30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie

NME.COM feature on 30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie album including album review, artwork, tracks, listen now, tour dates, discography and more.

Album Review

Release date: 30 August 2005

30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie

30 Seconds To Mars: A Beautiful Lie

Yet another actor-turned rocker. Yawn)

Maybe he’s getting into character for his forthcoming role as John Lennon’s killer, Mark Chapman, in new biopic Chapter 27. Whatever, on his band’s second album, Jared Leto is, like, seriously pissed off. And what do 35-year-old Hollywood actors do when they’re pissed off? Why, don a beanie hat, perfect their most tortured emo whine (sample lyric: “What if I fell to the...

Read full review

  • Feb 23, 2007

30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie Videos

More 30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie Videos

30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie YouTube Videos

More 30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie YouTube Videos

30 Seconds to Mars News

30 Seconds To Mars play secret set on the roof of the O2 Arena

30 Seconds To Mars play secret set on the roof of the O2 Arena

Tickets for the group's November show at the venue go on sale on Friday

30 Seconds To Mars announce UK and Ireland tour

30 Seconds To Mars announce UK and Ireland tour

The Jared Leto-fronted band will return to Europe in November

30 Seconds To Mars to play flashmob gig in London this afternoon (May 30)

30 Seconds To Mars to play flashmob gig in London this afternoon (May 30)

Jared Leto and band to play secret show in Soho Square at 4pm

More 30 Seconds to Mars News

30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie: Wikipedia Album Entry

A Beautiful Lie is the second studio album by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. The album was released on August 30, 2005 through Virgin Records and was produced by Josh Abraham. The album produced four singles, "Attack", "The Kill (Bury Me)", "From Yesterday", and "A Beautiful Lie"; three of the four songs managed to chart within the top thirty on the U.S. Modern Rock chart, with "The Kill" and "From Yesterday" both entering the top ten. It has also gone Platinum, shipping over 1 million copies. Also Going on to be Gold certified in Canada (50,000 copies) by March 2007.

A Beautiful Lie is different from the band's self-titled debut album, both musically and lyrically. Whereas the eponymous concept album's lyrics focus on human struggle and astronomical themes, and the music was heavily atmospheric, the lyrics of A Beautiful Lie are "personal and less cerebral", and the music takes on a youthful, more post-hardcore approach by introducing occasional intense screaming vocals and deemphasizing synth background effects.

A Beautiful Lie was recorded on four different continents in five different countries over a three-year period to accommodate vocalist/guitarist Jared Leto's acting career. The album's title track, as well as three other songs, were composed in Cape Town, South Africa, where Leto was later met by his bandmates to work on the tracks. It was during this time that Leto conceived the album's title. Prior to this, the album was tentatively to be released under the title The Battle of One. The album was leaked onto peer-to-peer file sharing networks almost five months before its scheduled release; however the version of the album that leaked happened to be unmastered. Because of this, the band was forced to set the release date of the album back.

To promote A Beautiful Lie, 30 Seconds to Mars included the songs "Battle of One" and "Hunter" (originally performed by Björk) as bonus tracks. To further promote the album, the band included "golden passes" with three of the special versions of the album that entitled the buyer free entrance and backstage access to any 30 Seconds to Mars show for the rest of their formation.

The album was re-released with new artwork as A Beautiful Lie - Deluxe Edition on November 21, 2006. The set contained one bonus track — a re-recording of the "The Kill (Bury Me)", entitled "The Kill (Rebirth)". Also included was a DVD featuring the VMA-nominated video for "The Kill", making of "The Kill" video, live performances and MTV2 moments involving the band.

Before production of the Deluxe Edition, the band requested that the members of the "Echelon" send in their names so that they could be thanked for their support over the years. As a result, the inside cover(s) of the Deluxe Edition contain a large list of printed fan names. In addition to this, the front cover contains a holographic image consisting of the Mithra (phoenix) and the Trinity (skulls).

The album was re-released yet again in 2007, following extensive touring throughout Europe, in an attempt to expose themselves to a larger audience. The re-release is essentially the same as the original release, although includes different artwork. The album was re-released in Ireland again in November 2007. The version contains the new version of "The Kill" and a second bonus track, an acoustic version of "A Beautiful Lie" recorded live on a radio session.

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.

Like 30 Seconds to Mars? You might also like...

Powered by Last.fm

Artist/Album artwork images hosted by Last.fm. For copyright enquiries please see here.

Buy 30 Seconds to Mars Albums

All 30 Seconds to Mars Albums

30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - Attack Lyrics

I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
Surrender to nothing, I'll give up what I
Started and stop this, from end to beginning
A new day is coming, and I am finally free

More 30 Seconds to Mars - Attack Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - A Modern Myth Lyrics

Did we create a modern myth?
Did we imagine half of it?
Would happen in a thought from now
Save yourself, save yourself

More 30 Seconds to Mars - A Modern Myth Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - R-evolve Lyrics

A revolution has begun today for me inside
The ultimate defense is to pretend
Revolve around yourself just like an ordinary man
The only other option to forget

More 30 Seconds to Mars - R-evolve Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - The Story Lyrics

I've been thinking of everything
I used to want to be
I've been thinking of everything
Of me, of you and me

More 30 Seconds to Mars - The Story Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - From Yesterday Lyrics

He's a stranger to some and a vision to none
He can never get enough, get enough of the one
For a fortune, he'd quit but it's hard to admit
How it ends and begins on his face is a map of the world

More 30 Seconds to Mars - From Yesterday Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - Savior Lyrics

Until you crash, until you burn
Until you lie, until you learn
Until you see, until you believe

More 30 Seconds to Mars - Savior Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - The Fantasy Lyrics

With the lights out, it’s a little less dangerous
Even with a stranger, never gets painless
Don’t be afraid
Every time I think I’m gonna change it

More 30 Seconds to Mars - The Fantasy Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - Was It A Dream? Lyrics

If this is where I'll hide
It was built deep inside
Yeah, I'm a selfish bastard
But at least I'm not alone

More 30 Seconds to Mars - Was It A Dream? Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill Lyrics

What if I wanted to break
Laugh it all off in your face
What would you do?

More 30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie Lyrics

Lie awake in bed at night
And think about your life
Do you want to be different?
Try to let go of the truth

More 30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie Lyrics

30 Seconds to Mars - Hunter Lyrics

If travel is searching
And home what's been found
I'm not stopping

More 30 Seconds to Mars - Hunter Lyrics

More 30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie Lyrics

 
Latest Tickets - Booking Now
 
Know Your NME
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
 

NME Newsletters

 
Most Read News
Popular This Week
NME Store & Framed Prints
Inside NME.COM
On NME.COM Today