This is war? Jared Leto aint kiddin’, the last twelve months on Planet Mars have seen the Brothers Leto drawing a line in the sand and charging full pelt into battle. Having spent the majority of their year butting heads with their record label there were some cynical sectors of society who doubted if this, the Californian trio’s third release and first collection of new material in over four years, would ever make it out of the battlefield in one piece in the first place. 30 Seconds to Mars would find themselves in litigation over what Virgin records claim was a breach of contract, an accusation of failing to deliver on a promised three album deal. It would appear the diminutive Leto doesn’t like being pushed around and stood firm for what he believes was a void contract, citing the Californian law that an artist cannot be bound to a deal for over seven years.
Whilst fighting the evil bigwigs at EMI, Jared locked himself away in his custom made home studio, working eighteen hour days and hammering out intense, epic rhythms, obsessing over what would become his band’s sonic statement and miraculous Musical milestone. The resultant opus ‘This Is War’ is reportedly a cinematic concept album that signifies an evolutionary leap in the band’s experimental space rock stylings. He has certainly raised the bar, but has he reached the dizzying heights of a Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’ or simply fallen short and offered up a pedestrian level ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water’?
‘This Is War’ blatantly bellows it’s message of rising up against the man and battling back against insurmountable odds, it’s a war cry that is plastered over all twelve tracks and a recurring theme that eventually wears a little thin. I guess that’s what a $30 Million law suit will do to a guy. Leto has obviously taken this sentiment of struggle to heart and called upon his faithful followers ‘The Echelon’ to offer their assistance, a call to arms that the Mars Army have accepted in their droves. Always open to new ideas Jared invited fans to lend their voice and contribute to the album. This experimental approach was labeled ‘The Summit’ and bore witness to thousands of fans turning up in Los Angeles, the merry mob then recorded chants, hand claps and stomps in unison. Their efforts can be found on at least half of the disc’s cuts. This groundbreaking idea is certainly one that Leto should be applauded for and provides evidence that he truly does enjoy a rare connection with his fan base, a statement that he has continually made since stepping out of a movie studio and into a recording booth.
Sadly when you strip away this added unique factor we are left with a set of tracks that fail to live up to the grandeur that has surrounded their formation. The party commences well, opener ‘Escape’ slowly crawls out of the starting blocks, unveiling an electronica edge before soaring skywards with the first burst from the Echelon, It’s a bold start, a brave move and unfortunately it’s also the first nail in the coffin as it outlays perfectly what this album’s intentions are, the following eleven tracks then ape the exact same formulae, almost criminally.
Working with legendary producer ‘Flood’, the British beat master who has made his name with credible acts such as Nine Inch Nails and PJ Harvey, the electronic touches are certainly very well orchestrated , a heavy synth influence is a welcome addition to the Mars sound, alas, one can’t help but feel it is a watered down, more commercial variation of his usually faultlessly relentless work. ‘Night of the Hunter’ showcases a better example of this hybrid, offsetting a sleazy groove against Leto’s clean as crystal caterwauling, it’s also the album’s catchiest moment, a term that cannot be used to sum up the remainder of this recording. First single ‘Kings and Queens’ is an anthemic grower and ‘Search and Destroy’ chugs along with a dramatic menace. The title track however, strays a little too close to ‘The Black Parade’ template for comfort and ‘Closer to the Edge’ is a bloodless throwaway Muse-by-numbers effort.
One of the main problems with the disc as a whole is the obvious lack of hit potential. The tracks clumsily flow into each other and it’s hard to decipher when one ends and the next begins. It’s all just a bit too familiar. Lyrical cliches pop up far to frequently too, where is the originality that made their eponymous record sizzle?
30 Seconds to Mars went to war, and they could have conquered exciting new lands if they’d just followed through with the promise we all expected. Instead they have rallied so far before becoming victims of their own creativity. It’s a shame, this could have been great.
Rating: 
One Trackback
[...] View post: Thirty Seconds To Mars – 'This Is War' : Crowdsurfer [...]