30 Seconds to Mars

One Liner: Increasingly more operatic alt rock from Jared Leto's band with his brother

Wikipedia Genre: Alternative rock

Home: L.A.

Poster Level: 2 (3)
Both Weekends

Saturday.

Thoughts:  This is one of those bands I have heard of for years, but really never given the time of day.  Kind of like last year when I discovered Paramore for the first time, despite so many of my peers having long-ago experienced them.  I know the major fact about the band - that actor Jared Leto is the lead singer and face of the band.

You know, one of the 38 guys who has played the Joker.  Fight Club?  Girl, Interrupted?  American Psycho?  Requiem for a Dream?  Dallas Buyer's Club (Academy Award for that one)?  Blade Runner 2049?  That awful Morbius movie?  That dude.  Pretty great acting career.  Well, in the midst of that career, he started this band up with his little brother in 1998.

The initial two albums are pretty straight-forward alternative rock.  I like them.  30 Seconds to Mars was released in 2002 to limited commercial success, and none of those songs have really popped off on Spotify since then.  Sort of reminds me of Linkin Park but without the rapper and scratching.  But then 2005's A Beautiful Lie blew up the charts, reaching #9 in the US Rock charts, going platinum in the U.S., and supporting two top three singles.  The biggest of those is this bands top single overall, with "The Kill" boasting 447 million streams.

Yeah, you think about it, I guess it makes good sense that their music videos are going to be epic little movies, with a legit movie star in the band.  Nice throwback to The Shining.  Also, I guess we have two other dudes in the band at this time...  "Attack" also sounds familiar.  After the first three songs on this album, the play count drops precipitously.  I'm guessing you have a lot of emo kids who are now older and just want to hear those hits, but don't necessarily need the whole thing anymore.  Sounds pretty solid to me on first listen.

The name apparently comes from a "rare manuscript titled Argus Apocraphex."  Leto described the name as "a reference, a rough translation from the book. I think the idea is interesting, it's a metaphor for the future," he explained. "Thirty seconds to Mars—the fact that we're so close to something that's not a tangible idea. Also, Mars being the God of War makes it really interesting, as well. You could substitute that in there, but what's important for my brother and I, is that it be imaginative and really represent the sound of our music in as unique a way as possible."  Also, in order to go to Mars in thirty seconds, you would need to travel at 4.068 billion miles an hour.  Which, I'm not so sure that the molecules of your body would decide to come along with you for the ride.

2010's This is War seems to have a little more theatrical bent to it, like in the opening track when the synths swell and the childrens' choir pushes out their declaration that THIS IS WAR!  Then the next track - the catchy "Night of the Hunter" pops in like a 80's synth fever dream.  Less of the guitars and power chords, more of the drum machines and danceable grooves.  Oooh, and then this gets good with "Kings and Queens" - kicks off with a guitar blast and some arena-ready "wooooaaaaaaaahhhhhs."  I said this about a different song to a friend who likes this band, and I think he got offended, but some of this is making me think of The Greatest Showman showtunes.  Listen to this song, and tell me if the chorus doesn't seem like something that you could imagine Hugh Jackman and the Bearded Lady blaring into each others faces.  149.7 million streams.

And I'm not trying to diss it, it is powerful and catchy just like those showtunes!  I could legitimately see enjoying the sensation of a massive crowd loudly singing along!  I bet playing that opening drum salvo feels like you are the greatest golden god of the drums ever.  Got goosebumps watching that video - soaring anthem made stronger by the dead kid in the red getting his ass back up!  Honestly, a really good song.

But that isn't the top song on this disc, the top song is the title track, which is giving me some Muse vibes like one of their songs about some weird cyberwar being fought out on a distant planet or whatever.  184.1 million streams.

Another legit movie!  I definitely prefer the massive anthemic singing to the screamo stuff.  And also, I'm sorry, but a bunch of random tanks and helicopters are launching towards him and his instinct is to shoot them?  What do you think that will accomplish, Private Leto?  Also, just because I'm annoying like this, pause the video at 3:37 to see his rifle ejecting the entire shell - casing with bullet still attached - which is not the way guns work.  Some of these songs dig into schmaltzy strings and there is a TON of woahs involved.

After those big albums, things never quite get back to that level.  2013's Love Lust Faith + Dreams has some songs that would be big hits for most bands, but none top 100 million.  And, in my opinion, they are getting more operatic and cheesy.  More drum machines, more woahs.  2018's AMERICA grosses me out with just the cover - in large letters it says KIM JUSTIN JESUS MICHAEL MICKEY DONALD.  Oh, and the top song here is the first one, which is that one I sent to my friend to make fun of this sounding like The Greatest Showman.  Hahaha.  "Walk on Water" is totally a showtune.  148.2 million streams.

An arresting video, made me want to slow it down so that I could comprehend all of the things going on in there.  But also, I don't see how that song and that video have anything to do with one another.  "America is super varied, and weird, and scary, and beautiful - OH OH OH OH WALK ON WATER WOAH WOAH WOAH!"  The other songs on here keep edging further away from the traditional rock sound and more into drum machines and beats and A$AP Rocky cameos.  I like them less as we go.  By the end of the album, you're under 10 million streams per tune.  

They have a new single - "Stuck" - that apparently goes along with an album that is scheduled to drop in September.  There is a guitar in there, but this sounds nothing like the original two albums - more like Justin Bieber than My Chemical Romance.

I have a feeling that I'll see them, just because I feel like they are the logical band to be on the same stage as the Foo Fighters on Saturday night.  Otherwise, I probably would not have said that I'm going out of my way to see them, but it will likely be good.  The guy knows how to entertain an audience.