30 Seconds to Mars

30 Seconds to Mars

30 Seconds to Mars is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998 and active from that point to the present. The group includes Jared Leto and Shannon Leto, with the verified line-up also including Solon Bixler, Tomo Miličević and Matt Wachter. Jared Leto sings and also plays guitar, bass and keyboards, while Shannon Leto plays drums and percussion. Over time, the band changes line-up, with the Leto brothers remaining the only constant members.

Albums and style

The band’s debut album, 30 Seconds to Mars (2002), is produced by Bob Ezrin and released through Immortal and Virgin. It presents itself as a concept album centred on human struggle and self-determination, using otherworldly imagery to frame personal themes. The record reaches number 107 on the US Billboard 200, tops the US Top Heatseekers chart and later sells two million copies worldwide. Its lead single, “Capricorn (A Brand New Name),” reaches number 31 on the US Mainstream Rock chart and enters the UK Rock Chart top ten.

A Beautiful Lie (2005) brings the band wider international recognition. It is later certified platinum by the RIAA and reaches platinum or gold status in several countries, with sales of more than four million. The album includes the single “Attack” and the hit “The Kill,” whose video, directed by Jared Leto under the name Bartholomew Cubbins, receives an MTV Video Music Award. “The Kill” also sets a long-running record on the US Modern Rock chart. The album also includes “Battle of One” and a cover of Björk’s “Hunter” as bonus tracks.

This Is War (2009), released through Virgin Records and EMI, reaches number 18 on the Billboard 200 and marks a more electronic and experimental direction, with vintage synths used prominently. Its release is associated with a legal dispute with EMI that later becomes the subject of the documentary film Artifact (2012). The album includes “Stranger in a Strange Land” and “Hurricane,” whose video is banned and censored by MTV and other channels because of violence, nudity and sex.

Later releases and themes

Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), stylised as LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS, is issued through Virgin Records and reaches number 6 on the Billboard 200. It is a concept album organised around the four ideas in its title and divided into four sections, each marked by a colour: red for Love, yellow for Lust, green for Faith and blue for Dreams. The album includes “Birth,” “Conquistador,” “Up in the Air,” “City of Angels,” “The Race,” “End of All Days,” “Pyres of Varanasi,” “Bright Lights,” “Do or Die,” “Convergence,” “Northern Lights” and “Depuis Le Début.” “Up in the Air” is sent into space aboard a SpaceX mission and is described as the first commercial copy of music sent into space.

America (2018) follows and receives a mixed critical response. The band’s later album, It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day, is part of its discography by 2023.

Live work, image and recognition

30 Seconds to Mars is known for sold-out touring, headlining festival appearances and energetic live performances. Its songs and albums draw on philosophical and spiritual lyrics, concept-album structures and a mix of experimental influences across alternative rock, alternative pop, electronic, electropop, pop rock and rock.

The band’s phoenix logo is named “Mithra” and carries the motto “Provehito in Altum.” For A Beautiful Lie, the band uses a Trinity logo of three skulls, while This Is War adopts the alchemical symbol for air. The Echelon is the band’s street team and fan network, involved in promotion, radio requests, posters, online posting and award campaigning. The group receives several awards and accolades, including a Guinness World Record, and appears in Kerrang!’s list of the best artists of the 2000s.