The AMERICA we didn't need

Jared Leto and the other remaining members of Thirty Seconds To Mars (30STM) have released another album that does its best to inspire you through a cavalcade of beats and chants. This would have been a nice addition to their discography if we hadn't already heard this similar style twice last year.

AMERICA starts off strong with its first two songs "Walk On Water" and "Dangerous Night," which gave me hope that this could be a return to 30STM delivering that stadium experience sound. Unfortunately, the exciting material ends there as the rest of the album feels like knock off sounds of Linkin Park and Imagine Dragons. If only one of these bands didn't release albums last year then sure, it would have been warmly welcome, but now it just sounds like they're trying to catch up with the times. There are several audio cues seemingly ripped straight from One More Light on top of a duet with Halsey that only reminds me of the "Heavy" single released by Linkin Park. Then there's the heavy drums and audience chants reminiscent of the Evolve album from Imagine Dragons trying to invigorate but comes off as copy-cat like. None if this is to say that it is bad, just that it's all been heard before. Even the song "Great Wide Open" sounds like they're borrowing from themselves, which is just lazy.

30STM has become stale in a world of ever evolving music that it has become a bottom feeder to other forward thinking bands. This album is nothing to turn your nose at as it will find its audience and play directly to them, but good luck bringing in any new members. I hate to say it, but maybe Jared Leto should go back to acting.  

- Mike