"This Is War" » Description of songs from album

Night of the Hunter: Leto says the band was attempting "a collision of the small, the intimate, the minimal agains tthe grandiose and the bombastic." The song spans both the soft voice of a French girl counting "Une, deux, trois... cinq," to Leto's high vocal lines against a stark backdrop.

Kings And Queens: Opening with a wild hawk scream, recorded live over the band's work space, the song includes a heavy contribution from the band's fans, captured singing a chorus created from layers of the band's "summit" recordings. Leto said the title and theme were inspired by a book found at the band's South African work space, but that it "ended up being a good metaphor" for world events from the past year.

Hurricane: Already generating online buzz because of the somewhat surprising inclusion of a cameo from Kanye West, the song sizzles with electronics and represents one of the biggest departures from the band's previous music. West sings "I need a heartbeat" over Leto's own vocals to powerful sonic effect.