First Listen: New Thirty Seconds to Mars Album 'Love Lust Faith + Dreams'

FUSE TV - First Listen: New Thirty Seconds to Mars Album 'Love Lust Faith + Dreams'

On Monday, Jared Leto's Thirty Seconds to Mars debuted “Up in the Air,” the first single from their upcoming fourth album Love Lust Faith + Dreams, from the International Space Station. Tuesday night, the Los Angeles trio unveiled six new songs from a less celestial (though still cosmic) locale: Jimi Hendrix's iconic Electric Lady Studios in New York City. 

In the dimly lit basement studio (where classic albums from the Strokes, Weezer and others were recorded), music execs, journalists and a reclusive Olsen twin (most likely Leto's exe Ashley, but who can really tell...) gathered to sample the LP. Beer and wine were sipped and soon the lights were cut for a video clip that was, essentially, a self-congratulating tour through the band's career highlights. Then we heard the band's first new material in three years.

What did we learn? Well, that vocalist Jared Leto, guitarist Tomo Miličević and drummer Shannon Leto (Jared's brother) are sticking to their anthemic alt-rock guns, but exploring new, more contemporary sounds. The band add electronica production and dance beats to support their hard-hitting rock.

Specific album details are yet to be confirmed, so the LP's track list and song titles weren't available at press time. Read about the six songs below and stay tuned to Fuse for updates.

Song 1:
From the track's opening tribal drum beats at least one thing was clear: This isn’t your typical 30STM. The band open the session with a statement, channeling "Bohemian Rhapsody" on a multi-movement epic. Combined with an electric buzz—think the sound of a hospital's EKG machine—an eerie, powerful and cinematic tone was set... then self-detonated with the band’s recognizable alt-rock bombast, complete with soaring violins. “This is a fight to the death!” Leto roared. The track closed with a massive, stadium-filling chorus, delivered in his famous screamo vocal.

Song 2 / "Up in the Air":
With its four-on-the-floor beat, dance-y synth and trance effects, 30 Seconds to Mars'  comeback single “Up in the Air" is crafted for 2013's EDM-obsessed music world. It's piano drama and Leto's melodramatic vocals about "portraits of a tortured you" will satisfy their core fan base, but should find a home on the dance floor, too.

Song 3 / Possibly titled "City of Angels":
Forget Ben Gibbard—perhaps Jared Leto should've won those rehearsals and landed the gig as Postal Service frontman. 30STM channel Gibbard's electronic side-project on this track, possibly titled "City of Angeles," with gliding, '80s-inspired synthesizers. But soon hard rock guitars and percussion come crashing in on the chorus as Leto sings, “Lost in the City of Angels / Down in the comfort of strangers / I found myself.” 

Song 4:
30STM again go the synthy dance route on the track's intro before fire-alarm guitars and pummeling drums roar in and smash the Korg keyboards to bits. Like "Up in the Air," the raging rock sound is paired with a pulsing EDM beat, which takes over for a few bars before the final anthemic chorus arrives with Leto shouting, "And the story goes on," repeating the final syllable. It's so catchy it could've been a contender for the LP's first single.

Song 5:
The fifth track, an interlude of sorts, opens with the pastoral sound of birds chirping. The ominous thrum of cellos and chill-inducing chanting enter, hinting at some impending doom. It's an epic swell, sans crashing guitars, drums or even English lyrics.

Song 6 / Possibly titled "Bright Lights":
The sixth and final song played during the listening session was a soft, piano-led tune with soaring yet gentle electric guitars and synths. “Bright lights, big city / She dreams of love / Bright lights, big city / She lives to run,” Leto coos with a raw, strained delivery. He sounds vulnerable and it's touching closure.

After a round of applause the members of Thirty Seconds to Mars–all sporting a new look with longer hair 'dos; Leto's was pulled back into a ponytail–delivered a short and vague speech about the album, which the boys called “a new beginning.” In a candid moment Leto called himself a "control freak" and thanked his record label team for letting him “annoy the living sh-t out of you” with his constant e-mails.

Finally, the band previewed the opening 60 seconds of their music video for “Up in the Air,” which flashed pics of different animals (including the baby zebra on the single’s cover) and ended with the band’s shiny new logo—yet another sign that 30STM are shooting for the stars with their ambitious new album.

Lawyer In Lust

44m

Lawyer In Lust

Love at First Sight

24m

Love at First Sight

Addicted to Love

46m

Addicted to Love

Listen and Learn

46m

Listen and Learn

Suck It Up and Go to Mars

21m

Suck It Up and Go to Mars

Bikini Body Dreams

44m

Bikini Body Dreams

Taylor Swift: Wild Dreams

52m

Taylor Swift: Wild Dreams

Dream Team of Bounce

21m

Dream Team of Bounce

Liam Payne On His Debut Album and Journey To Solo Stardom

3m

Liam Payne On His Debut Album and Journey To Solo Stardom

Kamala Harris: Chase the Dream

40m

Kamala Harris: Chase the Dream

Animal Love

20m

Animal Love

Love & Salsa

Love & Salsa

Animal Love

20m

Animal Love

Love Stakes

20m

Love Stakes

Clark & Cody Dream About Drum Corps

2m

Clark & Cody Dream About Drum Corps

Love & Salsa - Trailer

25s

Love & Salsa - Trailer

My First…

21m

My First…

Rhapsody of Love - Trailer

1m

Rhapsody of Love - Trailer

No Glove, No Love

46m

No Glove, No Love

Everybody Loves Chris Rock

40m

Everybody Loves Chris Rock

Our Transgender Love Story

40m

Our Transgender Love Story

Everybody Loves A Party

20m

Everybody Loves A Party

Bruno Mars: Just the Way I Am

41m

Bruno Mars: Just the Way I Am

Greyson Chance Shows Us His DM's & Talks His 'Redemptive' Album

2m

Greyson Chance Shows Us His DM's & Talks His 'Redemptive' Album

Big Freedia Talks Just Be Free Debut Album: Girl Down

7m

Big Freedia Talks Just Be Free Debut Album: Girl Down

IDK Releases Post-Debut Album Stress At The Wrecking Room

6m

IDK Releases Post-Debut Album Stress At The Wrecking Room

Beyoncé & Jay-Z: Power Love

49m

Beyoncé & Jay-Z: Power Love

Love It or Leave It

20m

Love It or Leave It

First Gen Comedians React to Cringy Episodes of "Pant Off Dance Off"

1m

First Gen Comedians React to Cringy Episodes of "Pant Off Dance Off"

LA's First Hormone Therapy

1m

LA's First Hormone Therapy

Bollywed S2: First Look

1m

Bollywed S2: First Look

Upcycle Nation: First Look

30s

Upcycle Nation: First Look

TallBoyz: First Look

1m

TallBoyz: First Look

Ne-Yo On Leading By Example With His Album, Good Man

4m

Ne-Yo On Leading By Example With His Album, Good Man

New York, New York

21m

New York, New York

Love In The Time Of Pandademic

20m

Love In The Time Of Pandademic

Made From Scratch: First Look

1m

Made From Scratch: First Look

Sex Clinic S2: First Look

1m

Sex Clinic S2: First Look

Cody Spells Out Love On The Field

1m

Cody Spells Out Love On The Field

New Blood

45m

New Blood

New Beginnings

20m

New Beginnings

New Generation

56s

New Generation

Made From Scratch S5: First Look

1m

Made From Scratch S5: First Look

First Time I Saw Myself: T

3m

First Time I Saw Myself: T

First Time I Saw Myself: Fran

2m

First Time I Saw Myself: Fran

First Time I Saw Myself: Ronnie

2m

First Time I Saw Myself: Ronnie

First Time I Saw Myself: Azul

1m

First Time I Saw Myself: Azul

First Time I Saw Myself: Prism

3m

First Time I Saw Myself: Prism

First Time I Saw Myself: Kain

3m

First Time I Saw Myself: Kain

Made From Scratch S4: First Look

1m

Made From Scratch S4: First Look

First Time I Saw Myself: Juan

2m

First Time I Saw Myself: Juan

First Time I Saw Myself: Ladon

1m

First Time I Saw Myself: Ladon

First Look: Like A Girl S2

30s

First Look: Like A Girl S2

The Hollywood Puppet Show S2: First Look

1m

The Hollywood Puppet Show S2: First Look

T-Pain's School of Business: First Look

1m

T-Pain's School of Business: First Look

The First Time, In A Long Time

20m

The First Time, In A Long Time

New Cage King

44m

New Cage King

A New High

1h 39m

A New High

New York City

44m

New York City

Yungblud Recalls His Chaotic First Sold Out Show

2m

Yungblud Recalls His Chaotic First Sold Out Show

Bishop Briggs On Her First American Dating Experience

2m

Bishop Briggs On Her First American Dating Experience

New Boss of Bounce

21m

New Boss of Bounce

A New High - Trailer

2m

A New High - Trailer

New Girl In Town

22m

New Girl In Town

Chloe x Halle Share Beyonce's First Words of Advice

4m

Chloe x Halle Share Beyonce's First Words of Advice

First Gen Comedians Break Down America's Obsession with Bacon

2m

First Gen Comedians Break Down America's Obsession with Bacon

iLoveMakonnen Talks X Rated DMs & Randomly Venmo-ing Fans

3m

iLoveMakonnen Talks X Rated DMs & Randomly Venmo-ing Fans

The New York City Hustle

1m

The New York City Hustle

New York Skate Of Mind

22m

New York Skate Of Mind

Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date: Wilmer Valderrama Meets His Puppet

56s

Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date: Wilmer Valderrama Meets His Puppet

Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date: Terry Crews Meets His Puppet

1m

Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date: Terry Crews Meets His Puppet

Steve Aoki Meets His Puppet: Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date

1m

Steve Aoki Meets His Puppet: Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date

Sebastián Yatra Does ASMR w/ Maracas, Talks “Chica Ideal” & Love For Colombia

6m

Sebastián Yatra Does ASMR w/ Maracas, Talks “Chica Ideal” & Love For Colombia

Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date: Damon Wayans Jr. Meets His Puppet

1m

Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date: Damon Wayans Jr. Meets His Puppet

'Hollywood Puppet Shitshow' First Date: Amanda Cerny Meets Herself on Strings

1m

'Hollywood Puppet Shitshow' First Date: Amanda Cerny Meets Herself on Strings

Hollywood Puppet Sh!tshow First Date: Amber Rose Meets Her Puppet

1m

Hollywood Puppet Sh!tshow First Date: Amber Rose Meets Her Puppet

Hollywood Puppet Sh!tshow First Date: Anjelah Johnson-Reyes Meets Her Puppet

1m

Hollywood Puppet Sh!tshow First Date: Anjelah Johnson-Reyes Meets Her Puppet

Todrick Hall Reveals First Big Paycheck and Why Unfollowing Beyonce is Blasphemous

3m

Todrick Hall Reveals First Big Paycheck and Why Unfollowing Beyonce is Blasphemous

The Cadets and Their Spankin New Toys

43s

The Cadets and Their Spankin New Toys

LGBTQIA Community, What Is The New Norm?

6m

LGBTQIA Community, What Is The New Norm?

Karruche Tran Meets A Mini Version of Herself: Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date

54s

Karruche Tran Meets A Mini Version of Herself: Hollywood Puppet Shitshow First Date

Out With The Old, In With The New

20m

Out With The Old, In With The New

The DCI Struggles of Starting A New Summer

46s

The DCI Struggles of Starting A New Summer

Big Freedia Hits New York City's Pride Parade

1m

Big Freedia Hits New York City's Pride Parade

Back to Business

20m

Back to Business

Maid To Order

45m

Maid To Order

Filmmakers To Watch

Filmmakers To Watch

Toe to Toe

1h 43m

Toe to Toe

Two to Tango

46m

Two to Tango

Kayak to Klemtu

1h 23m

Kayak to Klemtu

Right To Twerk

20m

Right To Twerk

License to Breed

23m

License to Breed

Care to Laugh

1h 16m

Care to Laugh

Welcome To Hollywood

21m

Welcome To Hollywood

Letter To Myself: Ronnie

1m

Letter To Myself: Ronnie

Letter To Myself: Prism

1m

Letter To Myself: Prism

Care to Laugh - Trailer

2m

Care to Laugh - Trailer

Whitney: Born to Sing

41m

Whitney: Born to Sing

Down to the Wire

45m

Down to the Wire

Letter To Myself: T

2m

Letter To Myself: T

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information