In 2002, 30 Seconds to Mars released its self-titled debut album, offering up a bold experiment in atmosphere and imagination. Emerging seemingly overnight, the progressive-leaning, multi-faceted, art-rock outfit had actually spent a better part of a decade on the road and literally years in the studio with legendary producer Bob Ezrin, who joined the band in bringing their vision to fruition. With the release of this project, sometimes called "Welcome to the Universe", they traveled the world, played over 300 shows and eventually began writing new material along the way. With 2005's A Beautiful Lie, 30 Seconds to Mars explored a more confessional sonic landscape and progressive, multi-tracked passages gave way to leaner, far more impacting constructs. It wasn't a concept album per se, but it was certainly conceptual, unraveling like chapters from a spellbinding novel about a man on the precipice of collapse who must confront his own humanity, overcome immense challenges and embrace...