During this year’s Olympics you probably heard that theme song playing. A lot. That song was one done by Muse, called “Survival.” And since July I’ve been wondering just what the rest of their new album would sound like: will anything the band does ever top Absolution? Well, maybe. If you’re willing to accept the experimental variety The 2nd Law offers.
I’m happy to say The 2nd Law won’t disappoint in any way. The first song “Supremacy”—a sort of symphony that sounds a bit apocalyptic—all the way to the electronic dance music, almost dubstep-sounding (don’t worry, not like Skrillex!) songs like “Madness” and “Follow Me”; the way Muse mixed and blended together the new album rings well on the ears, and you’ll probably find yourself replaying a few of the songs over and over again.
There are even some 80s-sounding tracks, my favorite being “Panic Station,” which is an interesting mix alongside the overall electronic vibe I got from most of the songs. In “Survival” you even get a Queen-like sort of feel in the two-part opera rock melody that quietly turns from snapping fingers and a cappella to a breakdown of serious guitar riffs and choir chants—again, sounding like it should soundtrack the end of the world.
Just like Absolution was coordinated in an album of connective sounds, The 2nd Law threads together quite nicely, with a lot of two-part songs. I guess not everyone is into the whole dubsep thing; some out there might see this move as an “easy way out,” or a quick way to appeal to the somewhat dubstep-obsessed audience, but I think it’s actually ballsy move from the group whose set the bar pretty high as far as contemporary rock goes, showing that they can throw some dubstep in there without sounding like straight up Skrillex.
The 2nd Law holds onto previously used styles on albums such as The Resistance; the orchestrations and vocals, along with the obviously expected guitar rhythms are notably Muse-like, but it’s in the experimental songs that steer away from previous styles do we get the real exciting stuff.
(source: First For Music News)
