This Is War

iTunes Review

30 Seconds to Mars plunges into apocalyptic terrain on their third release, This Is War. The trio goes for a widescreen, blood-and-thunder sound with the production help of studio legends Steve Lillywhite and Flood. The star of this post-grunge/industrial/prog-rock hybrid is Jared Leto, who holds forth with messianic fervor amidst waves of synthesizer and volleys of guitar. Leto and his bandmates revel in spiritual extremes — songs like “Hurricane,” “Kings and Queens” and the title track depict ceaseless battles between the forces of light and darkness. At times, the dark side seems triumphant, as in the sinister “Stranger In a Strange Land” and the horrific “Night of the Hunter.” Contrasting with such demonic effusions are the bleakly romantic “100 Suns” and the dreamy-to-desperate “Alibi,” tunes that cast Leto in a more vulnerable light. The bone-shaking drums and wailing choir fueling “Vox Populi” are typical of the bold sonic gestures heard throughout the album. 30 Seconds to Mars’ muscle and ferocity is captured to full effect in these tracks.