Tracklist front / back album covers
The 2nd Law – Standard edition
1. "Supremacy" 4:55
2. "Madness" 4:39
3. "Panic Station" 3:03
4. "Prelude" 0:57
5. "Survival" 4:17
6. "Follow Me" 3:51
7. "Animals" 4:23
8. "Explorers" 5:48
9. "Big Freeze" 4:41
10. "Save Me" 5:09
11. "Liquid State" 3:03
12. "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" 3:47
13. "The 2nd Law: Isolated System" 4:59
Total length: 53:49
The 2nd Law – Deluxe edition (DVD)
1. "The Making of The 2nd Law" 32:27
2. "Bonus Feature" 7:52
Total length: 40:19
Muse Band Members / Musicians
Matt Bellamy – lead vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–9, 12), guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, orchestral arrangements, production, additional mixing (track 6)
Chris Wolstenholme – bass guitar (tracks 1, 3–12), Misa Kitara (track 2), synthesizers, backing vocals, lead vocals (tracks 10–11), production
Dominic Howard – drums, electronic percussion, synthesizers, production
David Campbell – conductor and additional orchestral arrangements
Alyssa Park – first violinist
Gerardo Hilera, Josefin Vergara, Kevin Connolly, Mario Deleon, Michele Richards, Ruth Bruegger, Sara Parkins, Sara Thornblade, Serena McKinny, Songa Lee, Tamara Hatwan – violins
Andrew Duckles – principal viola
Alma Fernandez, David Walther, Matthew Funes – violas
Steve Richards – principal cello
Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, George Kim Scholes, Suzie Katayama – cellos
Dave Stone, Oscar Hidalgo – basses
Rodrigo D'Erasmo – additional violin on "Prelude" and "Explorers"
Daniela Savoldi – additional cello on "Prelude" and "Explorers"
Wayne Bergeron – trumpet solo on "Supremacy"
Joseph Meyer, Nathan Campbell – French horns
Alan Kaplan, Charles Morillas, Craig Gosnell, Nick Lane – trombones
Charles Findlay, Steven Madaio – trumpets on "Panic Station"
Tom Saviano – tenor saxophone
Donald Markese – baritone saxophone
Katie Razzall – spoken words on "The 2nd Law – Unsustainable" and "The 2nd Law – Isolated System"
Tom Kirk – additional chanting on "Survival"
Bingham Bellamy – Additional sound effects on "Follow Me"
Aaron Page, Antonio Sol, Baraka Williams, Beth Anderson, Bobbi Page, Christian Ebner, Chyla Anderson, Clydene Jackson, Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Francesca Proponis, Gabriel Mann, Gerald White, Gregory Jasperse, Gregory Whipple, Guy Maeda, Joannna Bushnell, John Kimberling, Karen Harper, Karen Whipple Schnurr, Kathryn Reid, Kimberley Lingo Hinze, Michael Geiger, Oren Waters, Raven Kane, Reid Bruton, Robert Joyce, Scottie Haskell, Susie Stevens Logan, Teri Koide, Walter Harrah – choir
Tommaso Colliva – additional production, engineering, mixing (tracks 4, 6)
Adrian Bushby – additional production, engineering
Paul Reeve – additional vocal production (tracks 10–11)
Nero – additional production and mixing (track 6)
Chris Lord-Alge – mixing (tracks 1, 5, 7, 9, 12)
Mark Stent – mixing (tracks 2, 8, 10)
Rich Costey – mixing (tracks 3, 11, 13)
Alessandro Cortini – additional synthesizer engineering
Brendan Dekora – engineering assistance
Olga Fitzroy – engineering assistance
Sean Oakley – engineering assistance
Tom Bailey – engineering assistance
Ted Jensen – mastering
The 2nd Law is the 6th studio album by English rock band Muse, first released on 28 September 2012 through Warner Bros. Records and the band's own Helium-3 imprint. 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 was Muse's second album to be solely self-produced, following The Resistance (2009), and features a plethora of additional musicians that performed brass, strings, and choir vocals.
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 album's cover art features a map of the human brain's pathways, which was taken from the Human Connectome Project.
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 commercially; it was a top ten-charting album in 31 countries and a number one album in 13 countries. For its sales figures, it was certified platinum in four countries, including the United Kingdom, and triple-platinum in France. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album and "Madness" was nominated for Best Rock Song. "Panic Station" was later nominated for Best Rock Song at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards the following year. As of 2018, The 2nd Law has sold over 2.3 million copies worldwide.
