30 Seconds To Mars
A Beautiful Lie

THE REVIEW

After three years, travels around the world, and Jared's appearances in a few films, the four locked themselves in the studio and, thanks to Josh Abraham, a producer also known for working with Linkin Park, they released "A Beautiful Lie." Officially released in the States on August 30, 2005, it was already available online at least five months earlier, while it was released last February in our country and Europe. The album is halfway between the music of My Chemical Romance and the more aggressive Incubus, although it comes with new shades. The songs flow quickly, and it almost seems like you’re unaware of listening at full volume with headphones. Each individual track is precisely constructed, as the arrangements are very complete, featuring not only guitar, bass, and drums but also keyboards, electronic effects, and even in "Was it a dream?" the track is punctuated by the thunder of a storm and the backdrop of a light drizzle. The tracks that provide the best perspective on the group's music are "The Kill" and "From Yesterday", which literally astound the listener. Beyond the strength of these two songs, in "The Kill" Jared delivers his best performance, noting in a recent interview that "The Kill" is the best piece he has written. Another distinct feature of these two songs is their accompanying music videos. Directed by Jared under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins, they are two real microfilms. The video for "The Kill" greatly recalls Kubrick's "Shining," while "From Yesterday" is a true tribute to the Eastern world. Two curiosities: the video for "The Kill" won the MTV2 Video Music Awards for best video, while "From Yesterday" is the first American video in history to have been broadcast in China.

The other songs on the album come much closer to the American Alternative genre, featuring simple but effective guitar riffs and perhaps a bit too much effect. Nonetheless, the songs on the album are really beautiful and unique, offering something different in the international landscape. Surely, in Italy, there’s no one making this kind of music, and maybe there’s a need for it.

Exceptions on the album are the last three tracks: "A Modern Myth", "Battle of One" and "Hunter". The first is a completely different song, with the acoustic guitar as the sole instrument, the second closely resembles pieces from their first album when the band was less MTVized, and "Hunter" is a Bjork cover, although the original is worth a thousand listens, both for the Icelandic singer’s inimitable voice and the arrangement.

In conclusion, a group and an album all to be discovered.

Last curiosity: if you have time, go on YouTube and search for the acoustic version video of "The Kill" recorded for Daily Download. Unmissable.