Sparta is an alternative rock band which formed in El Paso, Texas in 2001. … Read Full Bio ↴Sparta is an alternative rock band which formed in El Paso, Texas in 2001. The band originally consisted of Jim Ward (vocals), Paul Hinojos (guitar) and Tony Hajjar (drums), all former members of At the Drive-In. After a brief stint with Erick Sanger (Schatzi, theStart), the three of them recruited Matt Miller, an El Paso native and then-bassist of Belknap to become the band's permanent bassist.

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.

Cataract
Sparta Lyrics

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Locked up in the distance
In the falter above us
As the contrails pass you spoke your mind
Old photos distort you
And you're frowning a smile
As the misery makes you act blind
Stand down, fall apart and the trouble starts
Yeah the trouble starts over again

In the scenes of this casting
Where a tragedy follows
As the contrails pass this vacant sky

Disappear, Orlean
Away from tarnished golden arsenals
You're laying down again
Disappear, Orlean
Because your swansong fell on fallen heads

You're laying down again
Time goes nowhere

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sparta’s song Cataract signify the feelings of isolation and detachment. The first line, “Locked up in the distance,” suggests a feeling of being trapped in a lonely place or mindset. The singer observes the “contrails,” which are the trails left behind by airplanes in the sky, and uses them as a metaphor for the fleeting moments of connection in life. “As the contrails pass you spoke your mind” implies that these moments have already passed, and there was something left unsaid. The line “Old photos distort you” could be interpreted as the memories of the past becoming distorted and the realization that they cannot be recaptured.

The imagery of a “tarnished golden arsenal” speaks to the concept of glorifying and preserving something that has lost its value. The singer is calling for a release, to escape the cycle of disappointment and the weight of past failures. The lines “Stand down, fall apart and the trouble starts, Yeah the trouble starts over again” suggest that the singer is struggling to overcome the challenges of life, but the cycle of falling apart and rebuilding remains unbroken. The final line, “Time goes nowhere,” reinforces the idea that life often feels stagnant and unchanging, a never-ending cycle of disappointment and frustration.

Line by Line Meaning

Locked up in the distance
Feeling trapped and distant from reality

In the falter above us
In the uncertainty and instability of our surroundings

As the contrails pass you spoke your mind
As the fleeting moments pass by, you opened up

Old photos distort you
Memories from the past cloud your judgement

And you're frowning a smile
You're pretending to be cheerful but unhappy inside

As the misery makes you act blind
As your suffering blinds you to reality

Stand down, fall apart and the trouble starts
When you give up, chaos ensues

Yeah the trouble starts over again
The cycle of problems repeats itself

In the scenes of this casting
In the roles we play in life

Where a tragedy follows
Where sadness and misfortune are frequent

As the contrails pass this vacant sky
As time passes without meaning or purpose