Sparta got a deal with Dreamworks in 2001 and released their debut EP Austere in early 2002. They released their debut full-length album Wiretap Scars on August 13, 2002. The album is mostly influenced by their previous work with At the Drive-In, which is a contrast from The Mars Volta, formed by the other two ex-members of ATD-I, which departs entirely from post-hardcore and instead focuses on progressive rock or psychedelic rock. This album is also a lot cleaner and more accessible than At the Drive-In's experimentation.
On May 25, 2003, Ward's cousin Jeremy, the sound manipulator for The Mars Volta, died of a heroin overdose. Hinojos would leave Sparta in 2005 to join TMV as their secondary guitarist and filling in Jeremy Ward's position as sound manipulator. He was replaced by Keeley Davis (Engine Down, Denali).
Sparta's second full-length album Porcelain was released July 13, 2004 and peaked at #60 on the Billboard 200. The first single released from the album was "Breaking the Broken," for which a music video was recorded that received much airplay.
In January 2006, they announced that they had signed a deal with Hollywood Records, which will release their third album Threes on October 24, 2006. The album peaked at #83 on the Billboard 200. It's the first album with guitarist Keeley Davis and its debut single was "Taking Back Control."
In June 2008, Ward stated that Sparta is on hiatus and without a label; he would focus instead on his alternative country band, Sleepercar, which released its debut album West Texas on April 22, 2008. Three years later, on August 3, 2011, Ward stated that Sparta was back in action and would play their first show in November in El Paso. That comeback would be short, as in January 2012, At The Drive-In reunited for a series of shows, splitting up once again at the end of the year. In January 2016, At The Drive-In reunited for the second time. However, days before the tour start in March 2016, it was announced that Ward had been replaced in the band by his former Sparta bandmate Keeley Davis.
Sparta would come back for a second time in 2017, with a line-up consisting of Ward, Miller, Gabriel Gonzalez and Cully Symington (Beach Slang, Cursive). They would release their fourth album, Trust the River, on April 10, 2020 on Dine Alone Records.
There is another band ith the sane name:
2. Sparta was also a NWOBHM band from Mansfield. They formed in 1980, and released two singles, plus participated on a five way split album before they split up. Hades Records released a compilation on vinyl in 2006. This compilation contained all their previously released songs, plus a few more.
Atlas
Sparta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll burn it to the ground
Packed your things and then
You were gone
Called a new place home
Like you do
And you'll never change
Well I got a feeling inside
Its going to happen again
There's a fire deep in your eyes
They've never seen before
Like you do
And you'll never change
More than lights expose
Who you are
The song "Atlas" by Sparta talks about a person who loved a certain town just like the person they are addressing in the song, but now, they want to burn it to the ground. The person they address has already left the town for a new place, calling it home. The singer then talks about a feeling he has - that something will happen again. The person's eyes are described as having a fire that has never been seen before. The last two lines of the chorus, "like you do, and you’ll never change," suggest that this person has a pattern of leaving places and burning bridges.
The last line of the song, "More than lights expose, who you are," suggests that the person they are addressing has a dark side that they keep hidden. The song may be interpreted in different ways, but it could be about a person who has a destructive pattern of leaving behind everything and everyone they ever loved. It could also be about a person who has a dark side that they don't want anyone to see. The song has a haunting and melancholic feel to it, with the music building up towards the end, reflecting the intensity of the emotions expressed in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I loved this town like you did
I once cherished this town just like you did
I'll burn it to the ground
I'll destroy it completely
Packed your things and then
You gathered all your belongings and then
You were gone
You left without a trace
Called a new place home
You settled in a new location and made it your home
Like you do
Just as you always have done
And you'll never change
You will always remain the same
Well I got a feeling inside
I have a deep-seated feeling within me
Its going to happen again
Something is bound to happen again
There's a fire deep in your eyes
Your eyes betray a strong sense of ambition
They've never seen before
One that people around you have never witnessed
Like you do
Just like you always have
And you'll never change
You will always be the same
More than lights expose
The truth about you goes beyond the surface
Who you are
It reveals your true identity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind