Album of the Week

This week I present to you The 2nd Law by Muse. If you haven't heard of Muse or this album, you definitely should honour your ears and give them a listen. Hint: Their biggest musical comparisons would be a combination of Radiohead and Queen!

The 2nd Law is the 6th studio album by Muse, released in 2012 and focuses still on their rock genre but introducing electronic elements that assist big time in tracks such as 'Unsustainable' and 'Follow Me.' I was surprised and very happy with how the band had managed to successfully coordinate these genres together and making sure that each and every track was handled with care and didn't reek of disinterest or fatigue.

I understand this album, unlike their others, wasn't that well received and had a common ranking of about 5/10 from sources such as Spin and Pitchfork and had divided the fans who were at a loss about whether they appreciated the new album or whether they preferred the 'older' Muse. Though you may disagree with me and say that this album was no good, you were warned. In many interviews given by the band, they stated that this album would be "radically different from the others." You were warned.

Stylistically, this album was influenced by David Bowie, Queen (of course) and Skrillex (completely disagree here. In my opinion, Muse trump Skrillex) and was assisted in co-production of the track "Follow Me" by electronic band Nero.

Like what many other artists do after they release an album, Muse went on to complete their The 2nd Law World Tour in various continents, including Australia where I was fortunate enough to go and see them live in Perth on the 30th November 2013. Let me just say, if you haven't seen these guys live (regardless of whether you like them or this album or not), I would definitely recommend it. The performances are fantastic and the amount of effort they put into the shows is so amazing. Worth every penny.

Track Listing:

1. Supremacy

2. Madness (personal favourite)

3. Panic Station

4. Prelude

5. Survival

6. Follow Me

7. Animals

8. Explorers

9. Big Freeze

10. Save Me

11. Liquid State (personal favourite)

12. The Second Law: Unsustainable

13. The 2nd Law: Isolated System