30 Seconds released their self-titled debut in 2002 and registered a blip on the radar on the strength of the signle “Capricorn (A Brand New Name)”. The band started to catch on based solely on their music despite the fact that frontman Jared Leto is also an accomplished actor.
Perhaps it is because of that that the band has had a harder time of it. Names like Russel Crowe and Keanu Reeves stick out in the music world like sore thumbs. Leto, however, makes a better go of it because this is actually his first love.
What that intro doesn’t describe was how atmospheric and sleek the band’s first record was. Not having many contemporaries (with the exception of maybe Orgy), 30 Seconds To Mars offered something different than the dirty, aggro-rock swagger that dominates mainstream rock radio.
Possibly because of that, the band barely established their name then. The chances are that A Beautiful Lie will accomplish more of that by sticking its finger into more aggressive – and emotional – territory.
A Beautiful Lie opens with the first single, “Attack”. Anyone who’s familiar with the band’s eponymous debut immediately knows that they’re in for a different ride than the first time. Frontman Jared Leto seems to eschew his clean singing for outright yelling before and at the end of the chorus, resulting in an off-putting effect. That, of course, is assuming the music is being taken at face value.
The band sounds a little more familiar on the title track, “A Beautiful Lie”, but something’s still amiss. Jared is singing, but the effects are phased to the background to let the band evoke a gorgeous tragedy around Leto’s lyrics of betrayal. “The Kill” combines parts of both, as the soaring melancholy is fised with Leto’s vocal explosions.
So, what gives? Why does 30 Seconds sounds like they’re reaching for some of the same territory that their peers already occupy. As Matt Wachter explains, it’s less about conformity and more about real emotion:
We’re never going to make the same record twice. A lot of good bands don’t do that and I don’t like listening to bands that do. It’s like eating pasta every single day – no matter how good it is, you’re going to get sick of it. It’s just very boring.
30 Seconds To Mars is, and will always be about, change. That’s what this record was about. It took roughly three years to write and record over four different continents and five countries, all kinds of different cities in-between. During that time, we all went through a lot of changes, both personally and as musicians. I think a lot of that was reflected on the record; the ups and the downs, the good times and the bad times...[Jared] saw it as, “the first record’s wrapped around the head, whereas this one’s more wrapped around the heart.”
30 Seconds To Mars switches up on this album, eschewing ambiance in favor of direct reaction. The result, while taking some getting used to, is well worth the effort in doing so. The basic sleek sound is still in place, but it now requires a little digging to hear. Listeners are now being made to make a conscious effort to work in order to enjoy the band’s labor – a mindset that few are brave enough to even try, much less willing to execute on their sophomore effort.
The effort, however, results in a grand payoff. Many of the towering melodies are still there in songs such as “From Yesterday” and “The Fantasy”, as is the band’s ability to transport you elsewhere. The destination this time out – inside of one’s heart instead of the far reaches of space – is a troubling and compelling place. It’s also one worth spending quite a bit of time in.
The 411: It’s too rare to find a band that’s willing to leave the confines of their “signature” sound to seek emotional fulfillment. Too many would rather take the safe route rather than lay their hearts bare. 30 Seconds To Mars keeps the base of their sound intact, but ventures into deeper territory than most of the same radio-friendly pap that passes as artistry. The result is an escalating journey through trials and tribulations that well exhibits the growth of one of the best bands in modern rock.
