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30 Seconds to Mars’ latest record, “This is War” is an impressive one. The band’s third record, “This is War” is a product of taking artistic ambition and having extra time to work on a record in the midst of a legal battle. While it produces a few flaws, for the most part Jared Leto and Co. have put out another terrific piece of music. No 30 Seconds to Mars album has been similar to its predecessor and that holds true for this record too. You can throw out a very strong comparison with this album. This record is eerily similar to late 80’s U2. Leto’s passionate and intense vocals only add to that comparison because he’s the only person close to producing the fervent voice that Bono has. “Kings and Queens” is the song that is the key comparison song on this record. Leto’s vocals are slightly coarser but they still soar above perfectly accenting music; a lot like U2. The thing that’s interesting about this album is that no attention to mainstream media can be found. Effects including chanting and applause dominate the record. Sometimes they extend the songs, sometimes they begin them. They’re welcome for the most part by adding an artistic flavor to the record. Sometimes they extend the song more than they need to but for the most part they’re a welcome addition. No song on this record was made for radio with the effects and with the length of the songs. The average song-length on the record is over five minutes. After releasing two brilliant albums, 30 Seconds to Mars followed that up with an outstanding third record. It’s not perfect, the effects get to be a little redundant in places and at times the songs are slightly too long. But you can’t deny the quality of the songs or the intensity of the vocals and the lyrics. Lots of expectations were brought with this record, and it didn’t disappoint.