Jared Leto, his brother Shannon and Tomo Milicevic return as a trio, one lighter since the departure of bassist Matt Wachter a while back. Never one to half-ass something and exit the gate with a whimper, 30 Seconds to Mars find themselves a force that continues to be reckoned with as the lead single “Kings & Queens” demonstrates, and the hour-long  This Is War proves conclusively.

With over 2000 album covers and intensive use of fan recordings that took place earlier this year, the album is possibly one of the most fan-involved experiments done to-date. While at times the fan recorded parts seem somewhat overused, the album as a whole flows nicely and takes a slightly softer and quieter approach then their previous effort. Most favorable to me, as someone a big fan of their debut release, was the increased presence electronics took on the album, especially on tracks such as “Stranger In A Strange Land”.

Whether the album has more big singles besides “Kings & Queens” up it’s sleeve to satisfy those interested in the grandiose nature found on tracks like “The Kill” is yet to be seen, but either way the album is a solid cohesive effort that finds the band playing it close to their sound while creating unique opportunities for their fans to participate that may be the model for artists in the future.

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