◎ 由散发阴郁特质的好莱坞摇滚美型男Jared Leto领军,超悍EMO乐团蜕变大碟征服全球影音纪念盘
◎ 强势收录Rock Sound选出2009最佳年度歌曲、最佳年度音乐录影带双冠王单曲〈Kings and Queens〉
◎ 各大权威媒体近满分推荐: Rock Sound(9/10)、Kerrang!(4/5)、Alternative Press(4/5)
◎ CD加收Kanye West献声合作〈Hurricane 2.0〉、翻玩Lady Gaga女神卡卡〈Bad Romance〉、Kanye West〈Stronger〉…等三首话题单曲
◎ DVD收录包括MTV音乐大奖、MTV欧洲音乐大奖最佳音乐录影带〈Kings and Queens〉、〈Closer To The Edge〉MV、幕后花絮、相关短片与精彩写真
散发阴郁特质的好莱坞摇滚美型男Jared Leto,这位多次荣获People杂志选为「全球50位最美丽人物」的新生代男星,可说是影坛当中,最勇于尝试不同富有挑战角色的实力派小生。而Jared Leto对艺术表演的热忱,不只限於戏剧演出,更展现在音乐上面。就在1998年,由Jared担任主音、哥哥Shannon Leto担任鼓手,所成立的超悍EMO乐团「30秒上火星30 Seconds To Mars」,顺利在2002推出首张同名专辑《30 Seconds To Mars》,这张勇夺热门潜力榜冠军的作品,让大家见识到Leto兄弟的不容小觑的音乐才华。於2005年发表的第二张专辑《A Beautiful Lie》再度开出销售红盘,及满获乐评盛赞的好成绩,专辑果然不负众望勇夺白金唱片的认证。实力与偶像特质兼具的30 Seconds To Mars,出道之後,更累计荣获12座MTV音乐大奖、六座摇滚指标大奖Kerrang! Awards、三座TRL Awards、三座Fuse Awards…的大奖的提名肯定。
距离上一张专辑,已有将近两年的时间,三人再度集合带来第三张专辑《This Is War》展现出全新气象。新作特地请出英国教父级音乐人Flood(Depeche Mode、U2、The Killers),以及葛莱美奖制作人Steve Lillywhite(Matchbox Twenty、Travis、Jason Mraz),两大天王级制作人,共同编织崭新的摇滚乐章,专辑一推出各大权威媒体都以近满分的超高评价大力推荐:Rock Sound(9/10)、 Kerrang!(4/5)、Alternative Press(4/5)。随着专辑单曲的陆续推出,30 Seconds To Mars的人气及声势日益高涨,藉由这张《This Is War》乐团再度爬向音乐事业的新高峰。新作在Kerrang! Awards当中,荣获四项大奖提名,并抱走「最佳国际乐团Best International Band」奖项,主唱Jared Leto更被选为The Rock Icons of the 21st Century(第六名)、Hero of The Year(第四名)、以及Sexiest Male(第一名)。Rock Sound也选出〈Kings and Queens〉成为2009「最佳年度歌曲」及「最佳年度音乐录影带」。在之後的音乐盛事,MTV音乐大奖及MTV欧洲音乐大奖当中,乐团全都荣获三项大奖提名,并分别夺回「最佳摇滚音乐录影带Best Rock Video」及「最佳摇滚乐团Best Rock」。
在蓄势待发的气氛中,弦乐营造出诡异气氛,童音环绕合唱,宣示着奋战决心,开场曲〈Escape〉吹响了战争号角;拨云见日混沌渐开,首发单曲〈Kings and Queens〉在打击乐的堆叠之下,无私地贯注满满的摇滚勇气;专辑同名单曲〈This Is War〉,在来自全世界歌迷的共同合作之下,同声一呼高举杀戮旗帜,战场里有令人耳目一新的电子元素及弦乐助阵,更添壮烈激昂情绪,这首歌更被EA Game年度大作「闇龙纪元Dragon Age」选为主题曲;阳光洒落在〈100 Suns〉身上,简单的音乐配器,轻唱着的动人词句,实为感人小品;风暴来袭!摇滚音符袭卷着嘻哈电子节奏,〈Hurricane〉这首由Kanye West、杀手乐团主唱Brandon Flowers共同话题跨刀合作的单曲,散发着刚柔并济的力道;犹如TheQueens的神灵附身,〈Vox Populi〉满载着勇气与冲劲,是首新时代的摇滚军歌;琴音在Jared Leto小心翼翼的声线中回荡,〈Alibi〉的心痛还是藏不住,晕染成一片;电子颗粒如涛浪狂奔,抵挡不住的威力随着音符穿梭,在〈Closer to the Edge〉的胸口溅射出的朵朵绚丽浪花。
就在专辑于全球各地都创下傲人成绩之时,唱片公司特地以影音双碟型式、推出《This Is War》【CD+DVD】。CD加收Kanye West献声合作〈Hurricane 2.0〉、翻玩Lady Gaga畅销作品〈Bad Romance〉、用摇滚乐音重制Kanye West电气乐章〈Stronger〉…等三首话题单曲。DVD则收录包括MTV音乐大奖、MTV欧洲音乐大奖最佳音乐录影带〈Kings And Queens〉、〈Closer To The Edge〉MV、制作花絮、概念短片、照片集…等丰富内容。
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Emotional bloodletting never quite fit 30 Seconds to Mars -- perhaps it was residual prejudice from Jared Leto’s status as actor-turned-musician, but they always seemed to skim the surface, not even when they pushed roiling emotions to the forefront in the best traditions of grunge and screamo. When they were mining a post-grunge or nu metal or emo vein, this was a liability, but now that they’ve shifted their music with the shifting times, adopting a hybrid of the Killers’ retro new wave and My Chemical Romance’s gothic prog, they’ve wound up with a sound that suits their stance. Which isn’t to say that they’ve gotten any less ridiculous -- if anything, they’re more absurd, piling up Auto-Tuned vocals, gurgling synthesized loops, Kanye cameos, and a children's choir on almost every other song. Producers Steve Lillywhite and Flood, both veterans of U2, do give This Is War an appropriately epic scale, although appropriate seems an inappropriate word for such an ungainly mix of synth rock, metal, and prog, the distillation of all manner of brooding ‘80s teenage obsessions. What saves it from being nothing but thirtysomething wish fulfillment is that this move toward goth-glam requires 30 Seconds to emphasize hooks and gives them aural variety, which doesn’t make them seem any more serious but does make them considerably more palatable.