CLOSER TO THE EDGE OFFICIAL VIDEO

"Closer to the Edge" is a song written by Jared Leto and performed by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. Produced by the band, co-produced by Flood, the track is the seventh track and the third single from their third studio album This Is War. It will be released in the United States in August 2010.

Background

Milicevic, the lead guitarist of 30 Seconds to Mars, said about the song: "A really interesting track. We call it our ‘pop’ song, but when you really listen to it, you realize that it has a lot of rock glory in it. It’s a song that fools you, and I like that. Jared really pushed himself as a songwriter here in that he was trying to reach for a new way of presenting music that was very accessible but not spoon-feed it to the audience. He has a lot of respect for the fans in that way. The guy’s a trip - very inspiring to be around and work with."

Music video

The music video premiered on June 9, 2010 on the band's YouTube account. The video was directed by Bartholomew Cubbins, Jared Leto's director name. The video contains concert footage from about 30 performances during their Into the Wild world tour, which commenced on February 19, 2010 and will run till December 18, 2010. The 6 minutes during video shows each location played at until a certain date, fan commentary and some backstage footage. "Closer to the Edge" is not the band's first live video, being preceded by "Edge of the Earth".

Critical reception

The video was received with mainly positive criticism by critics. Australia's RadarRadio, claiming the video is "epic". UK rock music website RockLouder also calls the video "lovely" and "worth the watch".

About.com's Grierson says "“Closer to the Edge” emphasize atmospheric flourishes over melodic assurance."