GenQ - For the not so straight individual

"A Beautiful Lie is really a choice. It's perspective. It's a dream. It's the fact that no matter what, we keep on moving forward..."-- Jared Leto

A dark secret ripped from the brain onto the page; songs that are emotional, agonizing, painful or just celebrating a blissful moment in time; songs seemingly created in the madness of an insomniac haze and then released as truth to be judged by the world - this is what you get from 30 Seconds to Mars's A Beautiful Lie. An emotional lyricist's wet dream.

So many times in the music business lyrics seem an afterthought, which makes it one of the first things I look for when I'm reviewing an album. 30 Seconds to Mars's attention to detail sets them apart from today's mass produced music, and nothing gets my juices flowing faster than a dramatic verse that explodes off the song sheet, and the singer's vocal chords. And speaking of vocals, Jared Leto's silky smooth, yet guttural screams and moans will make you shiver in all the right places, and then some. And before you say, ?she's just into the boys,? think again or better yet, don't think; just listen to A Modern Myth.

But back to the lyrics. From the moment I heard the lyrics to the opening track Attack -
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

I had to have more. My passion for rock was rekindled (it's been a long time). A Beautiful Lie was originality through and through, and as I dug deeper into the lyrics, what I discovered was completely different stories in every song. From what seems to be addiction to obsession to love, loss, regret and release (and that was just the first song Attack). I kid. But seriously, I found there was one common thread throughout. Evolution. Moving forward to the future. Becoming something new. (Perhaps, someone new).

I did find a dark spot on the CD. As in the past of 70's LP's there is this myth that if you play the album backwards you get to hear some secret message. (Yes, I'm that old) Today you can't play a track backwards but track 10, A Modern Myth there's an additional song for you; if you can hold out for 12 f**ing minutes. The song Modern Myth stops at 2:59 and the hidden song starts up at 12:37, but the complete track is 14:14 minutes long! I don't know who's joke it was to surprise you and make you wait unbelieving until 12:37 in length, just to hear it! All I can say is if I find you, I will hurt you!

I'm not sure if I would call 30 Seconds to Mars a metal band, although some metallic aspects can be seen in Battle of One. I tend to think of them as a rock band that can move to the rhythm of Shannon's drum set; a connection with a mood, a feeling, and perhaps from that comes something that's unique. I do have my favorites as I like songs that bring with them a life lesson, and growth. From Yesterday comes to mind. Fantasy, A Modern Myth, and Hunter. Battle of One just rocks! And clearly, with A Beautiful Lie, growth and progress seem to be the overall theme. Lastly, there's Was it a Dream? Here Jared really demonstrates his vocal dexterity and prowess, and when he begs the question, ?Was it a dream? Is the only evidence that proves it? A photograph of you and I?.in love,? it's crystal clear that he's ripped his heart open, and is singing from a very painful place. It's no wonder that in a recent article, he said that there are tears on faces in the crowd when he performs that song. He sounds like he, himself, is crying on the inside while he's singing it.

We should all look to the future for 30 Seconds to Mars, and expect great things from them, as their Phoenix takes to the sky to soar...

queerplanet will be checking out 30 Seconds to Mars in concert on April 1st, so stay tuned.

For more information check out their website for concert dates and everything 30 Seconds to Mars at http://www.thirtysecondstomars.com

?A Beautiful Lie? Tracks:

Attack
A Beautiful Lie
The Kill
Was it a dream
The Fantasy
Savior
From Yesterday
The Story
R-Evolve
A Modern Myth
Bonus:
Battle of One
Hunter

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