Album Reissue Review: Ozzy Osbourne 'Blizzard of Ozz' & 'Diary of a Madmen'

Ozzy Osbourne: Blizzard of Ozz / Diary of a Madman Reissues
By Anthony Kuzminski

Buy the Box Set HERE

It’s hard to believe but back in 1979, Ozzy Osbourne had been fired from Black Sabbath and no one seemed to care. Who could have imagined that he would one day reinvent himself into an industry all unto himself? The movies, documentaries, festivals, world tours and the television show which made him a household name; none of it would have been possible without the first two albums that defined him as a solo artist; Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. These two records set the template for his entire solo career with everything that has followed being compared to them. Besides the songs, one of the reasons for their untouchable status is because of guitarist Randy Rhoads; a one-of-a-kind guitarist who could not only shred but had equally astounding talent to hold back and compose supple sonnets of serenity. Rhoads virtuosity, Ozzy’s character and the team of Bob Daisley on bass and Lee Kerslake on drums combined created two albums that are widely regarded masterpieces all these years later.

Both albums are celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year (Blizzard was initially released in Europe in 1980 and six months later in the US). Their existence in remastered form (along with the digital realm) has been a confusing one. Initially, when Ozzy began to remaster his catalog in 1995 the album art work was shrunk and placed amidst poor and cheap looking coloring. This was done to differentiate them from the non-remasters on the market. The sound quality was pristine but the extras and artwork were lacking. In 2002, most of his catalog was reissued, but stunningly Blizzard and Madman were reissued with the bass and drums re-recorded by Osbourne’s then bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin. Let’s be honest, Trujillo and Bordin are immeasurably better musicians than either Daisley or Kerslake but the problem was the fans know these records from their own memories and newer fans discovered these songs from the radio and YouTube. However, for the first time, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madmen receives the reissue treatment they both deserve. The recordings are restored in stunning quality restored and touched up by George Marino. While the 1995 remaster sounds great, I’d give a slight nod to these recordings. Both sets include bonus material as well where between the 1995 and 2002 editions, a mere two extra songs were released. Lastly, for the uber Ozzy fan there is a box set containing both albums on CD, 180-gram LP Vinyl, a bonus live CD, a replica of Ozzy’s iconic cross, a 2-sided poster, an expansive 100-page coffee table book and the most anticipated item of the set, Thirty Years After the Blizzard DVD which has a 40-minute documentary and an additional 70-minutes of bonus material (more on this in a bit).

Blizzard of Ozz opens like a mist rising off a lake in the early morning and Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career ascends with a unleashed riff on “I Don’t Know”. The opening is punctuated by a robust rhythm section and indistinguishable vocals. This opening cut, and all of Blizzard for that matter, take the listener on a rock n’ roll roller coaster ride that never relents. “Crazy Train” has one of the most tremendous and euphoric openings ever. Finding middle ground between humor and joy, the song invades your aural senses the same way a first kiss speeds up your heartbeat. The lovely “Goodbye to Romance” shows depths of Osbourne no one knew existed before. Sure, we all heard “Changes” when he was with Sabbath, but he goes one step further in expressing his solitude in a song so superbly solemn and sweet. This new anniversary package also a new mix of the song with only Osbourne’s vocals and Rhoads’ guitar. The stripped version of the song is almost eerie. It reminds me of John Lennon from Osbourne’s vocal inflictions to the lyric writing (some of which must be credited to Bob Daisley); it gives a tip-of-the-hat to Lennon while Osbourne’s fingerprints are definitive. The instrumental acoustic “Dee” is perfect before it dovetails into the confessional and controversial “Suicide Solution”. “Mr. Crowley” is spooky with its organ/synth opening that summons spirits from the past and could have been mood music for a horror film. Even a few of the album’s lesser known songs, “No Bone Movies”, “Revelation (Mother Earth)” and “Steal Away” (The Night) are every bit as invigorating making Blizzard of Ozz not just one of the definitive albums of the hard rock-metal genre but one of the most enduring rock records of the last three decades.

There are three bonus tracks on this edition of Blizzard; the Non-LP B-side “You Looking At Me, Looking At You”, “Goodbye To Romance” in a previously unreleased guitar and vocal mix created just last year and a “RR” a never before heard Randy Rhoads guitar solo found at the end of a tape of one of the Blizzard songs. It’s featured on the documentary Thirty Years After The Blizzard where you can see Ozzy hear it for the first time. It’s a wonderful revelation and scene. The solo is short, but because of the limited amount of music Rhoads left behind, every bit of it counts. “You Looking at Me, Looking At You” is a b-side that is here in its original incarnation on CD for the first time (the 2002 reissue has the bass and drums re-recorded). The 2002 CD editions had some great liner notes and pictures surprisingly not available here, however, the biggest omission from the reissue is the song “You Said It All” from the 1980 Mr. Crowley Live EPsingle release. None of the live cuts from this EP have ever appeared digitally or on CD for that matter. “You Said It All” was cut live at sound check with crowd noise added later and it would have been a nice addition to the extra space on Blizzard, alas it was not meant to be. One can only hope that it will find a place on a more extensive all encompassing box set of outtakes and rarities one day. If the EP had been included (along with the live b-side of “I Don’t Know” included on the 2002 edition of Madman) these reissues could be definitive.

Diary of a Madman is often deemed to be the better of the two releases. I’m not sure I agree with many of this, but it does demonstrate the band’s growth as musicians and songwriters, especially Randy Rhodes. Listening to the album’s title cut, you get a sense of Rhoads bringing classical elements into Ozzy’s music and the 6-minute track is one of his greatest. Songs like “Little Dolls” show the band’s further evolution with the marching drum opening to the ending guitar solo, it’s another lost treasure in Osbourne’s catalog; ditto “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll” which reaches epic proportions especially with its 7-minute length. “Over the Mountain” and “Flying High Again” are the best known tracks and offer the album a one-two punch in its opening. “Believer” with Bob Daisley’s downright wicked bass is haunting. While the album may have an unfinished feel to it, the development in terms of performance and songwriting is noticeable, it’s only a shame Rhoads died before he could have taken Ozzy to new realms.

Included in the Legacy edition of Madman is a previously unreleased live show from the Blizzard of Ozz tour in 1981. The notes and press release do not disclose where the show is from or specifically when. Despite this, the show is nothing short of epic. Even if you own Tribute (possibly the best release in Ozzy’s entire catalog), the performances and sound here are so enlivening you can’t help but feel pulled in. I am pretty sure to my ears there are no overdubs here or any touch ups are minimal. I’m not sure if it has been recorded before or after Tribute. Based on comments, my hunch is it was recorded on he second leg of the Blizzard tour. It is Tommy Aldridge on drums and Rudy Sarzo on bass. Despite the fact that every song is on Tribute there are subtle differences in the performances making it essential for any Ozzy fan.

The box set, which includes a 100-page coffee book (which I unfortunately did not have an opportunity to view), has something that may tempt even casual fans to buy it, an exclusive DVD, Thirty Years After the Blizzard. It’s an imperfect documentary, but while it may miss some key interviews and historical aspects, it hits a home run from an emotional level. Key players Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake are not interviewed and that is a shame and a gaping hole in the history of these records. That being said, it’s not necessarily your normal type documentary. It doesn’t fit in with the Classic Album series or even a straight up documentary. Despite being a mere 40-minutes long, it’s completely engaging and if there is any major fault to it, it’s too short. Much of the documentary has contemporary musicians discussing the importance of these two records and the lasting influence of Randy Rhoads. Some of the most fascinating footage is of Zakk Wylde recreating the guitar solos note-for-note. He also does more than discuss Rhoads from an emotional standpoint but from a technical one as well since he was writing things on the guitar that there was no template for before him. Nikki Sixx has some great insight into the two records and members of Osbourne’s current touring band stand in awe of the legacy they get to recreate every night onstage but its Osbourne’s facial expressions which tell us a deeper story. Both Sharon and Ozzy give their insight to the events surrounding these albums including the Alamo and biting heads off animal incidents (yes that is plural) but it’s the ghost of Randy Rhoads that infiltrates the film like a thief in the night. I was a bit stunned to see them barely discuss the crash that took his life and to see the film end abruptly with little explanation or aftermath but in retrospect it makes complete sense. They don’t glorify the incident and the look on Osbourne’s face as he hears his voice and Rhoads guitar on a new mix of “Goodbye to Romance” is the most sobering scene in recent rock documentary memory. The Osbourne family can get a bad rap at times for an assortment of business decisions, but that being said, there’s no hiding the shock and devastation from their faces when discussing Rhoads. It’s ghostly seeing a lucid Osbourne mourn his friend and the emotions on his face say it all.

While the documentary itself may be short, there is an additional 70-minutes of additional features all of which are hard to find or rarely seen before. We get professional television performances from 1981 (“After Hours” which we have seen on YouTube but having them all here in one place is a treat. This was also years before we became addicted to cutting the camera and having as many angles as possible. Here there only seems to be two (possibly three) cameras and as a result, it usually stays on the respective member for a while. The footage of Rhoads wailing on his guitar is especially fascinating. He was doing things with the guitar few were capable of but he made look so easy. We also get a slew of bootleg footage from the 1981-1982 tours to revel in. The New York footage from 1981 is a tad rough but there’s something o be said to see someone not fully aware they’re being filmed. There are several interviews on the DVD as well, but the most fascinating clip for me is from early 1982 in New Mexico where we see Tommy Aldridge, Rudy Sarzo, Randy Rhoads and Osbourne open a show on the Diary of a Madman tour. Footage from this tour is scarce, including audio, so it’s wondrous to have it here on the DVD. Seeing “Over the Mountain” kick off the show is a thrill and the four piece band is at the top of their game. It’ a shame more footage does not exist.

Making a decision to repurchase albums you already own isn’t one that comes easy especially when the albums are being released on CD for the fourth time. However, the new 30th Anniversary editions of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman are essential purchases for both casual and die-hard Ozzy Osbourne fans. Both albums sound the best they ever have and the added bonus features take them over the top. While the deluxe box set carries a hefty price tag ($170), there is a high volume of top notch quality associated with it. Even though they fall short in terms of capturing everything, they’re still worthy additions to your musical collection even if you already own them.The bonus live CD and the DVD almost make it worth the price alone, let alone with a 100-page book throw in, it may be worth investing in. Even if you can’t afford the box, both albums are available individually and since they’re had the original performances reinstated, added bonus tracks and the best sound they have ever had makes your decision simple. These two records find Osbourne reborn and at the peak of his powers which are more than the first steps into a much larger career, but defining albums of the hard rock genre.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

antiMusic.com: 30 Seconds to Mars: A Cinematic Call to Arms

antiMusic.com: 30 Seconds to Mars: A Cinematic Call to Arms

antiMusic.com: Remembering Clarence Clemons

antiMusic.com: Remembering Clarence Clemons

Clarence Clemons: Cross This River To The Other Side

Clarence Clemons: Cross This River To The Other Side
By Anthony Kuzminski

• Read my article on Danny Federici here
• Read all related Springsteen articles here

I often write about music as a form of therapy for the soul. It comforts us during times of tribulations and can shelter us from the all too harsh realities of the world. Listening to music can be therapeutic and anytime I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in the decade between 1999 and 2009, I walked away not just feeling better but with a stronger sense of myself. Starting in 1994 and for the remainder of the decade, I don’t think there was a single day that passed where the music of Bruce Springsteen wasn’t played. I was surrounded by quite a bit of darkness at that time in my life and those Springsteen albums, bootlegs and eventually the tours helped save me. Now as much as music moves me I’ve always felt that if you don’t adapt the lessons you learn to your life, then those moments inside the arena and heard on the turntable are in vain.

Last night I was waiting to go into a Shakespeare play and I see a Twitter post from Southside Johnny piano player Jeff Kazee that Clarence Clemons had passed. To be honest, ever since the E Street Band had reunited in 1999 I knew that any show I saw could have potentially been the last. Despite a rigorous workout routine while on tour, the years were hard on Clarence. I won’t lie; some nights were tough to watch as he struggled to make his way through certain songs. The flip side to it is that on other nights, you closed your eyes and could have sworn it was 1975. During the course of the decade long reunion I saw the E Street Band 37-times and for that I feel blessed. No two shows I ever saw were the same even if a show never found its groove one guarantee was the rapturous applause from the crowd whenever Clarence Clemons blew into his saxophone. When I asked a friend after a show what his favorite part was he responded “whenever Clarence played a saxophone solo because the crowd just lost it”. He was right, when those classic solos came up the crowd would burst to life.

Towards the end of the tour in support of Magic the band added a handful of dates through the Midwest and South and St. Louis happened to be on a Saturday evening, as a result fans came in from all over the country for this show and the combination of a sweltering summer night, a passionate fan base in the crowd and a band ready to not just rock but roll led to one of the utmost live experiences these eyes have ever laid witness to. I remember Clarence specifically on this night as my side stage seats were right next to him. The show started late due to a doctor checking him out before the show, but when it started the band and crowd found a groove few crowds and acts ever find in conjunction with one another. The band played extensions of our own fears and dreams out on the stage that night. Even when the band reached back to the past, it didn’t feel like a nostalgia trip but an extension of our hearts in the here and now. This was never more evident than when Springsteen pulled a sign from the crowd that read “Drive All Night”. The song always felt overwrought for my tastes and despite superb use of it in the 1997 film Cop Land, I never treasured until this evening. Springsteen sung the song with his eye lids shut as if he was decorating the lyrics with real life emotions from the pit of his stomach and then nearly 4-minutes in, Clarence Clemons burst to life in the most superb and soulful saxophone solo I ever saw him perform. Lasting just under a minute, it’s the most affecting solo in the E Street cannon (cue up the song to 3:42 on The River). Sure, “Jungleland” is more epic, “Dancing in the Dark” more mischievous, “The Promised Land” and “Badlands” more conquering but “Drive All Night”, it evokes soul. I don’t think anyone could mimic those notes and simultaneously equal the lyrics. It was a performance that wouldn’t have reached the heights it did without Clemons.

Sitting next to me during the entire St. Louis show was my wife, who was a month into a pregnancy that would lead to the birth of our daughter the following March. I couldn’t help but feel that in the 1990’s I was destined to be alone for my life. Everywhere I searched I sought recognition and love but was shunned. What no one tells you in life are that even with great parents and all the right tools, it’s no guarantee the world will love you back. It’s easy to fall prey to the negativity of the world and shelter yourself from it so as to not be hurt. I would do this from time to time, but music and film pushed me to be true to myself for better or worse. The music evoked such a potent rejoinder from within; I wanted that occurrence not just for a few moments every day, but every moment of every day. I look back on that dark time in my life and all I can say is that I feel blessed to have had music that made me feel so much and want so much for myself. I never wanted to settle. Eventually my wife, Jenny, came into my life and gives me that feeling of the rush when the lights go down when the band comes on stage or when the house lights come on for “Born to Run” or when all of the E Street Band stand on the tip of the stage taking their bows as a family, I have that feeling now every day because she is my band, my family, my soul.

As healing as music can be, if it doesn’t inspire you to find a way through your predicament, then it hasn’t fully lived up to its potential. I was broken, beaten and scarred but I would listen to the sax solo in “The Promised Land” and pick myself up to be beaten down again, but that was OK because I was ready for the fight. I’d hear the pure glee of the whole E Street Band on “Out in the Street” and know that better days were ahead of me and I’d long for lost loves and friendships when that final note on “Bobby Jean” would be held for what seemed like an eternity. What Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band did for me was more than merely console, it transformed my existence. I fought harder, loved harder and always strove to be more than I thought I could be. The music Springsteen recorded with the E Street Band through 1984’s Born in the USA was meant to be heard and celebrated amidst friends. Just like the band on stage, the crowd came to not just see themselves in these songs, but in the band members onstage. The first E Street Band reunion gig I saw, there were six friends of mine together dancing the night away and singing at the top of our lungs. We were in nosebleeds but none of that mattered because we shared the experience…together.

Bruce Springsteen may have been the songwriter of those songs, but their impact wouldn’t have been the same without the E Street Band. Without his blood brothers backing him, I have no doubt he would have attained success but not at the level he did. They took his music to new stratospheres and to a wider audience whose lives are better because of it. Springsteen’s most iconic image is the Born to Run album cover with Clemons next to him; a status of friendship and it was a precursor for the songs inside. The death Clarence Clemons is the end of an era. It saddens me my daughter will never get to see him in concert and witness not just the music prowess of the band but their camaraderie as well. With Danny Federici and now Clemons gone, the E Street Band we grew up loving may go on, but it will never be the same. Regardless, we still have the records, the DVD’s and above all else, the memories. A few weeks ago on VH-1 Classic the live “Born to Run” video (filmed in 1985) was on and my daughter watched intensely and waved her hands in the air. I wish for her to experience music as grand as the E Street Band, see friendships as mighty as this band and above all else I want her to love something in this world as much as I love her. One day I will sit her down and show her that clip along with a few others and try to explain how this band and this music changed my life for the better. I was once lost but was then found and it’s partly because I live in a world where Clarence Clemons and the E Street Band music not just existed but reminded me that there is beauty all around and that yes, indeed, love is real.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter

30 Seconds to Mars: A Cinematic Call to Arms

30 Seconds to Mars: A Cinematic Call to Arms

By Anthony Kuzminski

Writer's Note: Special thanks to my editor at antiMUSIC, Keavin Wiggins for encouraging me to write this. He wanted something special this week for the ongoing 13th anniversary of antiMUSIC and instead of giving him an older review I am fond of, I wanted to write about 30 Seconds to Mars, in short, because I want others to share my experience. This review will run simultaneously here on the blog and over at antiMUSIC at THIS LINK





‘Some people believe in God, I believe in music”
-A fan from the “Closer to the Edge” music video‘

In the summer of 1989, Jon Bon Jovi made a grand proclamation to the civilized world that he was a fighter, poet and preacher and did so against a back drop of pyrotechnics, a full body coat, a cat walk and 20,000 fans who appeared to be lost in a total trance. The video clip of their top-ten hit “Lay Your Hands on Me” is arguably the greatest live performance videos ever aired on MTV. Of course, at the time, the critics scoffed and laughed at the band, especially with a title as unglamorous as “Lay Your Hands on Me”, but they missed the point…completely. The clip (and their concerts for that matter) weren’t about pleasing those with pens and notebooks in the dark but about the bond between the band and its fans. Director Wayne Isham placed the viewer inside the eye of a hurricane making them not just an observer, but a participant. It simultaneously made you not just want to be a rock star, but embrace the communal experience featured in the clip. Even since then, for the better part of two-plus decades, that live video has gone unmatched; until now. One never could have imagined that a first rate Hollywood actor would step behind a camera and renew one’s faith not just in the music video medium, but in music as well.

Capturing innocence, experience and emotion in under five minutes is no easy feat let alone trying to find a series of images to capture the essence of a song, it’s a fun experiment but one that proves to be impossible for most artists who aren’t Jared Leto. When Leto made music a priority a little more than a decade back, I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t saddened. I’ll fully admit to rolling my eyes when Leto ventured into music leaving acting in the dust. Even though he fell into acting as a way to pay bills while pursuing music, I felt it was an extended and misguided ego trip initially. I’m happy to report I was wrong; dead wrong. I never wanted to see him fail, I just happened to feel he was coming into his own as an actor. He inhabited truly colorful characters and worked with preeminent directors such as Terrence Malick, Darren Aronofsky and David Fincher. When I saw his performance of Mark David Chapman in the brilliant but little seen Chapter 27 I was transfixed so much so that I almost forgot he was in the film. He had a Raging Bull transformation which made him unrecognizable and despite putting a priority on music, the film proves he didn’t lose a step in the acting department. If anything, it infuriated me that he was leaving choice roles that could have been his to other actors who lack the elegance he inhabits. Instead of becoming one of the defining actors of his generation, he picked up a guitar and formed 30 Seconds to Mars with his brother Shannon on drums. In 2003 guitarist (and current member) Tomo Miličević joined them and since then they have created three full albums.

When 30 Seconds to Mars first album debuted in 2002, I wasn’t sold. For the next five years, they demonstrated great flair but to my ears, they felt more like aspirants rather than stars prepping for a heavy weight battle. What I never considered, until I heard their third album (This Is War) was that they were evolving with each record. We no longer live in a day and age where artists are slowed to evolve and become better at their craft. In fact, most acts never get to make a second record, let alone three and everyone is guilty of judging acts harshly. Look at all of the artists who never would have been able to make a third record in today’s market; Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, KISS, Def Leppard, Metallica, Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, The Ramones and U2. Most of the aforementioned acts broke through with their third albums and U2, well, they broke into the mainstream with War produced by none other than Steve Lillywhite; the same man behind the boards for This Is War, along with Flood, another key U2 contributor. With this team and their musical growth, 30 Seconds to Mars reached new heights creating irresistible melodies, enormous choruses and a sound made for the masses.

This Is War, released in December of 2009, is a collection of twelve songs aimed squarely at the heart. In a world devastated by economic woes, there is an overriding feeling of tenseness in the air and somehow 30 Seconds To Mars captured the essence of our fears where sensibility overrides sense. The production and performances are so persuasive you can’t help but be drawn inward. From the wailing and tribal opening of “Escape”/”Night of the Hunter”, the band hurtles towards greatness without ever looking back. This Is War is an album produced with great care so much so that the urgency of the performances elevate these songs to a different stratosphere. Producers Steve Lillywhite and Flood prove to be brilliant collaborators encouraging and forcing the band to not just be better, but daring them to be great. As acts age and achieve a certain level of success, many believe their own hype. Jared Leto has been part of the Hollywood machinery for nearly two decades and it would have been easy for him to take the reigns and not be open to outside opinions. However, by bringing in Lillywhite and Flood to the table, This Is War is more than an album set in the here and now, but one whose themes are so universal and reaching it has the potential to be influential not just years but decades from now.

The album is full of stadium-styled testimonials full of great liberation. The title track finds the band channeling their anger through the instruments in their hands while “Vox Populi” is mesmerizing with its rumbling drums and children chorus that sounds like a resurrection. “Alibi” and “100 Suns” are more solemn yet are exquisite confessionals with Leto providing his greatest wails. Even a song like “Hurricane” (which has a Kanye West cameo) couldn’t have been written five years ago, it features Leto sharpening his blade as a songwriter as the band delicately surround the song with their instruments undercover allowing the lyrics to paint pictures. This Is War is an album that defines the current unnamed generation. The compositions within are a map for the disenfranchised and heartbroken. In the 21st century, records like This Is War shouldn’t exist. A top-to-bottom collection of songs you don’t just like but love. “Kings and Queens” is a song so commanding you pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming when listening to it. The video for “Kings and Queens”, directed by Leto under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins, is a sweeping love letter to LA. He manages to make a city full of glam and glitter seems like a lost metropolitan paradise. Anyone who has ever spent any significant time in Los Angeles knows what an impractical feat this is and yet he did it with splendor and grace. No one has ever captured the city as wondrous as he has and this is a place where films have been made for a century. It took a music video to open the world’s eyes to its beauty. The music from This Is War isn’t sinister or stark, it’s simply surreal. It awakens your inner sixteen-year-old where when all else fails and the tears run down your cheeks in slow motion, you turn the volume up and somehow faith is restored and all seems right with the world.

Steve Lillywhite knows how to nurture bands through their complex beginnings. He was the sole producer for the first few records by both U2 and the Dave Matthews Band. He has a keen sense of piecing bits and pieces together and stringing them into hit songs. A great producer doesn’t just turn knobs and add sonic wonderment they should push artists to the brink improving the album as a whole. The world is filled with too many “yes” men as it is, a producer should be someone who full on collaborates with the artist making them see something in themselves they didn’t even think existed. The greatest triumph Lillywhite can lay claim to on This Is War is the rescue of the album’s (and the band’s) greatest song from an abandoned ditch. According to the documentary on the special edition DVD of TIW, “Closer to the Edge” had been placed in a “graveyard for months and months” before Lillywhite encouraged the band to rescue it. Lillywhite had mixed U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” and knew how U2 labored over that one song for months. The amalgamation of the instruments on “Closer to the Edge” consolidates beautifully into a psalm that connects memory to emotion, a truly rare feat. An unexplainable muscular organ/synth riff opens the song while drummer Shannon Leto pummels the listener with his tribal rhythms as guitarist Tomo Miličević flavors the song with imposing riffs all the while allowing Jared Leto the ability to whisper the verses and scream the choruses. I’ve spoken at length about Jared but much credit has to be given to his brother Shannon on drums and guitarist Tomo Miličević whose presence is the spine of the band. The drumming and guitar work is storming while unleashing thunder as their instruments propel the song into the fist-pumping stratosphere. “Closer to the Edge” is the most magnificent moment on an album busting at the seams with spiritual rebirth.

“Closer to the Edge” is not just a perfect song, but I’ll go on the record stating it’s one of the greatest video clips ever produced (once again directed by Leto under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins). If I was a band wanting to leave an overwhelming impression on the viewer, I’d hire Leto in a heartbeat to give my song an ambitious ambiance. Its one thing to write a song that will inspire people and it’s another to write poetry with your camera. Leto must have been a keen observer when he worked with various directors because he brings cinematic luster to these clips. The video for “Edge” intersperses amazing live footage with sound bytes of their fans. A cynic would dismiss and laugh at them, but I feel sorry for anyone who does because they’ve stopped feeling. They may not want to admit it to themselves but they were once these kids. I used to be one of these kids. I still am one of these kids. I’m afraid to admit it, but I’m overwhelmed by so many of life’s twists and turns and need anything and everything to make it through. When I saw “Closer to the Edge” it took me back to my youth when I was profoundly scared of what the future held. Even though I’ve been blessed in so many ways, I still have anxiety of what lies ahead. But as I watched Jared, Shannon and Tomo tear through the song in the hypnotically cinematic clip, I was overwhelmed with emotion. At one point, the words “Yes this is a cult” appear on the screen and from what I can see, this is a band doing everything right. The may not have sold 100-million records around the globe, but as one can see from the video, this is a band with a fervent fan base. It’s a stunning testament to the band as a live entity and more importantly, the relationship they share with their fans. This is a clip not about ego, but an example of the adoration their fans feel for them and their music. In a day and age where we scoff at big budget videos, Leto takes the fan on the other side of the television/PC screen and thrusts them into the mosh pit of one of their concerts. There’s a reason the clip has over twenty-million views on YouTube (pre and post Vevo). The video is more than an advertisement for their music or even one of their concerts, but a philosophical manifestation of sentiment. It makes you want to be a member of their family.

As I listen to songs like “Kings and Queens”, “Vox Populi” and “Closer to the Edge” I feel my life pass before my eyes. It’s the aural equivalent of a first kiss, a first heartbreak, it evokes the scent of incense at a funeral for someone we don’t want to let go and even the smell of a newborn baby’s head. When I listen to This Is War I’m reminded of just not the good times, but the challenging and turbulent ones as well. One has to remember, it’s the extremes of life that allow us to feel the most and it serves as a reminder for when things are good, they feeling is heightened. There’s loneliness and alienation that can’t be placed into words and we search for the pieces of the puzzle. Remember, if any song or album has the power to change your view of the world in even the minutest manner or more importantly, if it provides comfort and hope you don’t need Rolling Stone, Pitchfork or Spin to tell you it’s revolutionary because in your heart and mind it already is. 30 Seconds to Mars is a band who isn’t merely running through the motions but letting every bit of their being flow through their instruments. Some have said This Is War and songs like “Closer to the Edge” rely on bombast. I disagree and believe it’s not bombast the band embodied, but bravery. These are three men bristling with sentiment and feeling and they’re providing their fans with prayers for their daily lives. I’m sure there are many out there like me who weren’t willing to give the band a chance because I would have preferred to see Leto in front of the camera working with the best directors alive. Now that I’ve seen and heard what he has to offer, I can’t wait to see them live or for the next record.

We should love our musicians the way we love our children; by embracing and loving them for their differences while never comparing them to anyone else. Each artist on this planet brings something to the table that makes them wholly unique. The key is for each particular artist to be the best they can be without selling themselves short. 30 Seconds to Mars is a group creating the best damn music they can at this moment in time and if you’re not listening to them, you should. Originality is overrated. If you dig deep enough, everyone owes a tip of the hat to those who came before, so don’t try and tell me how some act isn’t great because they’re not as good as the Beatles, no one is. The secret is to love your influences and find a filter to pass them through with your own imprint. When I watch the video or hear This Is War I think to myself, “Is it wrong to love something as simple as a song so much?” Even worse is the expect so much from it. We demand the artists we love to change the world when in reality they’re just as flawed and human as we are. While no one can really change the world, a great and instinctual musician knows that it’s all about connecting, not converting, one fan at a time. There’s a part of “Closer to the Edge” where Leto screams “No, no, no” and in the video, you see him thrust his arm and the crowd of thousands follow his lead. It’s as powerful as a music moment as I’ve ever experienced and I wasn’t even there to witness it. I want to be in the crowd singing with their fans, weeping away my sorrows and wiping away the tears of joy because the sensation their songs provide is a reminder of how grand and wonderful life truly is. If it’s been a while since your heart skipped an extra beat seek out “Closer to the Edge” and This Is War and be prepared to feel more alive than you have in years.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter