Arian Shahnavazy
Contributor
Thanks to the highly acclaimed, Grammy award-winning album, The Resistance, progressive rock band Muse had fans all over the world anxiously anticipating their sixth studio album, The 2nd Law.
The band has lived up to its reputation as an avant-garde group, this time creating an album which presents fans with a new sound in every track. However, much of the criticism for the album is related to this new sound.
The band experimented with their sound in the form of instrumental dubstep.
The 2nd Law takes a full 180-degree turn for the band’s thematic style, establishing itself as a personal album with themes such as alcoholism and escapism.
The album starts off with the track “Supremacy,” where lead singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy plays a long Bond-themed solo.
“Madness,” a track that starts with a slow George Michael vibe, eventually transforms itself into a fast-paced, symphony-like ending—a fantastic treat for those who appreciate rewarding build-ups.
“Panic Station,” which follows, holds a completely new sound for Muse, combining elements of funk, disco, and rock, and an upbeat track that will undoubtedly have you nodding your head.
Finally, the lyrical portion of the album ends with a grand surprise. The last two tracks, “Save me” and “Liquid State,” are sung by bassist Chris Wolstenholme.
The songs are based on serious moments in Wolstenholm’s life, but the tracks themselves have a bigger shock value than a remembrance value.
Despite one or two tedious songs in the album like “Explorers” and “Big Freeze,” and the completely unfiltered dubstep instrumental “The 2nd Law: Unsustainable,” The 2nd Law is an enjoyable album that music lovers of all different genres can pick up, and find something they like in it.
