30 Seconds to Mars Take Us Through a Sonic Battle on; This Is War!
Posted on May 15, 2010 / Posted by Ann Allen /
Those delightful Leto brothers are back and better than ever and on the eve of their upcoming Australian Tour, knobrock’s resident douchebag, Annie, describes the new album as really, really, ridiculously good.
Jared Leto, is certainly a man of mystery and he has once again shown us that ‘predictable’ will never be a word to describe him, or his band, 30 SECONDS TO MARS.
After two unique and comparatively different albums, 30 Seconds to Mars is back with their third album, announcing, This Is War, and after listening to it, I believe them.
This Is War, opens with a fiercely powerful two minute intro, Escape and this track sets the tone for what is a unique and clever album concept, in a time where music is once again changing gears and bands have to rise to the occasion or start selling their Hummers.
The first full length track, Night of the Hunter, has Jared sending his message loud and clear and with such conviction, it doesn’t take long to shout the ‘woahs’ right alongside of him, with your fist punching the air.
By now, this band has your attention and will take you on a highly enjoyable and melodic journey into what appears to be a sonic “journal” of sorts, reflecting the year that 30 Seconds to Mars has had, fighting the “suits” at the proverbial nemesis, mega-giant label, EMI.
This is War’s first single, Kings and Queens, has ‘hit’ written all over it and no doubt will be sung by thousands of screaming, angst ridden kids around the globe, who stand behind this band, so much so, a lot of them actually appear on the tracks on the album.
Alibi, is another stand out track and should come with a warning that you shouldn’t listen to it without tissues. If you have any issues in your life that you’d describe as soul destroying, save this track for when your sun is shining again, or risk curling up under the coffee table and sucking your thumb.
The vocal recordings of the fans of this band has got to be one of the most innovative ideas for an album I’ve seen in a decade and I am especially impressed by the melding together of the Euro-pop-synth sound, combined with the brutally wonderful drum tracks and Jared’s extremely versatile voice, which enriches the rock sound that the band has at it’s core.
I think the best thing about This is War, is it has proven that 30 Seconds to Mars are as valid and legitimate as any other band, but what makes them special is they have the musical chops and creativity to stand apart and make something fresh that won’t define them or box them into one particular genre.
This album is simply, really, really, good.
Tags: 30 Seconds to Mars, knobrock, review, This Is War, TSTM
