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30 Seconds to Mars (USA)
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March 20, 19:00
Olimpiisky Sports Complex 
 Formed in 1998 by frontman Jared Leto and his older brother, 30 Seconds to Mars found success in the 2000s with a mix of post-grunge, screamo, and hard rock.Their sound is somewhat unique, on occasion described as 'space rock' - with a very deep use of synthesisers - particularly on the debut self titled album.The space rock reference comes from the theme of the first album, which seems to deal with space travel, astronauts and the universe, although these references are often known to be metaphors for personal growth, change, and renewal. The sound is often fitting. Cryptic, obscure lyrics combine heavy guitar melodies to drive a sound compared to the likes of Tool, Pink Floyd and Depeche Mode.
The band gained a modest audience with its debut album, but it was the platinum-selling sophomore effort "A Beautiful Lie" that officially opened the flood gates in 2005, securing the band a frequent presence on MTV while paving the way for a number of successful tours. By placing all-access passes into 12 copies of the album, the bandmates also showed a savvy appreciation for marketing, which they revisited several years later by putting fans' photographs on the cover of their third album, "This Is War."
Initially known for his work as an actor (most notably on the 1990s TV drama "My So-Called Life," as well as movies like "Requiem for a Dream" and "Fight Club"), Jared Leto decided to flex his musical muscles as he approached his 30s. He enlisted the help of his brother, drummer Shannon Leto, and co-founded 30 Seconds to Mars in 1998. The group made its studio debut four years later, releasing a self-titled album whose post-grunge sound showed an affinity for groups like Chevelle and Incubus. Although only modestly successful, the album convinced the bandmates to continue making music in spite of Jared Leto's busy acting schedule, which had filled up with roles in "Panic Room," "Highway," "American Pyscho," and "Requiem for a Dream."
It took three years to record "A Beautiful Lie," with the bandmates traveling to four different continents to work with Leto on his movie sets. Released in 2005, "A Beautiful Lie" widened the band's sound by sampling from metal, neo-prog, and screamo. It also expanded the group's audience by going platinum in America, reaching gold status in several foreign countries, and spawning two Top 10 modern rock hits. “A Beautiful Lie” unleashed a succession of hit singles and videos that kept 30 Seconds to Mars on the road for over two years. First single "Attack," climbed to #21 on the Modern Rock chart, "The Kill," peaked at #3 and became the longest-running hit in the history of Billboard's Modern Rock airplay chart, charting for 52 weeks, and "From Yesterday" hit #1 while the imaginative videos for "The Kill" and "From Yesterday" (the first American video shot entirely in the People's Republic of China), were celebrated worldwide with awards from MTV, MTVU and FUSE, among many others. 30 Seconds to Mars toured heavily as a result, sporting a new lineup that included lead guitarist Tomo Milicevic and bassist Matt Wachter (both of whom had also contributed to the album) in addition to the two Letos. Although Wachter threw in the towel in 2007, the band continued to tour around the world for the rest of that year, making stops at several major festivals (Roskilde, Pinkpop, Download) and opening shows for bands like the Used and Linkin Park.
Despite their growing momentum, 30 Seconds to Mars soon found themselves at war with their label, EMI/Virgin Records. The band had attempted to sign with a new label after the Beautiful Lie tour, prompting EMI to file a lawsuit for $30 million, claiming that 30 Seconds to Mars was contractually obligated to produce three more albums before signing with another company. The legal dust settled as the band relented and returned to EMI's roster, and "This Is War" - the band's third album, not to mention a stylistic return to the sound of their self-titled debut - arrived in December 2009. To encourage audience participation, the band solicited photographs from their fans, the first 2,000 of which were used to create the album's 2,000 different covers.
After wrapping up this exhaustive tour, 30 Seconds to Mars set out to work on a new album which was titled "Love Lust Faith + Dreams". This work offers an opportunity to explore the boundaries of rock while drawing inspiration from electronic music in a way that's not necessarily innovative but that feels fresh for these particular musicians.
Elevated to the position of international stars - if not quite globe-conquering superstars - with their 2009 album "This Is War", 30 Seconds to Mars do the smart thing for their 2013 sequel, "Love Lust Faith + Dreams". They retain War co-producer Steve Lillywhite - here co-producing with the band's lead singer/songwriter Jared Leto - and give themselves a sleek, stylish makeover, accentuating the creeping escalation of electronics heard on "This Is War" and otherwise shedding whatever churning new millennial angst that lingered on the third record while retaining their emo angst and love of prog. Often, the pounding, splattering analog synthesizers bring to mind the otherworldly, trapped-in-amber futurism of the '70s - the instrumental march "Pyres of Varanasi" expertly evokes the unsettling vistas of Wendy Carlos' soundtrack for A Clockwork Orange - but this isn't a retro record, it's galvanized for the present, pushing its thick processed guitars, chanted choruses, and clanging keyboards to the forefront, flirting with taboos underneath its shining surface. 30 Seconds to Mars are no longer afraid to dabble with disco - "Up in the Air" puts all four on the floor and there's an overall tendency to push big beats over hard attacks - and this loosening of their stylistic confines results in their boldest, brightest, most imaginative record yet.
In 2013 Leto completed Artifact, his documentary about the recording of This Is War and the band's subsequent battle with their record company, EMI. Artifact premiered at the 2013 South By Southwest festival, just a few months prior to the release of the Steve Lillywhite-produced Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams in May of 2013.
Following to their promise to visit with concerts not only Moscow and Saint Petersburg but also many others cities of Russia, 30 Seconds to Mars will come to us in March and April 2015 in band's new tour "Love + Lust" and perform in 13 Russian cities. The program of the concert will include some songs from "Love Lust Faith + Dreams" and of course such hits as Kings And Queens, This Is War, Search And Destroy, Closer To The Edge and others.
More info
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