Top 13 Favorite Albums of 2013 #11 - Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams by 30 Seconds to Mars

UPDATE (10/8/2016 8:01 PM): Replaced broken links.

If you thought I could do a countdown of my favorite musical anything without mentioning 30 Seconds to Mars, then you are absolutely out of your mind. There has been a 30 Seconds to Mars Triad around my neck for the past three or four years now, so you can bet that I lost my mind when I found out that Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, and Tomo Milicevic were releasing a new album after about four years of nothing new. 30 Seconds to Mars is probably one of the biggest reasons why I am where I am in life right now because every song is filled with strength and hope through and through. It radiates from Jared’s iconic pleading vocals and drives the unapologetically energetic instrumentation. Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams does not disappoint, addressing 30 Seconds to Mars’s favored themes of redemption and desperation with their signature steadfast attitude and bravery. While this record contains more electronic influences than some of their earlier records, it still conveys that overwhelming and raw emotion that is the cornerstone of 30 Seconds to Mars. I mean come on, how can you not feel that in tracks like “Northern Lights?” One of my personal favorites, it carries the same cinematic production value and lyrical spirit present on This is War while experimenting with a whole new host of sonic elements to capture and invigorate the listener. As always, 30 Seconds to Mars has crafted the kind of music that helps you pull yourself back up after every fall. Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams is just another reason why the world is a better place with these three guys in it.

Favorite songs:

“Northern Lights”

“City of Angels”

“The Race”