This Is War

How many times do you hear a "great" song on the radio and buy the whole album only to be disappointed to find that "great" song surrounded by a bunch of mediocre at best productions? Don't answer that, it's a rhetorical question. The first time I heard Kings and Queens I was hoping that the rest of the album would follow the tradition of A Beautiful Lie and I am definitely not disappointed. In my opinion This is War takes A Beautiful Lie and improves on it in every aspect. Superb.

With the release of their third album, This is War, 30 Seconds to Mars has once and for all shirked their reputation as an "angst" band. It could instead be argued that, while the wounds of their battle with Virgin Records are evident in their latest release, they instead offer themselves as healthy role models for listeners, channeling their frustration and suffering into songs of hope, optimism, and strength.

"I fell apart but I got back up again," Jared Leto croons in "Alibi", first in a soothing tone evocative of a lullaby, later soaring to a cry that is both anguished and exultant. This sentiment of determination and healing echoes throughout the album.

It's rare for me to like an album the first time I hear it. I've always found comfort in familiarity; usually new songs have to "grow" on me. But it was love at first listen for This is War. It's the kind of music you can listen to with your eyes closed and see the sun rise; the kind of music you blast with the car's windows rolled down; the kind you sing along to with the enthusiasm of a fevered tent-revival disciple. This album gives you chills from its first notes.

As if it were even possible to do so, following the release of their platinum-selling second album, A Beautiful Lie, the talented men of 30 Seconds to Mars have continued to improve their musical aptitude, producing a more polished and innovative album than the previous two. (Note that I do NOT mean more "mainstream" - despite their producer Flood's experience with renowned bands such as U2, Depeche Mode, and The Smashing Pumpkins, they continue to admirably deviate from the flow of "pop" music.) One example of their musical pioneering would be the choral accompaniments to many of the songs: the uplifting chants heard in the background of such songs as the title track (also featured in the game Dragon Age: Origins), "Night of the Hunter", and "Hurricane" are actually the voices of 30 Seconds to Mars' fans, recorded earlier this year in a "digital summit" (just one of many ways the band incorporates its "army" into the music). These full-bodied compositions will undoubtedly play well in the acoustics of a large venue.

This Is War also contains more of the smoky, sexy, whispered vocals that particularly send Leto's admirers swooning. Because of this, the album will likely perform well in an intimate, acoustic setting. Regardless of the site, This Is War seems destined for live performance greatness.

Overall, 30 Seconds to Mars has used their strife to demonstrate unparalleled poise and grace, and the result is an album with more depth and intensity than I've experienced in a long time.

Darcie Roy
Provehito In Altum

I don't understand the negative response to the CD on this site. I understand that taste in music is a matter of preference, but I think it's an absolutely fantastic album. To another review, you asked why the whispering and choral vocals? The album is called This Is War. If that doesn't have an epic connotation, I don't know what does, and the group vocals are one of the most inspiring and moving contributions to a song you can add. The whispering has a similar feel. I looked on iTunes to see if the response to the album was the same, and there are currently 200 ratings, 169 of which are 5 stars, 18 are 4 stars, and only 13 are 3 stars or below. To each his own, but I would emphatically recommend that anyone on the fence about this album go ahead and buy it. It's well worth the money.