 Jason D. Taylor of AllMusic considered the release of 30 Seconds to Mars a " daring new step in musical evolution " and noted that its impact left " vast corridors of sound open for the listener to meander down at will " . He commented that Thirty Seconds to Mars managed to record an album that " breathes life " into the " empty shell that corporate rock has become " , and felt that in " reanimating an avenue of musical expression that has for many years been on its deathbed " , the band possibly offered the best rock experience of 2002 . Kludge listed 30 Seconds to Mars as one of the best 100 albums of 2002 . Melodic included it on their list of top 50 albums of the year and regarded it as " one of the most unique album when it comes to an own style " . Music critic Megan O 'Toole felt Thirty Seconds to Mars managed to " carve out a unique niche for themselves in the rock realm " . 
