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The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

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? by Andrew Farley
Artists: At The Drive-In, Sparta, The Mars Volta
Words: Andrew Farley
Posted: 02 Mar '04, 12:04
Sparta, one of the groups to have emerged from the ashes of At The Drive-In, will release a new album this summer.

The album has a title of 'Porcelain' and is set for a June release inthe US. It's the follow-up to their DiS-approved debut, 'Wiretap Scars', which managed to score an impressive 4.5/5 review here way back in August 2002.

For those who aren't aware, Jim Ward, Paul Hinojos and Tony Hajjar from ATD-I went on on to form Sparta. The other two (not the same 'other two' as New Order, mind you) formed The Mars Volta. The latter have a new single called ’Televators’ out this week, which you'd already know if you'd read the DiS Guide To March.

Information on a UK release for the Sparta album is not available at present.

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The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Get In!!!!!!!!!!!!
Banned-in-DC | 2 Mar '04, 12:50 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Get in indeed!
sickboy | 2 Mar '04, 16:53 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

sparta are distressingly turgid. having once idolised Jim Ward, the three times that ive seen them have been progressively more depressing and disillusioning, culminating in their support for QOTSA on the last tour, sounding like a vaguely indie, pompous take on U2. they should be embarassed. See the DiS Mars Volta interview for a character assassination.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 2 Mar '04, 14:03 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Sparta can eat a dick, they're so obviously the poor man's Mars Volta, and Jim Ward is a snivelling - "wow we're so glad to be here, you guys are the best" - indie little toad. That is all.
brass-monkey | 2 Mar '04, 14:40 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

poor man's mars volta? they sound bugger all like them.

they are indeed a far weaker band than the mars volta. tmv's shows may be self-indulgent displays of wankery, but at least their album is interesting and beautiful enough that they nearly get away with it.

nearly, mind.

x
gen
-gen- | 2 Mar '04, 15:48 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

I've seen both these bands, and Sparta are *much* better live. The album is decent, if not incredible.

Neither offshoot bands albums or live performances have been up to the standard of those ATDI put out, however.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 2 Mar '04, 17:37 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

both bands rule, i think out of the two though i prefer Sparta, but only just, anyway neither band are remotly the same so its a bit stupid comparing them
IranDIS | 2 Mar '04, 17:47 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Sparta are indeed terrible.

I've seen them a few times now at Festivals and they allways loose half there crowd by the end of their slot though boredom.

Why they feel the need to carry on when is beyond me.

Basically Mars Volta is just "at the drive in" with musician's with talent added. Instead of a load of hangers on who just liked to thrash around a lot and be noisey in the only way hardcore kidz can be.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 2 Mar '04, 17:55 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

meow, agreed on sparta though mars volta are better but then at the drive in was a different entity.
BloodflowerBill | 2 Mar '04, 18:20 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

how are at the drive-in and the mars volta the same? have you heard either of these bands they sound totally different
and anyway ive seen sparta at festivals and in clubs and they ruled in both of them
as do the mars volta for that matter
jimmio_jim_jim | 2 Mar '04, 18:35 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

At The Drive-in was beyond "hardcore". Also, I'd like to ask what you're barking on about implying that ATD-i had a lack of musicianship and talent...have you heard how tight their albums are ('Relationship Of Command' and 'Vaya' especially)?
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 2 Mar '04, 18:36 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Tight perhaps because the rather polished studio and producer they had made Relationship of command with, compared to the other abulms.

They were'nt especially tight live either, just full of energy which helped people foget there was some serious lack of talent between the lesser members of the band.

I love the fact that really the Mars Volta are far more uncompromsing than ATDI could have ever been, playing 40 minute songs and telling it's audience to go fuck it's self, when they asked for them to play there single Inertiatic Esp live a few times.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 3 Mar '04, 06:55 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

It's true that ATD-I were never the tightest of bands - have you seen them on that Jools Holland LOUDER DVD? Crazy...

...but they're still among the best bands I've ever seen live.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 3 Mar '04, 09:56 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Yes, I have. It's really cool, again though not very tight at all but who cares? Cedric throws a chair around and leaps around like a headcase. + Robbie Williams had to follow it lol
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 3 Mar '04, 12:23 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

even they admitted they weren't very good musicians in atd-i... anyone can make an album tight if they want to. on the shape of punk to come, they had to cut up all of dennis' vocals into each word and put them in the right place because he couldn't sing in time...
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 5 Mar '04, 08:43 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

have you head the bass line on quarantine? the drummer is one of the best rock drummers around, and jim was pretty good.. and i don't like sparta, i think they are boring.
andysmith | 5 Mar '04, 16:35 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

The drumming is really good on Atdi. Sparta are ok, I think it just needs a few listens. They don't have the energy of ATDT, though, and the vocals are variable.
Chroniclesaxeman | 12 May '04, 17:07 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

sparta are feckin' awful. period.

i've seen them live a couple of times and heard them on record, they bored me to death live....

just the less imaginative parts of ATDI.
alari | 2 Mar '04, 19:32 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

I guess the creativity was in Omar and Cedric. Normally I can't tolerate albums like the one TMV have put out bit they get away with it somehow. To tell you the truth, I haven't heard much of Sparta. How has the sound changed from ATD-I to Sparta?
CaviarAndCigarets | 2 Mar '04, 19:45 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

atd-i ended, the offshoot bands started, the passion was lost. forget all this crap and go buy in/casino out by at the drive in. i try to pretend that mv and sparta dont exist...its for the best.
wernhamhogg | 2 Mar '04, 22:03 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Look, Sparta are the RAWK!!! side of at the drive-in, while tmv are the arty side of it. I can see why Sparta sometimes get called at the drive-in lite but Jim Ward wrote the majority of the atdi guitar parts so im sorry but his musicianship doesnt even come into the equation. Basically if you liked the experimental atdi songs check tmv if u liked the punk-hardcore side check out sparta, but dont dis sparta as musicians as they are muchos talented.
rivalschools | 2 Mar '04, 22:26 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

its a crying shame atd-i broke up, sparta are uninspired and mars volta are overwrought. they were like a nice cake, listening to the offshoots is like eating the ingredients.
polko | 3 Mar '04, 02:23 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Would people be giving Sparta such a hard time if there wasn't an ATDI connection? Face it, if you'd heard some unknown new band come along with songs as strong as Mye or Cut Your Ribbon you'd be licking their asses from here to El Paso.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 3 Mar '04, 05:05 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

thats the problem. beyond those songs theyre pretty damn average.
which is the song on the Austere EP that has exactly the same guitar riff as Invalid Litter Dept?
alcxxk | 3 Mar '04, 12:07 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Totally agree with poopeetr, the ATD-i connection has been a huge weight around Jim and co's neck, but on the three times I've seen them live they've blown the other bands off the stage. When you watch Sparta supporting an ATD-i tribute band like Hundred Reasons you realise just how good they are. Wiretap Scars was an excellent debut album - anyone with the early ATD-i records knows that even great bands can sound a bit crap in places.
I can't wait for the new album personally, and some intimate live gigs too before they deservedly blow up big time...
weymart | 3 Mar '04, 15:20 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

Why don't people think they might be wrong more often?
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 8 Mar '04, 19:28 | Send note | Report this | Reply

The Mars Who? Sparta Return...

ok, thats enough

you cannot compare any of these bands, least of all mars volta and atdi. also you cant really judge them just because you saw them once or twice early on. jim said if sparta sounds like atdi, its not because hes trying to copy what they sounded like, its because thats just how he writes music. you cant blame him for that. and the mars volta is beyond anything else out right now.
calavera_kid | 19 Mar '04, 23:54 | Send note | Report this | Reply

porcelain?

is this website ever going to review porcelain?

and why all the hate? just listen to the music

wawaicedtea | 26 Feb '06, 08:05 | Send note | Report this | Reply


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