Released: 2012

Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Electronic

The Musiquarium’s The 2nd Law Review Score: 6 out of 10

Muse were on a hot streak through the 2000s, transforming from Radiohead wannabes (those early records are still excellent, though), to their own unique concoction of Queen-like bombast, singalong choruses, heavy metal riffing and the virtuosity of progressive rock. Songs like Starlight and Undisclosed Desires saw an increased emphasis on pop sensibilities, with The 2nd Law seeing a continuation of Muse’s desire for mainstream appeal.

Supremacy opens up the album with the sound of a potential James Bond theme song. The poppy Madness will likely repel old Muse fans, but might attract some new ones. Panic Station is a falsetto-sung, bass guitar-driven, eighties style rocker, and though it can be quite campy, it’s still one of the best tracks here. Prelude is a brief orchestral instrumental that leads into Survival, which sounds like Muse taking the Queen comparisons as a challenge to write their own proper Queen song.

Animals is a darker track, which has the band sounding like Radiohead again. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme sings lead vocals on Save Me and Liquid State, and let’s just say that there’s a reason why Matt Bellamy is the vocalist. Follow Me, Explorers and Big Freeze are all rather forgettable. The 2nd Law: Unsustainable has Muse dipping their toes in the waters of the recent dubstep craze, and let’s just say it’s not exactly good, though it’s far from abysmal too.

The 2nd Law isn’t as bad as it could have ended up, though it’s still the band’s weakest and most inconsistent set of songs yet. There are a handful of decent tracks here, but the second half of the album definitely falls flat.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Muse on Discogs.

Back to the 2012 Album Reviews Guide or the Muse Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard