Review: 30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War

From the beginning of their career, 30 Seconds To Mars have always had a penchant for big statements.  The band, led by actor Jared Leto on lead vocals and guitar, has released three albums in the past decade, and each one has been chock full of the kind of huge, anthemic rock that’s tailor-made to fill stadiums and blast out of car windows.  The band does have their progressive leanings - most heavily showcased on their self-titled debut, released in 2002 - but at their heart, Leto and company just want to make people sing along and pump their fists.  That fact has never been more obvious than on their 2009 release, This Is War.

30STM’s sound has evolved pretty drastically from album to album, and This Is War continues to take steps away from the chugging, theatrical industrial-metal that made up the majority of their debut.  One of two things that stick out like sore thumbs here is the heavy prevalence of synths and electronics - the band was clearly indulging their love of old-school synth-rock throughout the writing and recording process.  And for the most part, it works pretty well; most songs benefit from the programmed percussion tracks and 80’s-influenced keyboard patches that abound on the album.  Heck, “Hurricane,” one of the more enjoyable songs on the album, is based entirely around a pulsing electronica backbeat and synth-orchestra backdrop to Leto’s always-melodramatic singing - quite a big leap away from their blistering first single back in the day, “Capricorn (A Brand New Name).”  This isn’t a bad thing at all, though, since it’s actually a very satisfying song.  Of course, there are a fair share of rockers on This Is War, but the vibe this time around tends to be much more uplifting and less brooding than their earlier material.  Tracks like “Kings And Queens,” “Closer To The Edge,” and the title track are some of the most anthemic, singalong-inspiring songs 30STM have ever recorded, almost coming across as a heavier, goth-ier U2.  You’d think that the soaring, triumphant melodies in songs like these would be enough to incite plenty of singing along from the band’s fanbase, but it seems like 30STM didn’t want to take any chances, leading to the album’s other glaringly obvious trait: almost every song prominently features crowd vocals backing up Leto’s singing at key moments.  A small, lucky group of die-hard 30STM fans was invited into the studio to record these gang-vocal touches, and to their credit, their contributions really do add to the feel that the band was clearly going for - rabid throngs of followers hanging on Leto’s every word.  In a few places, it actually sounds like the crowd at a live show rather than a studio flourish.  In fact, if the band is guilty of anything on this record that would detract from its enjoyability, it would be simply laying it on way too thick.  The crowd vocals really don’t seem all that necessary sometimes, and the already-busy mix would be a bit less cluttered without them.  Also, Leto’s vocals are so over-the-top sometimes that it’s distracting - instead of coming off as earnest and convincing, his over-singing gets to ridiculous extremes on occasion.  30STM really did craft a good album with This Is War; it just seems like they were trying so damn hard.  With future releases, if the band lays back a bit and lets things come more naturally, the results would likely be even more inspiring.  Until then, This Is War will make a welcome addition to their repertoire, and fans of the band should certainly enjoy singing along to every word.

Rating: 3.5/5

Standout Tracks:
“Kings And Queens”
“Closer To The Edge”
“Night Of The Hunter”
“Hurricane”

Release Date: December 8, 2009