On
This Is War,
Thirty Seconds to Mars shifted their music with the times, adopting a hybrid of
the Killers' retro new wave and
My Chemical Romance's gothic prog, winding up with a sound that suits their stance. Here, they pile up Auto-Tuned vocals, gurgling synthesized loops,
Kanye cameos, and a children's choir on almost every other song. Producers
Steve Lillywhite and
Flood, both veterans of
U2, do give
This Is War an appropriately epic scale for this mix of synth rock, metal, and prog. This move toward goth-glam pushes the band to emphasize hooks and gives them aural variety. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
