30 Seconds to Mars: This Is War Review!

Four years after the release of 30 Seconds to Mars' "A Beautiful Lie," their highly anticipated third release, "This Is War" is finally released. With a 30 million dollar lawsuit with their record label behind them, 30 STM set out to make an album that would be a true experience to listen to.

Now 30 Seconds to Mars' last two albums were both very different from each other and "This Is War" carries on that tradition. All three sound like the band but at the same time they are very different which is a great quality in a band.

From beginning to end this album is BIG. The songs are mostly around five and a half minutes long which makes it not super accessible but if you're into that "epic" sound this album is a perfect example of it. Most of the songs have a very large choir vocal that adds to that sound and it definately enhances the songs.

Jared Leto said that he wanted to make this album a visual experience as well as a listening experience and that is very much accomplished. In songs like "Hurricane," "Kings and Queens," and the title track, "This Is War," you can picture in the head the settings that the band may be performing in.

Technically, this album is not a concept album but many of the songs have similar themes of going to "war" and fighting for something. Religeon is also brought up often throughout the album.

While going through this album, every song made me want to re-listen to it because it was so good but what stopped me was the first few seconds of the next song ALREADY having me hooked.

There are few problems with this album but there are some. Like I said before, the length is not for everyone. Also the last few songs of the album seem to be better suited for "A Beautiful Lie" than this album. "Alibi" sounds VERY similar to "A Modern Myth," and I think we all could have done without the creepy chanting at the end of "L490." It wasn't a cool kind of creepy, just an annoying and unnecesary chanting.

Overall, straight up buy this album and you will not be disappointed. Every song is worth listening to multiple times with the exception of "L490" which is worth at least one listen.

All the songs are great but top songs would be: "Hurricane," "This Is War," "Night of the Hunter," and "Kings and Queens."

-Josh CV