The 2nd Law

about this album

The 2nd Law is the sixth studio album by English rock band Muse, released 28 September, 2012 by Warner Bros. and Helium-3. It was the band's second album after The Resistance (2009) to be entirely self-produced and features a plethora of additional musicians that performed brass, strings, and choir vocals. Recording of the album took place in studios between London and Los Angeles County, beginning in October 2011 and ending in August 2012. The 2nd Law is a concept album about a deteriorating planet that its inhabitants can no longer live on. Major lyrical themes of the album include societal collapse, totalitarianism, and the second law of thermodynamics, which the album's title references. Musically, the band chose to experiment significantly and create a sound that was distinct from their past records. The album's sound incorporates art rock, progressive rock, and electronic music with Muse's traditional alternative rock style. Acts such as Queen, David Bowie, and Skrillex also served as key influences on the album. The singles "Survival", "Madness", "Follow Me", "Supremacy", and "Panic Station" were released in promotion. "Survival" had been chosen as the official song for the 2012 Summer Olympics, "Madness" became an international hit, most notably topping the Billboard Alternative Songs chart for a record-breaking 19 weeks, and "Supremacy" was performed live to begin the 2013 Brit Awards. The 2nd Law received positive reviews from critics and performed well commercial

tracks

more from Muse

Black Holes and Revelations

Absolution

Origin of Symmetry

The Resistance

Showbiz

Drones