Times of love, loss, struggle, bliss - these are experiences that distinguish each of our lives and make us unique individuals. The bonds created from sharing what happened with someone else can also help cement us to one another. I believe that songs based on the powerful feelings experienced during these events are the ones that truly connect a band to its listeners. These are the things you find in the music of 30 Seconds To Mars.

How many times have you found yourself lying "awake in bed at night, to think about your life"? Vocalist/guitarst Jared Leto documents such contemplation in the title track of their sophomore effort, A Beautiful Lie. Who hasn't wanted to spit out at someone, "Yeah I'm a selfish bastard, but at least I'm not alone" ("Was It A Dream")? or wanted to declare "Look in my eyes, you're killing me. All I wanted was you." ("The Kill")? One could envision 30 writing these songs maybe riding in their bus contemplating life experiences. Then, one could see someone listening to this CD letting the music take them to another place in their past or to the hopes and dreams of their future using the aural textures of Matt Wachter's bass, Leto and Tomo Milicivitch's guitars and Shannon Leto's drums as a blanket to wrap around their body and revel in the luxurious layers of music. See, there's that connection I was talking about.

Maybe you just want to enjoy the beat of the songs. As Leto suggests, "Maybe tonight we can forget about it all" you begin to nod your head and move your body to Wachter's basslines and Shannon Leto's fast-paced drumwork on "The Fantasy". But as anyone who owns their first (self-titled/Provehito In Altum) album can attest to, 30 continually challenges you to embrace their music as an experience in itself. 30's songs are full of metaphors and symbolism that flow into your ears until your head becomes filled with imagery like in "From Yesterday" where we learn about the man who has a map of the world on his face. It's up to you to find your own meaning once 30 throws the scenes into your atmosphere hoping that you might end up like the voice of "The Story," who after self-reflection declares "I've found myself in the end."

As Leto and Milicicivitch's riffs assault you in "Revolve", you're told to "defy yourself just to look inside the wreckage of your past. It's time for execution; time to execute." Don't be afraid to look into your past: learn from it and just keep moving on. While "Savior" warns "Until you change", "Until you deny", "Until you etc.," you really won't ever see. The final song on the album is an acoustic tune with breathy verses leading to an emotional crescendo complete with a string orchestra and Leto's calls of "goodbye" getting stronger and stronger, a reminder to live life now. Just because "Modern Myth" is slower in tempo doesn't mean it can't be as powerful and aggressive as faster-paced screaming songs.

A Beautiful Lie transcends genres. 30 sonically pushes the limits so that they become of those bands whose sound refuses to be summed up in a word or simple phrase. They successfully blend technology with the humane (voice, fingers on strings, drumsticks in hands) as heard in the beginning bars of the album's first single, "Attack," beeping effects are joined by drums and voice to create a hyperactive burst of sound. The mixture of the beeping effect and Leto's use of different tones during the chorus effectively create a tense atmosphere. The smooth effect on vocals during "Your promises, they look like lies. Your honesty's like a back that hides a knife. I promise you, I promise you "leads to a full-on yell of: "I am finally free!" And, as you sing along maybe you'll realize something about yourself and the world around you.

30 Seconds to Mars offers you more than just forty or so minutes of background music, if that is what you're looking for. They share snippets of their lives through A Beautiful Lie in hopes that you will identify and connect with what they relate. If more people will open their ears and minds to what is beyond the surface, this band will be around for more than mere seconds, or any unit of time can possibly measure. -Yuri

Out of 6 pandas, this CD rates: