Muse - The 2nd Law

Muse
The 2nd Law
Warner Bros. (2012)
By Corinne Demyanovich

“Christian gangsta rap jazz odyssey, some ambient rebellious dubstep and face melting metal flamenco cowboy psychedelia” is how Matthew Bellamy, Muse frontman, described the band’s new album, The 2nd Law, on Twitter. Just as Bellamy’s tweet says, The 2nd Law is a very eclectic album. This is Muse’s sixth album, and like their previous album, The Resistance, it was produced by the band itself. After topping multiple charts in 2009 with The Resistance, Muse doesn’t seem to be too concerned with topping more; this album is about experimentation and fun. The 2nd Law, whose title is based on the second law of thermodynamics, tells a story of survival within a decaying world. If any group can tell that tale with so many diverse sounds, Muse is that group.

“Supremacy” kicks off the album with crazy seven-string guitar riffs and Bellamy’s classic falsetto vocals. The head-banging beats and orchestral sounds combine to make what could be a James Bond theme. Album single “Madness” begins softly with a pulsating beat, which then crescendos into a booming chorus, then back into a soft, electronic beat again. Its popularity has made it an instant hit next to their previous songs “Uprising” and “Starlight.” Reminiscent of early Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Panic Station” is a funk-heavy number and, quite simply, a fun listen. It’s catchy like “Supermassive Black Hole,” an older Muse hit, but it brings out the drums and the trumpets, which emphasize the groove. After the craziness of “Panic Station,” the official song of the 2012 London Olympic Games, “Survival” follows. Muse structured the song to reflect the way in which an athlete gets in the mindset of complete determination to win. The track starts with symphonic music, but later explodes into a Queen-esque, opera-singing, guitar-playing jumble of sound. The song has received mixed reviews, but drummer Dominic Howard remarked, "If [the fans] hate it, cool. At least it's provoking something. It's a pretty weird song for the Olympics to choose, but it's cool that they think the song can represent the enormity of the Olympics.” It may be an odd tune for the Olympics to choose, but it’s a song that only Muse could pull off. On a cuter note, “Follow Me” opens with Bellamy’s unborn son’s heartbeat. He says that this is his “becoming a dad track” to KROQ’s Ted Stryker. He used the heartbeat to build up the tempo and rhythm, over which he sings, “Follow me / You can trust in me / I will always protect you / my love.” The following track, “Animals,” is quite reminiscent of Muse’s 2001 album, Origin of Symmetry, in that it brings out Muse’s mellow side. It features outstanding guitar skills from Bellamy and an interesting 5/4 time signature that gives the track a unique sound. The song explores economies collapsing under stock market drama and the fight to save big industries, ending the track with Wall Street riot noises. But Muse abandons the political lyricism for another intimate song. Providing a lullaby to Bellamy’s new son, “Explorers” is a very soft and beautiful song. Similar to “Explorers,” “Big Freeze” is on the lighter side, but it also incorporates similar sounds to U2 and builds into an upbeat, alternative song. The album takes a huge twist when “Save Me” opens. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme provides the leading vocals, which has never been done in Muse’s history. He writes and sings about his battle with alcoholism in this song and in the next one, “Liquid State.” “Save Me” references his wife’s help throughout his battle, whereas “Liquid State” is more about the person Wolstenholme turned into when he drank. With “The 2nd Law - Unsustainable,” the album returns to its doom-filled, end-of-the-world moodiness with opera singing, a glitchy newsreel talking of the world’s collapse, and dubstep-like sounds, to form a unique mix of classical music and progressive rock. The next and final track, “The 2nd Law - Isolated System,” also features many voiced newsreels about the world’s end. The song contains no vocals, relying heavily on the soft piano and the voices, ending the album with a dreary good-bye to the world.

To me, this album is great because it is fun. Muse had time to make this album what they wanted it to be and it’s still a big success. Combined with Bellamy’s love for exploring any and all types of music and the band’s hard work producing the album themselves, The 2nd Law showcases the band’s love to rebel against the rules and push it as far as they can go when making music.