a live band, and this album will be massive in all the right ways in front of a crowd of true music fans.
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics

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.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »