The Jared Leto-fronted arena act Thirty Seconds To Mars, famous for their imaginative blend of alternative and prog-rock, followed up their acclaimed 2002 eponymous debut with A Beautiful Lie in 2005. A Beautiful Lie was the product of an intense nine-month in-studio creative tear, and an equally intense two-year, four-continent period of unsparing self-examination.

Assisting 30STM behind the board this time around was producer Josh Abraham, known for his work with Velvet Revolver, Korn, and Linkin Park. The album is more streamlined and inventive than their debut, both in musical terms as well as in its frank and direct lyrical content. "We wanted to focus on the insides of the song," Leto says. "To cut away anything extraneous. To get to the truth of it all."

An utterly unique statement from one of rock's most original voices, A Beautiful Lie served as an impressive step forward in the musical evolution of 30 Seconds to Mars. The platinum-certified effort yielded four singles including "Attack," "The Kill," "From Yesterday," and "A Beautiful Lie" with "The Kill" and "From Yesterday" both climbing into the Top 5.