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Rating:
The 30 Seconds to Mars. Never felt the urge to listen to them. In fact, I actually avoided them. Because 30 Seconds to Mars are Emo, they're clowns, a trivial punk-pop, perhaps even poorly done. However, one day, almost forced by a friend of mine, I downloaded this "This is War" and started it, ready to fill my ears with crap. And that day I had the reaffirmation that you shouldn't believe in stereotypes.
It starts with "Escape," an impressive intro, where after the hoarse whisper of Jared Leto, the roar of the crowd explodes in your ears. Interesting, but a bit flashy. I was still skeptical. "La Nuit du Chasseur" whispers the faint voice of a French woman. And now it gets serious. "Night Of The Hunter" is the first substantial track of the album, and also one of its masterpieces. A wonderful mix of different sounds: a pop keyboard, a punk guitar, and an almost tribal drum. Jared starts off slow, then gears up with harmonies that are masterfully crafted. Catchy, but impactful. And this is the winning combination that characterizes the first half of the album. High-level tracks are also "Kings And Queens," "This Is War," where Jared gives a demonstration of his vocal skills, excellent both in a low, almost whispered range, and in a high, shouted and exciting one, and "Closer To The Edge," that is, the three most successful singles. The true masterpiece of the album is "Hurricane," a very successful mix of pop sounds, techno with a touch of rock, where part of the credit goes to Kanye West, who creates a beautiful melody in the verse entrusted to him.
More trivial tracks, but with great emotional level, are "A Call To Arms" (renamed "Vox Populi") and "Search And Destroy." And here the credit goes to a brilliant idea from the band: make the crowd sing (and they did this perfectly). Perhaps this is precisely the most surprising point of this album, the involvement, which in my opinion, is the main idea of the album. "We Are The Kings And The Queens," recites the chorus of the third track. In the "Closer To The Edge" video, among the participants "1,363,960 of you" are mentioned. It's this idea of "You too can be part of this" that makes everything so exciting. It's definitely more legitimate to think of it as a brilliant commercial gimmick, but listening to the album with this belief gives it much more sense. And it allows you to be moved, because this is not music for cynics.
Returning to purely musical matters, at first listen, the album seems very close to pop and commercial, but the mistake that dooms this type of work is excluding that something can be commercial (or even just catchy), and also well done, as in this case. We must indeed note the amazing vocal polyphonies, the warm and full sounds of the guitars, and the violence with which the drums can express themselves, as well as the originality that characterizes the first half of the album, both in sounds and structures. Thus, my advice is to eliminate any kind of prejudice against 30 Seconds to Mars before listening to what I consider an excellent album, which I rate 8.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
03 Kings and Queens (05:47)
Into the night
Desperate and broken
The sound of a fight
Father has spoken.
We were the kings and queens of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the children of a lesser god
Between heaven and hell, Heaven and hell.
Into your eyes
Hopeless and taken
We stole our new lives
Through blood an pain
In defense of our dreams
In defense of our dreams
We were the kings and queens of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the children of a lesser god
Between heaven and hell, Heaven and hell.
The age of man is over
The darkness comes and all
These lessons that we've learned here
Have only just begun
We were the kings and queens of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the children of a lesser god
Between heaven and hell.
We are the kings
We are the queens
We are the kings
We are the queens
04 This Is War (05:27)
A warning to the people, the good and the evil
This is war
To the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim
This is war
It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie
The moment to live and the moment to die
The moment to fight, the moment to fight
To fight, to fight, to fight
To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world from the last to the first
To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world
A warning to the prophet, the liar, the honest
This is war
Oh, to the leader, the pariah, the victim, the messiah
This is war
It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie
The moment to live and the moment to die
The moment to fight, the moment to fight
To fight, to fight, to fight
To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world from the last to the first
To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world
It's a brave new world
I do believe in the light
Raise your hands up to the sky
The fight is done, the war is won
Lift your hands toward the sun
Toward the sun
(It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie)
(The moment to live and the moment to die)
Toward the sun
(It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie)
(The moment to live and the moment to die)
Toward the sun
(The moment to fight, the moment to fight)
(To fight, to fight, to fight)
The war is won
To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world from the last to the first
To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world
It's a brave new world
A brave new world
The war is won
The war is won
A brave new world
06 Hurricane (06:12)
No matter how many times that you told me
You wanted to leave
No matter how many breaths that you took
You still couldn't breathe
No matter how many nights that you lie wide awake
To the sound of the pulsing rain
Where did you go? Where did you go?
Where did you go?
As days go by, the night's on fire
Tell me would you kill to save a life?
Tell me would you kill to prove you're right?
Crash, crash, burn, let it all burn
This hurricane's chasing us all underground
No matter how many deaths that I die
I will never forget
No matter how many lies that I live
I will never regret
There is a fire inside that has started a riot
About to explode into flames
Where is your God? Where is your God?
Where is your God?
Do you really want?
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead or alive
To torture for my sins?
Do you really want?
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead
Or alive to live alone?
Tell me would you kill to save a life?
Tell me would you kill to prove you're right?
Crash, crash, burn, let it all burn
This hurricane's chasing us all underground
The promises we made
Were not enough
The prayers that we have prayed
Were like a joke
The secrets that we swore
We'll never know
The love we had, the love we had
We had to let it go
Tell me would you kill to save a life?
Tell me would you kill to prove you're right?
Crash, crash, burn, let it all burn
This hurricane chasing us all underground
This hurricane
This hurricane
This hurricane
Do you really want?
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead or alive
To torture for my sins?
Do you really want?
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead or alive
To live alone?
08 Vox Populi (05:42)
This is a call to arms, gather soldiers
Time to go to war
This is a battle song, brothers and sisters
Time to go to war
Did you ever believe?
Were you ever a dreamer?
Ever imagine heart open and free?
Did you ever deny?
Were you ever a traitor?
Ever in love with your blood lust and need?
This is a call to arms, gather soldiers
Time to go to war
This is a battle song, brothers and sisters
Time to go to war
Ever want to be free?
Do you even remember?
Want to be god and devil like me?
Ever want to just stop?
Do you want to surrender?
Or fight for victory?
Here we are at the start, I can feel the beating of our
hearts
Here we are at the start...
Darkness falls, here comes the rain to wash away the
past and the names
Darkness falls, here comes the rain to end it all, the
blood and the game
Far, far away in a land that time can't change
Long, long ago in a place of hearts and ghosts
Far, far away in a land that time can't change
Long, long ago in a place of hearts and ghosts
This is a call to arms, gather soldiers
Time to go to war (Far, far away...)
This is a battle song, brothers and sisters
Time to go to war (Long, long ago...)
This is a call to arms, gather soldiers
Time to go to war (Far, far away...)
This is a battle song, brothers and sisters
Time to go to war
This is a call to arms, way of the night
This is a battle song, way of the night
10 Alibi (05:59)
No warning sign, no alibi
We faded faster than the speed of light
Took our chance, crashed and burned
No we'll never ever learn
I fell apart, but got back up again
And then I fell apart, but got back up again yeah
We both could see crystal clear
That the inevitable end was near
Made our choice, a trial by fire
To battle is the only way we feel... alive
I fell apart, but got back up again
And then I fell apart, but got back up again
And then I fell apart, but got back up again
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh
So here we are, the witching hour
The quickest tongue to divide and devour
Divide and devour
If I could end the quest for fire,
For truth, for love and my desire
Myself
And I fell apart, but got back up again
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh
I fell apart, I fell apart
I fell apart, I fell apart
I fell apart
But got back up again
11 Stranger in a Strange Land (06:54)
Enemy of mine, I'll fuck you like the devil.
Violent inside, beautiful and evil.
I'm a ghost. You're an angel.
We're one and the same, just remains of an age.
Lost in a day dream, what do you see?
If you're looking for Jesus, get on your knees! (If you're looking for Jesus, then get on your knees! )
Enemy of mine, I'm just a stranger in a strange land.
Running out of time, better go, go, go!
Angel or a demon, I gave up my soul,
I'm guilty of treason, I've abandoned control.
Tonight...
The end is coming,
Everybody run now,
We're gonna live forever,
Gonna live forever tonight,
Tonight, Tonight.
The end is coming
Everybody run now,
We're gonna live forever,
Gonna live forever tonight
Tonight, Tonight.
The end is coming,
Everybody run now,
We're gonna live forever,
Gonna live forever tonight,
Tonight, Tonight.
The end is coming,
Everybody run now,
We're gonna live forever,
Gonna live forever tonight,
Tonight, tonight.
The end is coming,
Everybody run now,
We're gonna live forever,
Gonna live forever tonight.
Lost in a daydream,
What do you see?
If you're looking for Jesus,
Then get on your knees!
Angel or demon?
I gave up my soul.
I'm guilty of treason,
I've abandoned control. (abandoned control)
Your soul!
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Other reviews
By zeandres
Leto’s voice demonstrates and confirms a great talent and enviable versatility, transitioning from 'grated' highs to sweet whispers.
Leto and company are back more charged than ever and apparently in a mood to amaze listeners.
