Muse – The 2nd Law Album Trailer

The 2nd Law. As in, the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

What does this have to do with Muse? Well, true to their fashion, it’s something to do with conspiracy theories, energy, and politics, of course. It’s also the newly released title of their sixth studio album, which was exposed in video form on the sixth day of the sixth month (nicely played, Muse, nicely played).

Being a diehard Muser (no shame), our breed tends to analyze things more than we sanely should. However, everyone was wondering why Muse’s lead singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy tweeted some sort of cryptic message early on June 4. The message broken into four parts read:

“All natural and technological processes proceed in such a way that the availability of the remaining energy decreases.

“In all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves an isolated system, the entropy of that system incre,cre,cre,cre,c,c,creases.

“Energy continuously flows from being concentrated, to becoming dispersed, spread out, wasted and useless.

“New energy cannot be created and high grade energy is being destroyed. An economy based on endless growth is…”

Also, the band’s close friend and media manager Tom Kirk added to the Twitter commotion on the 5th by saying, “Counting down to minds exploding. This is going to be fun.”

Clearly something was up.

The answer to all this commotion was revealed in the album teaser video, which featured a news reporter reading the exact words Bellamy cryptically coded, the theory of the 2nd Law, all spoken over a montage of lush nature, children running, forest fires, power plants, oil drills, a bustling crowd all on cellphones, soaring gas prices, and an ‘all seeing’ eye blended with codes and numbers, or what is most likely the demonstration of the disadvantages of too much technology and the obsessive need for more energy and power.

However, while the album name and underlying theory were important parts revealed by the video, what about the most important part, the new album’s sound?

The music starts as a slow building symphony, which immediately grows into hurried violins, timpani drums, and a haunting chorus. This symphony doesn’t quite come as much of a surprise, whereas Bellamy composed the three-part, almost 15 minute long “Exogenesis Symphony” on 2009’s The Resistance. This is all well received and nothing to worry about.

But, what came next at about the 1:30 mark is already causing some [more] commotion. A robot appears on screen, saying the words “unsustainable” all while what seems to be dubstep beats play under.

Muse…dubstep. Wait, what? Well, they said the new album would be different.

While some people think they’re “selling out,” listen a little bit closer. This dubstep isn’t really quite dubstep at all. In fact, it’s purely instrumental, with Bellamy’s guitar work mashed with special effects, much like his Kaoss pad riffs, but bassier. It’s definitely different, it’s definitely daring, and it’s definitely something Muse can pull off.

(That, and listen to the Microphone Fiend riff that Matt does after New Born. While it wouldn’t be called “dubstep” it almost has the same idea as what they’re trying to convey here. You can hear a similarity in the pickups, and the Kaoss rhythm).

Whether or not this is the sound of the future, the “new era” as Musers call it, of the band is yet to be determined and we’ll only truly know when The 2nd Law is released on (give or take a few days) September 17. Also, remember, it’s not fair to judge the whole album off of a 2:10 clip, and Muse probably have a lot more tricks up their sleeves.

And also, if Musers survived that “Neutron Star Collision” bull.. All I’m saying.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqFZGnfMLMw&w=560&h=315]