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.
Echodyne Harmonic
Sparta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To fix the outer shell
So hold on until they return
Enslave the native tongue
To mine their freedom out
So hold on and don't give in
Our world is only what we're told
Life spans 1000 years have gone
But just a minute above
So hold on until they return
Sheltered thoughts and fears
If they claim what's theirs
So hold on and don't give in
Fading out, now we're fading out
The song "Echodyne Harmonic" by Sparta is a thought-provoking piece that touches on themes of control, enslavement, and resistance. The lyrics suggest that there is something broken about the world we live in, and that those in power use their authority to keep people trapped and oppressed. The line "They say it takes a ring of gold to fix the outer shell" implies that those who are in charge are more interested in their own wealth and power than they are in repairing the damage that has been done to the world.
The song urges listeners to hold on and resist the forces that seek to control them. The lines "Enslave the native tongue to mine their freedom out" and "Sheltered thoughts and fears if they claim what's theirs" suggest that those in power will stop at nothing to maintain their dominance, even if it means taking away people's language, culture, and sense of self. The song also questions the nature of reality itself, asking "Our world is only what we're told, how do we know?" This line suggests that we should be skeptical of the narrative that is presented to us and seek to understand the truth for ourselves.
Overall, "Echodyne Harmonic" is a powerful and thought-provoking piece of music that encourages listeners to resist the forces of oppression and to seek out truth and freedom for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
They say it takes a ring of gold
According to popular belief, it requires an extravagant amount of wealth to fix something that appears damaged on the surface.
To fix the outer shell
To repair the exterior portion of something as a temporary solution rather than addressing the root cause of the issue.
So hold on until they return
To endure the situation patiently until those in power come back, knowing that a resolution may come in the future but not immediately.
Enslave the native tongue
To forbid the use of a language that is specific to a group of people and force them to speak the dominant language instead, ultimately erasing their unique cultural identity.
To mine their freedom out
To extract the very essence of what makes a person or group free and rob them of it systematically.
So hold on and don't give in
Despite the oppressive nature of the situation, it is important to resist and endure until change can happen by not giving up hope.
Our world is only what we're told
The information we are given shapes our perception of reality, and it is important to question the validity of what we are told.
How do we know?
A rhetorical question that challenges the notion of blindly accepting information without questioning its accuracy or source.
Life spans 1000 years have gone
The amount of time that has passed since ancient civilizations is immense and difficult to comprehend.
But just a minute above
Compared to the grand scheme of things, the length of human life is minuscule and fleeting.
Sheltered thoughts and fears
Ideas and emotions that were once protected and kept hidden from others are now exposed and their validity is being challenged.
If they claim what's theirs
If someone in power takes ownership of something that is rightfully not theirs, it is a form of theft and an abuse of power.
So hold on and don't give in
Despite the overwhelming nature of the situation, one must continue to persevere and push back against the injustices being inflicted upon them.
Fading out, now we're fading out
Slowly losing touch with reality and succumbing to the pressures and stresses of life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JIM WARD, MATTHAEUS GUENTHER MILLER, PABLO HINOJOS, TONY HAJJAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind