30 Seconds to Mars Set to Release Eagerly Awaited Sophomore Release "A Beautiful Lie"; Ambitious Musical Statement Took Over Two Years to Complete

Market Wire, March, 2005

After two years of preparation and creative gestation, culminating in ninth months of intensive studio sessions, Virgin Records recording group 30 Seconds to Mars is getting set to release their highly anticipated second album "A Beautiful Lie." Produced by acclaimed producer and Virgin Records Vice President, A&R Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver's Grammy-winning debut, Linkin Park), the new album is set for a summer 2005 release. The first single will be the thunderously melodic "ATTACK" which is set to hit alternative and rock radio this spring.

Comprised of Jared Leto on vocals and guitar, Shannon Leto on drums, Matt Wachter on bass, and Tomo Milicevic on guitar, 30 Seconds to Mars first burst onto the music scene in the fall of 2002 with their eponymously titled debut, which blew critics away with its original blend of alternative and prog-rock. Blender called the album "a high-minded space opera of epic scope." Alternative Press was similarly impressed, praising the album as "an ambitious, immense-sounding work that's at once rich in melody and lyrically jarring." The band's bracing live shows (particularly as opening act for Incubus in 2002 and on Lollapalooza in 2003) further cemented their reputation as a band seriously committed to stretching the boundaries of rock music.

Written and developed on four continents and in five different countries, and recorded in studios in Los Angeles, New York and South Africa, "A Beautiful Lie" represents a quantum leap forward for the Southern California quartet. Communicating with each other on a whole new musical level, the members of 30 Seconds to Mars have come up with a more focused and tightly structured set of songs. Creating a second record that is more personal, revealing, and organic, the band continues to take artistic risks, bravely running the sonic and emotional gamut, from the full-on urgent explosion of "The Kill" to the escalating slow-burn of "A Modern Myth." And emotionally wrought tracks such as "The Story" and the title cut show an astonishing new lyrical maturity and depth.

An utterly unique statement from one of rock's most original voices, "A Beautiful Lie" is an impressive step forward in the musical evolution of 30 Seconds to Mars.

For more information, please contact: Patti Conte Virgin Records (212) 786-8350 Patti.Conte@virgin-records.com Tracy Zamot Virgin Records (212) 786-8370 Tracy.Zamot@virgin-records.com