As I had previously written, 30 Seconds To Mars was finally slated to release their new album This Is War yesterday. While the band avoided disappointing fans with yet another postponement, the album unfortunately cannot say the same. After falling in love with the album’s first single, “Kings and Queens” I had been hopeful that an epic follow-up to 2005’s platinum selling A Beautiful Lie. Instead, I was faced with a softer, more pop-driven album that comes across as uninspired and well…boring. Particular low-lights include the ballad-esque train wreck that is “Alibi”, and “Hurricane (Feat. Kanye West)”. Why 30STM ever thought pairing up with Kanye would be a good idea is beyond me. However, the news is not all doom and gloom, as tracks such as “Kings and Queens” and “This is War” are reminiscent of the old 30STM and save this album from being a complete nightmare. One can only hope that Jared Leto and company can return to form in their next effort.