Thirty Seconds to Mars was a band on a mission. After the successful release of their self-titled debut album, Thirty Seconds tasked themselves with curating a worthy successor. Ferocious vocals, echoing riffs, and an electronic undertone defines
A Beautiful Lie. An album designed to be more palatable than their previous effort,
A Beautiful Lie generates an energetic album sure to round out the emo market.
A Beautiful Lie packs a lot of punch, but does it compare to its predecessor?
A Beautiful Lie takes no time in separating itself from
30 Seconds to Mars. ‘Attack’ lays out our expectations early on. A crisp clean sound enters the airwaves with a bubbling electronic melody many would enjoy. Dynamic vocals are also put on display when Leto tears in with, “Run away, run away, I’ll attack. Run away, runaway, go chase yourself. Run away, run away, I’ll attack, I’ll attack, I’ll a WHOA.”
‘Fantasy’ nears away from this format halfway through the album. A crawling riff and grooving bass line give a tense track a lot of character. Leto’s vocal presence gives this track a nice spin on the stereotypical emo format. ‘From Yesterday’ continues to boast the emotion of the album. The powerful vocals and immersive atmosphere are excellently crafted. The breakdown during the bridge gives the song character and showcases the chemistry of the group.
Lyrically, the album is less intellectual and contemplative than
30 Seconds… The album, as previously stated, is intended to be more palatable. Because of this,
A Beautiful Lie demonstrates a formula that thinks, but not *too* much. The track ‘A Beautiful Lie’ integrates a thought provoking premise about life and its games, but merely scratches the surface. ‘Savior’ examines religion, but also doesn’t quite kick in gear. ‘The Story’ takes a more intrapersonal standpoint that wasn’t fleshed out throughout the album.
A Beautiful Lie was more focused than
30 Seconds… The tracks weren’t top heavy and organized correctly.
A Beautiful Lie doesn’t lose steam and goes full force until the end. Each track is worth listening and offers an incredible journey. Relentless vocals and atmospheric instrumentals help
A Beautiful Lie standout from the emo crowd.
The material is captivating and sentimental despite lacking the depth of its predecessor. Usurping a modernized format each release would serve to plague the band in futures to come, but
A Beautiful Lie stands the test of time as 30 Seconds to Mars’ signature album. Jared Leto remarked in an interview with The Independent, "30 Seconds To Mars is not some dumb side project that lets me pretend to be a musician. It's something that all my heart and soul goes into." I wonder if this applies to every album after.
Standout Tracks
A Beautiful Lie
Attack
Fantasy
