Thirty Seconds To Mars

Love Lust Faith + Dreams

Jared Leto – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Synthesizers, Bass Guitar, Keyboard

Shannon Leto – Drums, Percussion

Tomo Miličević – Gutiars, Violin, Keyboards, Bass Guitar

30 Seconds to Mars formed in 1998 hailing from Los Angeles. The band was founded by brothers as a small family project, but has grown into a big time act since. In 2002 the band released its self-titled album which produced two singles and peaked at #31 on the US Mainstream Rock chart. Their second album, A Beautiful Lie, hit stores in 2005 and since then has been certified platinum. In 2007 the band hit the road with the Taste of Chaos tour as well as heading to Europe with Linkin Park.  After the band’s third album was pushed back numerous times in 2009 it was finally released in December. A few months later they headed out on a worldwide tour for the support of the album titled This Means War. 2013 seen the newest album hit stores. Love, Lust, Faith, and Dreams hit stores in May of that year and features 12 tracks which spread 44 minutes. They get the album going with “Birth.” The tune is more like an intro to the album, but it’s not like any intro that I have heard. There is a little bit of singing, but most its just music. That music, however, is super catchy and really draws you in. The track leads is to the first real track “Conquistador.”  The track offers up some nice vocals that give up a great set of lyrics. The backing vocals are perfectly placed. They are set back in, but get the point across. The music is pretty light, but it also does just enough to make the track relevant. The tune is definitely a top notch tune. “Up In The Air” turns the tempo up a bit. They infuse the track with a lot of “Ooo’s” which clogs the tune up slightly and the track does repeat some, however, it doesn’t sound that bad. They place some effects which spice the track up some and the vocals really command your attention. The fluidity of song is great for the most part. There is a fabulous section where there is a whirlwind of sound and vocals. It’s a great song. “City of Angels” begins with a long intro that’s lasts nearly a minute. The track then turns into a slow song with control and precision at the top of the list. The music is slow and somber while the vocals are loud and boisterous. The addition of the keys gives the track a nice touch. It’s a track that you can get lost in. “The Race” steps up next with a low dance beat and dramatic vocals. They also add in some backing vocals which gives the track some character. It’s not a back tune as it lies on the theatrical side of things more than anything. It’s a nice change of pace if your typical tunes are upbeat and heavy. “End Of All Days” steps up next with another dramatic tune. This one will have you captivated. The arrangement is awesome and the lyrics should speak to you. This might be one of the best TSTM tunes of all times. “Pyres of Varanasi” begins like a movie placed in the Middle East and when the vocals begin it confirms it. The music then shifts gears to a sort of industrial style. The three minute instrumental runs into “Bright Lights.” This track is a slow moving track tune that really didn’t get my juices flowing. It sounded descent, but I really didn’t like the first section of the track. The ending was the strongest in my opinion, but it took too long to get there. “Do or Die” is a middle of the pack track. It has solid vocals and a great musical backing, but it really didn’t get it done for me. However, the transitions of the track were smooth and it was a pretty smooth tune. The music was easy going and was very fluid. I think it did have a good story behind the lyrics, but it just wasn’t enough. “Convergence” is a short two minute tune that is just an instrumental that runs into “Northern Lights” which is a strange tune that will oddly enough draw you into it. The vocals are unique and the tunes surrounding them are just as bizarre. It really captivates you and it seems like you are glued right where you are. You can’t leave or hit the skip button. Vocals are flying around and the music supports everything they throw. “Depuis Le Debut” wraps up the album with a very slow tune that showcases the vocals. That is for the first half of the track. The next section is a fast pace orchestra sound that had me looking around for JAWS. The last part of the track is a little music box sound which closes out the track and album. Overall this is a superb album. There are multiple tracks on the album that I really liked and I believe that fans will as well. The vocals on the album show a variety of different styles and the use of backing vocals enhance them even more. The music seems to be secondary to the vocals and lyrics sets, however they still have their moments and they are really unique in places. This is a great edition to anyone’s collection.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Tracks to Watch:

City of Angels, End of all Days, Northern Lights

Track List:

1. Birth
2. Conquistador
3. Up In The Air
4. City of Angels
5. The Race
6. End Of All Days
7. Pyres of Varanasi
8. Bright Lights
9. Do or Die
10. Convergence
11. Northern Lights
12. Depuis Le Debut

Website (s):  www.thirtysecondstomars.com