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.
Red Alibi
Sparta Lyrics
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Spells out the master plan
Now I know
She swings with the ease of a hammer
From the truth down to the past
And I know
What's right, went wrong
To this the finish
I'll try to find
A place in your new life
To set the fire
And cover your tracks
Time will tell, the past laughs last
Syllables will try and judge you
Will pierce the anecdote
Now I know
Your plea is a case of reason
And this deletes your alibi
And I know
Once tried, left wrong
From where it started, to here the finish
I'll try to find
A place in your new life
The traps have been set
And this will change everything
The song "Red Alibi" by Sparta is about a person who has realized that they have been deceived by someone they trusted. The singer hears a voice in their head that reveals the truth about the other person's intentions. They have a realization that the other person has been acting with malicious intent from the beginning of their relationship. Despite the shock of the revelation, the singer wants to find a way to take revenge and unsettle their betrayer's life. They vow to "set the fire" in a place where they can cover their own tracks and ruin the other person's attempt to make a new life. The singer is confident that time will reveal the truth about the other person's deception and ultimately, they will be judged and punished.
The lyrics of the song are very metaphorical and cryptic, making it difficult to understand the true meaning. However, one possible interpretation is that the song is about how sometimes people can be very good at hiding their true selves and intentions, and the realization that someone close to you has been deceiving you can be a painful experience. The song is a warning that we should always be cautious of those around us, even the ones we love and trust the most.
Line by Line Meaning
In the back of my mind a voice speaks
There's a voice in my head that's telling me something
Spells out the master plan
It's telling me the bigger picture
Now I know
I finally understand
She swings with the ease of a hammer
She's powerful and has control
From the truth down to the past
Everything from reality to history
And I know
I understand
What's right, went wrong
Things that were correct turned out to be incorrect
From when it started
From the beginning
To this the finish
To the end
I'll try to find
I'll attempt to discover
A place in your new life
A role in your future
To set the fire
To make things happen
And cover your tracks
To hide what was done
Time will tell, the past laughs last
The truth will eventually come out
Syllables will try and judge you
Words will try to criticize you
Will pierce the anecdote
Will undermine the story
Now I know
I finally understand
Your plea is a case of reason
Your explanation is logical
And this deletes your alibi
This removes your excuse
Once tried, left wrong
Once tested, it was proven to be incorrect
From where it started, to here the finish
From the beginning to the end
The traps have been set
The plan has been put into action
And this will change everything
This will have a big impact
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JIM WARD, MATTHAEUS GUENTHER MILLER, PABLO HINOJOS, TONY HAJJAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind