30 Seconds to Mars - Provehito in Altum

[DudeAsInCool]

Provehito In Altum

(Virgin)

by Mazz Mazzetti

It used to be that musicians were the ones who would branch out into acting, like Kris Kristofferson and even Bob Dylan, but now an interesting trend of has emerged. It started with Keanu Reeves' band, Dogstar, and continued with Jason Schwartzman's group, Phantom Planet. Now welcome 30 Seconds to Mars, fronted by Jared Leto(Requiem for a Dream, Panic Room), the latest actor turned rocker. But is 30 Seconds to Mars simply "The Jered Leto Band", relying on it's frontman's star power to get ahead? Maybe.

Judging from the name alone, one might guess 30 Seconds to Mars is into science fiction, and they'd be correct. From the wild child gracing the album's post-apoc cover to the deftly crafted logos and song titles, this is a completely integrated presentation. And they back it up with songs, too. Mostly heavy and aggressive, Provehito In Altumcomes off like Ziggy Stardust filtered through Tool and Apollo 440 by mixing crushing over-processed guitar and spritely techno tweeks with seering layered vocals into a cosmic concept album. Unfortunately, there is not much in terms of original concepts here. There are the typical misunderstood rebels, mystery figures and sexy lost girls (with "a thing for astronauts", as on "Buddha for Mary").

Leto is a good singer, with a clear voice and a great range for this sort of music. He is breathy and charismatic (what do you expect?) and seems comfortable in his role. His brother Shannon plays the drums in the group, and his talents are best showcased on "Eschelon", a modal trip that recalls late-era Genesis' tribal rhythms and drones. The main problem with the album is that it suffers from a lack of hunger, the thing that makes rock music real, and therefore 30 Seconds to Mars might come off to some as somewhat self-indulgent. But for folks looking for a soundtrack to a brisk drive, this could be your ticket to ride.

http://www.mediajonez.com/index.html?music...-30sec0209.html

[DudeAsInCool]

You can listen to sample cuts here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...862419?v=glance

[Umma]

they dont sound too bad .... crappy samples though

[KiwiCoromandel]

they dont sound too bad .... crappy samples though

as you say...hard to tell `cause of the shitty samples......

[Ken]

The first thing I always do, even before I hear songs, is check the lyrics.

The words can tell me if I even want to listen. However, i'm not overly critical. I just want a little bit to spark me into giving it a fair try, but this lyric checking eliminates complete bullshit so as not to waste my time.

[Ken]

A lot of "lost and found" wordplay.

I'm not one for constant demanding of rhyme scheme but sometimes a clever song has at least some good cohesion.

It's very jumbled and predictable.

However, it's not complete bullshit, so I will have to "acquire" a copy and give it a listen.

[BrushfireSummer]

30 Seconds to Mars isn't that new, I saw them a couple years ago at a concert at George Washington University. Normally their type of music doesn't appeal to me, and they definately didn't appeal to me. Verdict: Jared is famous for his looks, not his musical talent.

[DudeAsInCool]

My experience is that creative people can be successful in different arenas. My guess is that Jared Leto probably thinks of himself as a musician first, and an actor second. I think the band is coming along nicely

[30.sec.to.mars.]

jared is a ridiculously talented singer and guitar player. I don't what you are talking about. 30stm is one of the best bands ever (looks or not looks)!

[DudeAsInCool]

Nice photos, 3S2M, and...Welcome to Beatking :scratchin:

[beautflnitmare]

I agree Jared Leto is a great lead singer... I think he's better as a musician than an actor although he was good in Fight Club.