Jared Leto is an artist, plain and simple. The multitalented musician/actor and the rest of his entourage have finally settled their court disputes with recording juggernauts EMI, and that spells good news for fans.
30 Seconds to Mars has announced a final release date for its upcoming album, titled This Is War, to hit shelves Dec. 8. To promote the album, they have already released the first single, "Kings and Queens."
The track is upbeat and full of optimism, much in the fashion of the band's sophomore effort, the platinum-selling A Beautiful Lie. To elaborate, the self-titled debut album was full of human conflict lyrically and an atmospheric, synth-heavy mood. The second album was more alt rock, which helped songs like "The Kill" and "From Yesterday" garner so much airtime.
"Kings and Queens" is already getting a fair amount of radio play, particularly on alternative satellite radio stations. The song is a resounding, ethereal anthem that is a powerful reminder of Leto's vocal capabilities. He can pull long notes that meld with the beat, and his scream scrapes the ceiling of human possibility.
Another intriguing thing, albeit potentially gimmick-driven, is that one of the tracks on This Is War will include Kanye West. The song is called "Hurricane," and according to Leto, he had been thinking about getting West on board for some time. While I in no way enjoy Kanye's cliche musicality and attention-grabbing antics, I have that much faith in Leto's judgment that I will give it a listen upon release. There have also been rumors about a possible collaboration with The Killers' Brandon Flowers.
The album itself will use a very unique marketing scheme: there will be exactly 2,000 different album covers that will feature different photos of the band's fans the world over. They are calling it The Face of Mars campaign, and all applicants should send their photos to thefaceofmars@gmail.com According to their Web site, the first 2,000 photos sent to them that meet the requirements will be selected. Just imagine yourself on the cover of a rock album. Kinda' cool.
The band is certainly giving fans much to look forward to: a forthcoming new album seemingly epic in proportions, a campaign giving fans an opportunity to interact with the band in a way never before seen in the recording industry, and the promise of a world tour.
Jared Leto is indeed an artist, and he is constantly reinventing himself as an actor and a musician. He has played roles ranging all the way from a heroin addict to Mark David Chapman, and he has sang the depths of metal and the heights of emo-rock. 30 Seconds to Mars is also perpetually reinventing itself as a band; whatever that reborn identity is, This Is War shows infinite promise and the hopes that 30StM can continue doing what it does best for years to come.
