'The 2nd Law' Reviews: Muse's New Album Gets Mixed Reactions

The Word Is In On Muse's New Album ...
Matt Bellamy of the British band Muse performs during the band's set at the "L.A. Rising" concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum, Saturday, July 30, 2011, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Matt Bellamy of the British band Muse performs during the band's set at the "L.A. Rising" concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum, Saturday, July 30, 2011, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Muse is back with a brand new album. The 2nd Law has been widely received as a clear statement: The band is stepping out of its comfort zone.

There's a dubstep track ("The Second Law: Unsustainable," inspired by a Skrillex show the band attended), a flighty "EDM" song ("Madness") and a generous dose of Queen-like elements. These are all characterizations the critics agree on, but that's about where the consensus ends.

Though the album has generally received positive reviews (Billboard notched it at 92/100), a number of critics found the project -- which is inspired by the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics (here's Wikipedia for you) -- a bit overwrought. That's basically why EW hit The 2nd Law with a C+.

A sampling of reviews is available in the gallery below. Check out the excerpts and click the text to be taken to the full reviews. The 2nd Law hits stores in the States on Tuesday.

Before You Go

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot