The Mars Universe

The curtain drops, the crowd scream, the spotlights robotically rotate filling the room; many colours; blues, reds and greens fill the stage. Singer/star Jared Leto in particular looks ready for war with his new mohawk hairstyle. He looks a little more worn and more aggressive than the last time seen in the U.K., back in 2007. The new punk subculture visual style creates a whole new look for the band. The new album, This Is War, speaks for itself, and the hairstyle minus the war paint tells a whole different story.

Amplified synth sounds vibrate and a media frenzy fills the room. Real-time visual projections are on the wall via two strategically placed screens that take a dominant position behind the band. The images also consist of the beautiful cinematography created by director ‘Bartholomew Cubbins’, a.k.a. Mr. Leto!

The crowd’s screams intensify as “Closer to the Edge” begins. ”A Beautiful Lie”, “Kings and Queens” and “This Is War” gain an equally intense sense of delight from the audience. In fact, all of the tracks performed through out the evening were received with much love.
Midway through the performance the smoke machines create an atmospheric sense of intensity; the lights go out and additional synth sounds fill the room with philosophical quotes that complimented the nostalgic ‘80s electronic music (slightly reminiscent of Vangelis sound tracks from the ‘80s cult film Bladerunner). These sounds defuse the situation, which is that the stage is now completely empty. The band had entirely moved themselves away from the stage.

30 Seconds To Mars released their third album, This is War in December and their singles have climbed Billboard and iTunes charts..Each song has a classic rock sound with a splash of the electronic synth – all perfected by lead singer, Jared Leto. This is War is a 30 Seconds to Mars mind explosion, so sit back and hold on tight.

The first track opens with a monk chant followed by an ascending drum beat, preparing the audience for the war-ridden world 30 Seconds To Mars (30STM) has created. Leto softly breaks the chant with his emotionally distinct voice. This is also the first time we hear the children’s choir, a fantastic addition. The choir appears often, but not to the point of annoyance.