REVIEW: “LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS” - 30 Seconds to Mars

Rock-trio 30 Seconds to Mars with stunning frontman Jared Leto, have released a 4th studio album titled LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS after long last. With the release of their single “Up In The Air” with its accompanying music video (directed by the infamous Bartholomew Cubbins), the album premiered on May 21st, 2013.

With the new album comes a new sound.The shift comes slowly, which some would argue is too much. This album has a more electronic platform while still maintaining it’s the rock roots Mars began with their first record. Though not as blatant of a concept album as This Is War was, there are definitely Leto’s artistic, and somewhat typically cryptic, fingerprints all over this record as well. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

The lyrics don’t disappoint, either. Mars is short on love songs, but rather has lyrics that go beyond and deeper in meaning which can sometimes be a puzzle to figure out. One with particular merit would be “City of Angels.” Leto’s powerful vocals shine like the “land of a billion lights” in this track, which seems possibly allude to Los Angeles and depicts a vignette of Jared Leto’s life growing up with his brother and bandmate Shannon Leto and their mother, traveling all over the country. 

It’s paid off well for a mother, a brother, and me.

30 Seconds to Mars hasn’t lost their edge, however. With interesting instrument combinations in “Birth” and heavy rock chords in “Conquistador” and “Do Or Die”, echoing This Is War track “Vox Populi”, don’t let pop-esque chart-topper “Up In The Air” fool you, though a good track it is merely a foretaste of the augmented sound of LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS lends to the Echelon. 

It should go without saying that artists and bands usually grow in different directions in their music as their careers lengthen. Alas, there is still much dissent within the Echelon, the 30 Seconds to Mars fandom, if you will, about this new album. Many say that it isn’t hard rock enough or the “Mars they fell in love with”. I love it all the same, and respectfully disagree.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Tomo Milcevic, Jared Leto, and Shannon Leto

In my humble opinion, if I like the lead singer’s voice, that is usually one of the main factors that can lend me loyal to a band. Of course the instrument integration and how well they work with the voice also help. Bottom line is this: Jared Leto has a fantastic voice, and though I wasn’t that thrilled with “Up In The Air” at first, it did grow on me. Still, Cubbins’/Leto’s music video direction displays his creative eye and how he values his work as an art form. We shan’t say that LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS is not a part of that. 

Here’s the full track list:

1. Birth
2. Conquistador
3. Up In The Air
4. City of Angels
5. The Race
6. End Of All Days
7. Pyres of Varanasi
8. Bright Lights
9. Do Or Die
10. Convergence
11. Northern Lights
12. Depuis Le Début

LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS is now available on iTunes and is streaming on Spotify. 

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Share with me what you think of the new album! Love it or hate it? Leave a comment below.


Till next time xx,


Sierra

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