In the beginning, there was a breakthrough, landmark independent artist called At The Drive-In. Although incredibly short lived, their impact was significant, so much so that it is difficult to talk about their off-shoots, Sparta and The Mars Volta, without discussing the band that made it all happen. It’s not surprising that a group of extremely talented artists, each with their own star power, eventually erupted and split in twain. A common argument among art rock indie bands that have been noticed- do we go even MORE abstract? Or do we go mainstream and take advantage of the attention? Clearly, they were divided, and became two bands. The Mars Volta went more abstract, while Sparta made a run for the Billboard.

While some critics find it necessary to expound on which decision was the correct one, I believe them both to be ‘correct.’ It’s not wrong to want to create albums with mass appeal. And it’s not wrong to want to create albums purely for their artistic value. Both are needed to make the world of music interesting, and both bands are good at what they do. That being said, let’s discuss Sparta’s new album Threes, which is quite possibly their best effort to date. On this release, Sparta sees a line up change, with the loss of Pablo Hinojos and the addition of Engine Down’s frontman, Keeley Davis. Davis lends his influence and allows Sparta to diversify their sound as they balance multiple singers. Jim Ward has an impressive showing on this release, smoothing out his rough edges and expanding his range exponentially. Although Keeley takes a back seat on this release, his contribution is evident and leaves me hopeful for future Sparta albums.

Combining elements of their past releases, Wiretap Scars and Porcelain, Sparta have balanced their technical musicianship with energetic flair, resulting in the first single ‘Taking Back Control,’ a propulsive rock song that gives a tip of the hat to the punk roots of At The Drive-In. The vocal blend on the track is unmatched in current modern rock, and in a perfect world would top the charts simply by not sounding like everything else on the radio. ‘Taking Back Control’ is quite possibly the best first single imaginable as it invites those unfamiliar with Sparta to see exactly why people are so damn interested. It’s not so unfamiliar that it’s unattainable, but is different enough to justify the buzz.

Unlike a lot of other albums, the single is not the only good song on the record. In fact, it’s not even the best song on the record. ‘Crawl’ and ‘Untreatable Disease’ reinforce the mission of the single, coercing the uninformed to follow them down the superficial path of the mainstream into the lawless pool of self-exploration only found in Indieland. ‘Unstitch Your Mouth’ and ‘The Most Vicious Crimes’ give the listener a glimpse of the connection between Sparta and The Mars Volta. What do I mean by that? Definitely good, definitely interesting, and definitely that unexpected sucker punch The Mars Volta have become known for. That’s not to say Sparta are trying to be something they’re not; they have a clear vision of melody and audio textures going into it, as opposed to a jazzy jam that leaves the musicians as surprised as the listeners. Someone better at reviews than I described Sparta’s new album as ‘early Radiohead mixed with U2.’ That’s dead on accurate.

The track on this album that I cannot stop listening to is the ballad, ‘Erase It Again,’ which is so good I actually had to look up who wrote it because it being a Sparta original seemed somewhat far-fetched to me. However, throughout the album Sparta give hints of brilliance and quite possibly genius with ‘Weather Ice Storm,’ ‘False Start’ and the amazing album closer, ‘Transitions.’ With so many tracks making me question whether or not they wrote them, it seems more appropriate that my question become ‘Why didn’t anyone tell me they were so good?’

It is my personal goal to own all of the greatest rock albums ever released. I want a collection so bombastic it makes others cower before me. So grand, you cannot look directly at it for fear you will go blind. No promo copies…full art originals. Complete. Perfect. On October 24th, I know where I will be. I will be at my local record store buying Sparta’s Threes. I had no idea there was a Sparta-sized hole in my collection, but alas, there it is.