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Rating:
How do you review an album after spending days and days listening to it until you are sick, reaching the most extreme and absurd self-exaltation..? You almost thank yourself for having 'discovered' the work in question. And then, how do you review an album when your head is now filled to the brim with acquired information, personal opinions, imaginary suggestions to dispense (always in an imaginary way) to the band in question, and disgustingly subjective and destructive emotions? Well.. it can be both a complex and easy operation, if you like. Since I don't want to be neither complex nor easy, I will tread the diplomatic path of absolute objectivity.. which means I will walk a fine line to then steer the discussion where I most please until I 'fall disastrously'.. and that's how it goes when you have tastes to debate..
So, what to say about 30 Seconds to Mars? First of all, their late arrival in our beloved country already speaks volumes. The big pop hits never fail to afflict us in a metaphorical stereophonic way. For a long time, everywhere and anyhow. But for rock, things are a bit different. If a band gets good feedback in Europe.. well, then you can be sure they have elbowed their way for quite a while before emerging in this sad valley. That's how it was for this band, let's say, emerging (yes, because if a band is emerging here, it means that in America it's vintage). The first album titled "30 Seconds to Mars" had not 'arrived' in Italy, in more than one sense. So there was a need for the second attempt to realize that the mix is right and can work.
"A Beautiful Lie" is the album to analyze to highlight the true peculiarities and potentials of this band which has quite a few impressive aspects. First of all, one must apply that label required by the music world which is the so-called 'category to which the album belongs'. It's a limiting operation but, avoiding unnecessary loopholes, this is an Alternative Rock that flows into pure Melodic Rock with the tracks like "Was It A Dream?", "The Story" and "A Modern Myth". Putting aside the technical side, which may or may not interest the listener, a strong point lies in the originality of the melodies that fit perfectly with the voice of the frontman Jared Leto. We dare say, the greatest strength. On the first listen of "Attack", the opening track, most people don't stop. They go on and discover, pleasantly, innovative tracks like "The Kill", "The Fantasy" or "From Yesterday", a track emblematic of this versatile and unforced interplay between voice and music. Even for the most, the greatness of a warm, sharp voice capable of breaking the heart ("And I swear to God I found myself in the end") and then reaching unsuspected and fierce tones that, let's say, initially leave one speechless, won't escape notice. But even here the obviousness, which resides in a nice voice, takes a backseat: the true greatness of Jared Leto is his interpretative ability, appreciable only after some careful listens of the entire album. All the tracks have those resemblances of true words, imaginable words that can be placed in a concrete, real discourse ("Cause it feels like we've never been alive inside"). And let's also say this: depth is rare nowadays in music, and if by chance, but really by chance, you come across a good album that won't change the history of music but is well made and with some good messages to convey, why throw it there, in the murky sea of today's music?
Personally though (and here's the 'disastrous fall') the key strength for which I propose a serious listen to the work is this: the surprisingly good textual level, versatile as for personal exegesis and thematic choice. In simple terms, lyrics that are not at all hackneyed and open to any kind of reflection, without predefined mental bars. Therefore, it breaks my heart, but I forgo the track by track, however interesting, to not leave room for my personal and influenceable cogitations. Notable is the cover of "Hunter" (Bjork), an unusual choice for an album of this genre but understandable in relation to a particular and perceivable flair of the band.
And the title? The words lie and believe often recur.. "A Beautiful Lie" is perhaps a reflection on life's contradictions or..? You decide.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Attack (03:09)
I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
Surrender to nothing, and give up what I
Started and stopped it, from end to beginning
A new day is coming, and I am finally free
Run away, run away, I'll attack
Run away, run away, go chase yourself
Run away, run away, now, I'll attack
I'll attack, I'll aa-WHOOOAAAAAAAAA
I would've kept you forever, but we had to sever
It ended for both of us, faster than a-
Kill off this thinking, it's starting to sink in
I'm losing control now; without you I can finally see
Run away, run away, I'll attack
Run away, run away, go chase yourself
Run away, run away, now, I'll attack
I'll attack, I'll aa-WHOOOAAAAAAAAA
Your promises, they look like lies
Your honesty, like a back that hides a knife(knife)
I promise you (promise you)
I promise you (promise you, promise you)
That I am finally free
Run away, run away, I'll attack
Run away, run away, go chase yourself
Run away, run away, now I'll attack
I'll attack, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, I'll attack, I will attack
Run away, now, I'll attack, I'll attack, I'll aa-WHOOOAAAAAAAAA
Your promises
(promises, promises)
I promise you
(promise you)
I promise you
(promise you, promise you)
02 A Beautiful Lie (04:05)
Lie awake in bed at night
And think about your life
Do you want to be different?
Try to let go of the truth
The battles of your youth
’Cause this is just a game
It's a beautiful lie
It's a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me
It's time to forget about the past
To wash away what happened last
Hide behind an empty face
Don't ask too much, just say
'Cause this is just a game
It's a beautiful lie
It's a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me
Lie....Beautiful
Everyone's looking at me
I'm running around in circles (baby)
A quiet desperation's building higher
I've got to remember this is just a game
So beautiful, beautiful...
(It's a beautiful lie
Beautiful, beautiful
It's a beautiful lie
Beautiful, beautiful
It's a beautiful lie
Beautiful, beautiful)
It's a beautiful lie
It's a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me
(Shoots himself)
03 The Kill (03:51)
What if I wanted to break
Laugh it all off in your face
What would you do?
What if I fell to the floor
Couldn't take all this anymore
What would you do, do, do?
Come
Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
What if I wanted to fight
Beg for the rest of my life
What would you do?
You say you wanted more
What are you waiting for
I'm not running from you
Come
Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you
I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside
Finally found myself
Fighting for a chance
I know now, this is who I really am
Come
Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you, you, you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you
Come, break me down
Break me down
Break me down
What if I wanted to break...?
04 Was It a Dream? (04:15)
Your defenses were on high
Your walls built deep inside
Yeah I’m a selfish bastard
But at least I’m not alone
My intentions never change
What I want it stays the same
And I know what I should do
It's time to set myself on fire
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
Your reflection I’ve erased
Like a thousand burned out yesterdays
Believe me when I say, "goodbye forever,"
It's for good
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
Whoa yeah! Whoa…
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
(A photograph of you and I)
Was it a dream?
Was it a dream?
Is this the only evidence that proves it
A photograph of you and I
A photograph of you and I
A photograph of you and I
... In love...
05 The Fantasy (04:29)
With the lights out it’s a little less dangerous
Even with a stranger never gets painless
Don’t be afraid (afraid, afraid)
Every time I think I’m gonna change it (think I'm gonna change it, think I'm gonna change it)
It’s driving me (driving me) insane (insane)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
In your mind, through your eyes, do you see
It’s the fantasy
Maybe tonight we can forget about it all
It could be just like heaven
I am a machine
No longer living, just a shell of what I dreamed
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
In your mind, through your eyes, do you see
It’s the fantasy
Say it, say it, say that you believe
Say it, say it to me
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
Do you live
Do you die
Do you bleed
For the fantasy
Do you live, do you die, do you bleed
For the fantasy
In your mind, through your eyes, do you see
It’s the fantasy
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
Say it, say it, say that you believe
(Automatic, I imagine, I believe)
Say it, say it to me
(Automatic, I imagine, I believe)
Say it, say it, say that you believe
(Automatic, I imagine, I believe)
Say it, say it to me
Automatic, I imagine, I believe
I believe, I believe, I believe
06 Savior (03:24)
Until you crash
Until you burn
Until you lie
Until you learn
Until you see
Until you believe
Until you fight
Until you fall
Until the end of everything at all
Until you die
Until you’re alive
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz I don’t care
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz
I don’t care
Until you give
Until you’ve used
Until you’ve lost
Until you lose
Until you see, how could you believe?
Until you’ve lived a thousand times
Until you’ve seen the other side
This is my chance, this is my chance
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz I don’t care
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz
I don’t care
Until the truth becomes a lie
Until you change, until you deny
Until you believe
This is my chance, this is my chance
I’ll take it now because I can
This is my chance, I want it now
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz I don’t care
Don’t save me, don’t save me, cuz
I don’t care
Save me, save me, save me
Save me, save me, save me
I don’t care
07 From Yesterday (04:07)
He's a stranger to some
And a vision to none
He can never get enough,
Get enough of the world
For a fortune he'd quit
But it's hard to admit
How it ends and begins
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
On a mountain he sits
Not of gold but of shit
Through the blood he can look
See the life that it took
From the council of one
He'll decide when he's done
With the innocent
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message
He doesn't want to read the message
Doesn't want to read the message here
On his face is a map of the world
From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
From yesterday,
From yesterday,
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday,
From yesterday
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here
08 The Story (03:55)
I've been thinking of everything
I used to want to be
I've been thinking of everything
Of me, of you and me
This is the story of my life
These are the lies I have created
I'm in the middle of nothing
And it's where I want to be
I'm at the bottom of everything
And I finally start to leave
This is the story of my life
These are the lies I have created
I created
And I swear to god
I've found myself
In the end
In the end
This is the story of my life
These are the lies I have created
09 R-Evolve (03:59)
A revolution has begun today for me inside
The ultimate defence is to pretend
Revolve around yourself just like an ordinary man
The only other option to forget
Does it feel like we’ve ever been alive?
Does it seem like it's only just begun?
To find yourself just look inside the wreckage of your past
To lose it all you have to do is lie
The policy is set and we are never turning back
It’s time for execution; time to execute
Time for execution; time to execute!
Does it feel like we’ve ever been alive?
Does it seem like it’s only just begun?
Does it feel like we’ve ever been alive inside?
Does it seem like it’s only just begun?
It’s only just begun
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has begun!
(It has begun!)
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has, yeah!
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has begun!
(It has begun!)
The evolution is coming!
A revolution has, yeah!
(Revolution…)
11 Battle of One (02:47)
Try and stop me
Try and save me
I want to fall...
Try and crush me
Take me, teach me
I want to fall
I want to fall
I want to fall...
I want to fall
I want to fall
I want to fall...
12 Hunter (03:56)
If travel is searching
And home whats been found
I'm not stopping
I'm going hunting
I'm the hunter
I'll bring back the goods
But i don't know when
I thought i could organize all freedom
How American of me
This is soon
You figured it out, didn't you?
You could smell it
So you left me on my own
To complete the mission
Now I'm leaving it all behind
I'm going hunting
I'm the hunter
I'm the hunter
I'm the hunter
You just didn't know me [x6]
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Other reviews
By pk1986
"The songs flow quickly, and it almost seems like you’re unaware of listening at full volume with headphones."
"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."
By ilariola
"The entire track is focused on the fear of oneself and one’s inner shadows, with a psychological conflict so strong it drives to suicide."
"They sound good, reminiscent of several other bands already heard, such as Evanescence, Linkin Park, Incubus, they could also be defined as a 'sugarcoated version of Tool.'"
By Taurus
The ten tracks are as dull as the music market can offer.
They can’t break away from the usual rhythms, melodies and they repeat endlessly, quickly tiring.
