Musing on Life's Big Questions

Dean Chalkley / Camera Press / Redux

Howard, Bellamy and Wolstenholme.

Over the years, the intricacies of thermodynamics have provided scant inspiration for rock musicians. But with the release of The 2nd Law , the sixth album from Muse, that appears to have changed.

Debuting at No. 2 in the U.S. (Muse's highest chart position there) and No. 1 in the U.K., The 2nd Law derives its title from the second law of thermodynamics, which states that energy decreases within any closed system without a fresh injection of power. Muse guitarist-singer Matt Bellamy saw this as the perfect explanation of the global crises that dominated the headlines as...

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